WHITE PLAINS WESTCHESTER DAILY NEWS SERVICE VISITS SINCE 2000 A.D. 25TH YEARl REPORTING THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW News Service Since 2000 A.D. 2026 WILL BE OUR 26TH YEAR OF COVERING WHITE PLAINS NEW YORK USA . John F. Bailey, Editor (914) 997-1607 wpcnr@aol.com Cell: 914-673-4054. News Politics Personalities Neighborhoods Schools Finance Real Estate Commentary Reviews Policy Correspondence Poetry Philosophy Photojournalism Arts. The WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER. TELEVISION: "White Plains Week" News Roundup, 7:30 EDT FRI, 7 EDT MON & the incisive "People to Be Heard" Interview Program 8PM EDT THURS, 7 PM EDT SAT on FIOS CH 45 THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER AND, ALTICE OPTIMUM WHITE PLAINS CH 1300 Fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way. TOP 10 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD :1. USA. 2.BRAZIL3.VIET NAM 4. CHINA 5. JAPAN 6.UK. 7.CANADA. 8.INDIA. 9.AUSTRALIA 10.IRELAND 11.GERMANY 12..ARGENTINA 13.BANGLADESH 14.RUSSIA. 15.NEWZEALAND. 16. FRANCE. 17.MEXICO. 18.UKRAINE. 19.SOUTH AFVRICA. 20. IRAQ.
New York State’s annual budgets are the product of a fast-moving, multistage process. When Governor Hochul presented her Executive Budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year on February 1, the Legislature had exactly two months to review the $227 billion Executive Budget, generate and present counterproposals, and negotiate with the Governor to develop the final State budget by the April 1 deadline.
Since February 1, the Assembly and State Senate have conducted 13 joint hearings on the Executive Budget, analyzed thousands of documents, and received information from seemingly countless State employees and private advocates. In the Assembly, individual and groups of Assembly members also sent hundreds of budget letters to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, making specific funding requests and suggesting specific means of raising revenue.
Late last week, the Assembly and the Senate reached a critical point in the process. By passing their respective One-House budget bills, each legislative house has put forward its suggested changes and revisions to the Executive Budget. At this point, negotiations will proceed among the “three people in a room” — Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — to come up with a final fiscal plan. Supporting those negotiations is a joint General Conference Committee process between both houses of the Legislature. (I am participating as an alternate on the subcommittee evaluating programs and funding for general government and local assistance).
The Governor and Legislature have voiced agreement on numerous major issues, including completing the Foundation Aid funding for our public schools, moving toward all-electric buildings, and raising the minimum wage. Other issues, such as the Governor’s housing proposals and her aid packages for SUNY and CUNY, have been rejected in major part by the Legislature. It remains to be seen whether there will be a comprehensive budget agreement, or if areas of disagreement will remain. The process for resolving any such disagreements is analogous to the process for other legislative disputes — the Governor can reject specific legislative appropriations and line items, and the legislature may override her decisions by a two-thirds vote of both houses.
Here is a list of some of the highlights from the Assembly’s One-House bill:
Public Schools and Childcare:
$2.6 billion for Foundation Aid (fully funding our public schools for the first time ever);
$280 million for free school meals for all students statewide;
No increase in the charter school cap;
$200 million for universal pre-K (Executive Budget proposed $125 million);
$198 million for child care funding, and two-year tax incentive for employer-provided child care
Higher Education:
No tuition hike at SUNY or CUNY;
$1.8 billion increase for SUNY funding (Executive Budget proposed an $879 million increase);
$1.3 billion increase for CUNY funding (Executive Budget proposed a $397 million cut);
Expansion of the Tuition Assistance Program income threshold from an $80,000 to $100,000;
4% increase in community college funding
Health and Mental Health Care:
$2.7 billion for Medicaid funding;
$1.32 billion for hospitals;
$266.5 million for nursing homes;
8.5% cost-of living adjustment for home care workers and direct support professionals
Housing and Development:
$1.5 billion for assistance programs for homeowners and tenants;
$500 million in housing creation incentives for villages, towns, and cities ex-New York City;
Exclusion of the Executive Budget proposals to override local zoning laws and mandate transit-oriented development within 50 miles of New York City
Environment:
All-Electric Building provisions, phasing out gas service in all new buildings by 2029;
$600 million for clean water infrastructure (Executive Budget proposed $500 million);
$435 million for the Environmental Protection Fund (Executive Budget proposed $400 million);
$400 million for energy affordability and home retrofit assistance programs
Transportation:
$1.33 billion to maintain and repair aging transportation infrastructure;
$275 million for PAVE-NY program (Executive Budget proposed $175 million);
$8.3 billion to the MTA, and no fare increase;
Exclusion of the Executive Budget’s MTA payroll tax increase for New York City and its suburbs; alternative funding proposals include an increase in the top corporate tax and fees on three remaining downstate casino licenses
Public Safety and Criminal Justice:
$275 million for discovery within the court system;
$198 million for the Office of Indigent Legal Services;
$69.3 for SNUG, GIVE, and other anti-gun violence initiatives
Workforce and Communities:
Increase in the minimum wage and indexing it to the inflation rate;
$102.5 million for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
Happy spring! With warmer weather comes a calming of the respiratory season. Hopefully. Viruses are definitely still circulating, but we are seeing some encouraging signs.
