“Ulster County is experiencing a lack of affordable and workforce housing, made worse by a variety of factors including short-term rentals, pandemic population influx from metro-New York and very limited new construction over the last decade. Housing inventory at all price levels is limited. In addition to the work of the County Executive’s Office and the County Legislature on items such as the Ulster County Housing Action Plan, the Ulster County Housing Development Corporation, a potential land bank and more, our office has also identified and documented information on the lack of available housing.
As the former chair of UCIDA, staff to UCIDA, and now the fiscal watchdog for the people of Ulster County observing the current housing market and the work of the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency over the last year, I have been keenly watching your deliberations. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some comments regarding how the Ulster UCIDA might play a larger role in facilitating additional housing which is desperately needed by our residents….”