Housing Pathway Forward: A “Blueprint” to Advance Housing Development
Sunday, October 17th, 2021
The lack of a balanced supply of housing at all levels, from affordable to workforce to market rate, is apparent. The shortage is real. The demand for housing appears to be insatiable at all price points, type, and tenure. There is a strong market for single family homes and multifamily rentals. Ranging from the large urban centers in Westchester County to the small cities within the Mid-Hudson counties of Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, and Rockland to the small villages and hamlets in Columbia, Greene, and Sullivan Counties – the lack of housing is apparent. Therefore, Pattern has identified the strategy of increasing the supply of HOUSING to address the lack of inventory and soaring prices as a priority.
Pattern has long been an advocate for affordable and workforce housing and is encouraged to see the issue of housing for all has risen as a top priority across the region. Affordable housing is of fundamental importance to the overall health and wellbeing of all communities and represents a critical part of the socioeconomic infrastructure of any community.
While Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) persists in many communities, County Executives, locally elected municipal officials and boards, and other decision making bodies have a much stronger understanding of the need and willingness to work with developers to construct new housing. These efforts have led to a number of communities working with Pattern to conduct research and analysis to prepare new strategies and recommendations to leverage local, state, and private investment to try to solve the housing challenges of their residents.
In addition to employment opportunities, the residents of the Hudson Valley also need an affordable place to live. Economic development and workforce development officials are now working collaboratively to foster development of a range of housing options to increase the ability to attract and retain the post-pandemic workforce.
Pattern’s Center for Housing Solutions, along with its partners, will continue to look for new solutions to address this pervasive problem. Pattern cannot do this alone. The region must have a chorus of voices to express the need to increase the housing supply. Pattern urges municipalities to examine their land use, zoning regulations and comprehensive plans to be more inclusive and receptive to a diverse range of housing options. However, not all municipalities are on board and there is much work to be done. Now is not the time to place moratoriums on development.
There are a number of multifaceted housing challenges facing the region. The following research, analysis, and suggested action steps acts as a “Blueprint” to advance housing opportunities at all levels with a perspective through the lens of establishing affordable access that is essential to retaining our workforce and creating an equitable region.