A look back
Doctor visits for fever and a cough (i.e., “influenza-like illnesses” or “ILI”) were back to pre-pandemic levels this season, but had some uncharacteristic patterns:
Shifted to earlier in the season;
Descended as quickly as it ascended (ILI usually peters out);
Hospitalizations for respiratory viruses peaked in December, which is ~3 months early. COVID-19 continues to take the lead for hospitalizations. Interestingly, RSV, COVID-19, and flu peaked at different times. This no doubt helped our healthcare systems and makes me continue to wonder if there is some sort of virus-to-virus interaction (RSV pushes flu and then pushes COVID-19, for example).
Different age groups experienced very different risks of hospitalization this winter:
0-4 years: RSV was out of control, peaking at 65 hospitalizations per 100,000. This was 244% higher than the 2018-2019 season. (We really need an RSV vaccine for our kiddos.)
65+ years: COVID-19 clearly led hospitalizations.
Hospitalizations per 100,000. Black= overall; Green=RSV; Blue= Flu; Red=COVID (Keep in mind that the y-axis is different, which drives me insane, but beyond my control).
During this respiratory season (week 40-week 10), we lost 64,180 Americans to COVID-19. This number is higher than any pre-pandemic flu season (see yellow in graph below).
Excess deaths (red line below) continue to be above the “epidemic threshold” (black line). We haven’t had a national conversation defining the new baseline. What do we now consider normal given that we have an additional threat in our repertoire? As we move out of the pandemic phase, this black line needs to shift up.
SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is nosediving. However, levels in the Northeast have started to plateau. If this trend continues, having a high baseline throughout the year would be incredibly inconvenient.
SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate quickly, as expected. The international community is keeping an eye on two Omicron subvariants:
XBB.1.9- In the U.K., this is causing a slow uptick across metrics, including hospitalizations. In the U.S., the growth advantage of this subvariant is only ~35%. (As a comparison, the original Omicron had a 500% growth advantage causing the tsunami.) In other words, we shouldn’t fret.
XBB.1.16–This has a case growth advantage of ~250% in India (17% increase in deaths). But, it’s hard to tell how much this is due biased testing and/or changing behavior due to the celebration of Holi.
XBB.1.16 could possibly disrupt a quiet spring in the U.S. But, a wave is not only dependent on weather, a new subvariant, or changing behavior, but also the number of susceptible people. This precise number is incredibly difficult to grasp because it depends on a number of factors: Who has been infected, when, and by what variant?
In other words, future waves are getting harder and harder to forecast.
With COVID-19 declining, flu may have the opportunity to start inclining for an out-of-season resurgence, especially since the Flu B strain hasn’t shown its colors yet in the Northern Hemisphere. No signs yet, but time will tell.
Norovirus
Norovirus wasn’t part of the “triple-demic” winter talk, but positive tests keep going up. It’s not entirely clear how high this will go, but in pre-pandemic times it typically peaked in March. Regardless, wash your hands.
Bottom line
Every pandemic winter has been unique and, thus, created unique challenges. While disease levels may be back to normal, the usual patterns are off. It may be years until we know how COVID-19 permanently changes the landscape.
In any case, reprieve is now here. For parents, flu and RSV are in the rearview mirror. For older adults and immunocompromised people, COVID-19 is declining. It will sure be interesting to watch how the rest of the year plays out.
Love, YLE
“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, data scientist, wife. During the day she works at a nonpartisan health policy think tank and is a senior scientific consultant to a number of organizations, including the CDC. At night she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support this effort, subscribe below:
WPCNR QUARTERLY NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey March 24, 2023:
It is the last week of the first quarter of 2023.
This week marks the beginning of a new series of that WPCNR hopes to continue at key intervals in the year ahead.
It used to be leaders used to do State of Everythings in a county, a city, a state, but these addresses are now sporadic at best and given to favored groups and not on a regular basis.
This is a unique opportunity for me to fill the breach this comprehensive lack information gap has left you the concerned, the bewildered, eager for information, what there is of it, what reality is, and what the future can bring.
I am writing this quickly to bring you a full week’s up date on where White Plains, Westchester, New York Stage, the Mid-Hudson Regions are in coping with their lives, expectations of government, things to watch for, situations to be alarmed about. You might call the States of Life series a reality report. You may not agree that what I write is true real or what, but my observations are put forth in your best interests to sort out your personal priorities always moving forward and elicit your own personal opinions which can be forwarded to wpcnr@aol.com.
