VETERANS DAY CEREMONY –MONDAY NOVEMBER 11 AT 1 PM—EAST HARTSDALE AVE, DESANTI PLAZA (ACROSS FROM HARTSDALE TRAIN STATION)---remember our veterans... Thank our local heroes… over 100 living history video’s of veterans will be broadcast on our local cable tv access station during entire weekend…
MEETING WITH MAURICE JONES, UNITED STATES DEPUTY SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ON CDBG FUNDS
Greenburgh Town Clerk Judith Beville and I met with Maurice Jones, United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development this afternoon. Secretary Jones flew in from Washington DC to meet with local officials in Westchester to discuss the dispute between HUD and Westchester County regarding affordable housing. Westchester County has already lost $7.4 million dollars because the federal government decided to allocate CDBG funds elsewhere as a result of the dispute.
Communities like Greenburgh have counted on CDBG funded to be used for programs that are benefitting low/moderate income areas. Among the projects we had counted on to receive funding was sidewalks on 9A (there was a pedestrian fatality this year on the street), a street revitalization on Manhattan Ave - across the street from Union Baptist Church, a church that serves many lower income members of our community. Union Baptist Church is celebrating their 100th anniversary in May, 2014 and we hoped to dedicate the new street revitalization in time for their celebration.
During our meeting I indicated that the federal government is not requiring Greenburgh to build more affordable housing units. Unlike other communities in Westchester we have voluntarily approved the construction of affordable housing around the town. Earlier this year WESTHAB dedicated a new apartment building that serves lower income residents. We recently sold foreclosed property that the town owns to a developer to build affordable housing apartments in Ardsley. We turned over a foreclosed property to Sheltering the Homeless is Our Responsibility (SHORE) for affordable housing. The town sold another foreclosed property to a Hastings developer for affordable housing apartments and we continue to approve more rentals that are affordable around the town.
Greenburgh also requires that 10% of units in multifamily dwellings be affordable. And, we're known for our affordable homes that are located throughout the town--homes that have been in existence for decades. We will continue to support the building of more affordable housing.
I believe that the federal governments policy is hurting towns that should not be punished. I don’t think that Greenburgh should be punished because of county action.
SOME SUGGESTIONS I made to the Deputy Secretary::
HUD should authorize communities like Greenburgh to accept CDBG funds by transferring the funding to the State of New York for its administration of programs in Westchester. The state now administers small cities CDBG programs in other counties. I suggested to the Deputy Secretary that HUD not punish innocent communities like Greenburgh. Another option: The fed’s should release CDBG funds if specific local communities show that they are doing more that the federal government is requiring when it comes to approving affordable housing units.
Paul Feiner
DON'T LOSE YOUR STAR PROPERTY TAX BREAKS. NYS REQUIRES EVERY HOMEOWNER WHO RECEIVES BASIC STAR TO REGISTER BY DECEMBER 31, 2013. IF YOU DO NOT REGISTER YOU WILL LOSE YOUR TAX BREAKS. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE STATE CALL (518) 457- 2036 OR APPLY ON LINE http://www.tax.ny.gov
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