It was another busy week in Albany, with a snowstorm putting session on pause for a day, the One House Budget Resolutions being introduced and passed in each house of the Legislature, and several of my bills passing the Senate.
The Senate One House Budget Resolution represents the Senate’s priorities and policy positions. I am pleased with many aspects of our budget, including important measures for education. Read more about it below.
With the April 1 deadline approaching, negotiations continue between the Governor, Senate, and Assembly, and I remain hopeful that a final budget will be put forth with policies that are reflective of the needs of all New Yorkers, and those in District 37.
This Friday, I will co-host a Women’s History Month panel alongside Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, featuring three women writers from Westchester County. More details on this event and how to join are below. As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, please email me at smayer@nysenate.gov or call (914) 934-5250. Warm regards,Shelley B. MayerState Senator37th DistrictLegislative Update
One House Budget Proposals In response to the Governor’s proposed budget, the Senate and the Assembly have each presented their own budget resolutions.
Education: Our resolution proposes historic investments in schools – including the full phase in of the Foundation Aid Formula. We propose to continue and increase our investment in full-day Pre-K for four- year-olds, to provide universal free breakfast and lunch for every eligible school in New York, and to increase investments in our 853, 4201, and Special Act schools to help put them on a sustainable path for the future. I am proud to be part of a Senate Majority that believes deeply in investing in our education system that serves the next generation and supports the diverse needs of our students.
Housing Compact:
The Senate resolution also responds to the Governor’s housing proposal by rejecting the mandatory housing growth targets and the overriding of local zoning while increasing the available incentives for smart growth and creating a land use advisory council to review municipal growth over the next three years.
The Senate also included language in support of the principles of placing reasonable limits on residential rent increases and ensuring tenants are not removed from their homes without “good cause,” as well as providing $250 million for a new Housing Access Voucher Program.
We are committed to addressing the affordable housing crisis in a way that honors the unique character and existing efforts of all of our communities. Our work is not complete.
The Governor’s office, the Senate, and Assembly will begin negotiations to craft our final enacted budget, due April 1st. I will continue to fight for the needs of Westchester residents and all New Yorkers, and I look forward to providing details about the final budget. Here’s a description of the NYS budget process which shows the stages of the process
WPCNR COVID SURVEILLANCE.Statistics from NYS Covid Tracker. Observation and Analysis by John F. Bailey. March 20, 2023:
In Governor Kathy Hochul’s Friday Covid Update, (pictured above) the state announced it is cutting back on its daily covid reports of new covid cases and other statistics by county across the state to once a week on Fridays.
The reports that have been used by reporters throughout the state to monitor the rise and now 12-week decline in cases in Westchester County, will no longer be available to note trends.
This anticipated suspension of the detailed reports, first announced by the national Center for Disease Control a month ago when the covid emergency was declared over officially on May 11 by President Biden, will now hamper the public and the press abilities to tell what is going on with the pandemic.
The official notice issued Friday from the Governor’s Office reads:
“Starting today, March 17, and ahead of the federal government’s planned expiration for the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11,
New York State’s COVID-19/vaccine news release will be issued weekly on Fridays until further notice.
The latest COVID-19 and vaccine data will continue to be available 24/7 on the New York State Department of Health’s online tracker.
Additionally, the State Department of Health is assessing changes to COVID data collection and reporting in collaboration with local health departments and health care providers, in order to alleviate the burden on providers and leverage other data sources to maintain its ability to monitor the state of the disease and health care delivery system capacity.
The agency remains committed to responding to the COVID-19 threat and continues to encourage New Yorkers to use the tools to protect against and treat COVID-19: Vaccines, boosters, testing and treatment. “
BALL IS BACK! The White Plains Varsity Softball team practicing for the first time outside Friday. The arms were firing rocket throws to first. The outfielders were ranging into the gaps on the run. Nothing like seeing a soaring blast backended on the line, a smash handled in the hole and bangout to first. Nothing gets the heart beat faster than ball up close. The Varsity working out outside arrived with the Robins this week.METRO NORTH ROLLING UP THE HUDSON RIVER LINE PEEKSKILL NY THE BEST PLACE TO TRAIN WATCH–FREIGHTS, AMTRACKING, STILL ROLLING AND NO CANCELLATIONS.AMTRACK’S MONTREALER ROLLING ROCKING THE HIGH IRON NONSTOP WITH THE BEST WHISTLE IN RAILROADING HIGH BALLING TO GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD SATURDAY.
The NEW Multi-media Showcase Exposes Attitudes, Shatters Hate, Connects Students, Shows All Ages What Hate Reaps. Public views Monday at 3 PM. Eastview and Highlands Schools Host Next
WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 18, 2023:
Four hundred White Plains High School Students have seen it and come back for more.
The public gets its chance to see the exhibition Monday at 3 PM. It will move to Eastview Middle School and Highlands Middle School later in the spring. It is a meaningful hit with the students school officials related Friday afternoon at the official opening.
Mayor Thomas Roach of White Plains said that Ellen Berger had approached him with participating in the photo shoot and the idea for the exhibit to White Plains, and Dr. Joseph Ricca was enthusiastic, feeling the high school being the best place to make “We Are White Plains” message educate the children of White Plains on the consequences of hate, and the history of the Holocaust,.
Beyete’ Ross Smith, the photographer of the pictures of local personalities displayed in the venture explained how he learned appearances can send a negative or a positive image was in college when he and his fellow classmates dressed up for a business conference they were invited to and spoke and dressed in “business talk,” and how differently they were perceived by the executives who ran the conference.
I asked him why all the photos he took were not smiling (to show a different impression of those photographs).
Mr. Ross Smith said people do not usually smile as they see you, but the appearance of how they look leaves the impression upon which impressions are based, on which initial first impressions (fear, suspicion, coldness) are formed. He is shown with the founders of Close Circles standing in the background.
Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado,in his opening address noted that Governor Kathy Hochul has made the Holocaust history mandated in curriculum for schools in New York State. He noted that the pictures of White Plains personalities on display in various outfits with stern faces, recalled his own youth of the rise of Hip Hop that gave expression to his generation, and observed the “traveling museum” as founders of Common Circles who custom created the show for White Plains using school and city officials, teachers, hoped to make it a traveling museum to go across the country in the future. A previous custom show was created for the Omaha Nebraska schools.
Lieutenant Governor Delgado said it would be a great traveling museum.
Dr. Joseph Ricca in his introduction to the exhibit emphasized that we all must be vigilant and fight against hate each time it rises in the community, “otherwise they win.” Ricca said the exhibit shows “where White Plains is going.”
The founders of Common Circles introduced the ceremony before a crowd of well-wishers of approximately 75 people, Marla Felton, Founder,(left) and Sue Spiegel, Creative Director, explained how the concept came about. (This picture is shown in black and white to emphasize the visual point of Mr. Ross Smith’s photographs).
Ms. Felton said her uncle was a Holocaust survivor who was liberated from the Buchenwald death camp by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. “We Are White Plains is a tool for a model for schools across the nation Four hundred students have gone through the exhibit since last Wedsneday, and they want to come back.”
WPHS Principal Emerly Martinez told me the students are thrilled with the interactive nature of the show and it is very attractive to them. He said students use their free time during the school day to come back and learn from the past in an interactive little theatre in the White Plains Library, where they can listen and ask questions of
Anita Lasker-Wallfish and Alan Moskin, survivors of the Holocaust(below)
“I was honored to attend the grand opening of “We are White Plains,” a traveling, interactive exhibit that teaches about the Holocaust and focuses on identity, bridging, belonging, and building community.
I am also humbled and honored to have been featured in the exhibit, alongside other members of the Westchester community.
Students of White Plains High School have interacted with this exhibit throughout this past week, and each student has left learning more about history, empathy, and shared connections.
I applaud and thank Common Circles, the Non Profit that led this initiative, with their Founder Marla Felton and Creative Director Sue Spiegel; along with the Photographer, Bayetè Ross Smith. I also applaud the White Plains School District, the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony,and Ellen Berger for their unwavering support of this remarkable exhibit.
State Senator Shelley Mayer issued this comment on the exhibit:
I was honored to attend the grand opening of “We are White Plains,” a traveling, interactive exhibit that teaches about the Holocaust and focuses on identity, bridging, belonging, and building community.
I am also humbled and honored to have been featured in the exhibit, alongside other members of the Westchester community.
Students of White Plains High School have interacted with this exhibit throughout this past week, and each student has left learning more about history, empathy, and shared connections.
I applaud and thank Common Circles, the Non Profit that led this initiative, with their Founder Marla Felton and Creative Director Sue Spiegel; along with the Photographer, Bayetè Ross Smith. I also applaud the White Plains School District, the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony,and Ellen Berger for their unwavering support of this remarkable exhibit.
THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESENTS THEIR 23-24 PROPOSED BUDGETGEORGE LATIMER SAYS TOWNS, CITIES SHOULD CREATE THEIR OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANS.SNOWY COLD WINDY MARCH. 1.9% TAX INCREASE IN WHITE PLAINS SCHOOL TAXES. JOHN BAILEY TAKES YOU THROUGH ITMID-HUDSON REGION COVID CASES ARE TRACKING FOR 3,000 NEW CASES IN MARCH. JOHN BAILEY SORTS IT OUTHOSPITALIZATIONS IN WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL WITH COVID CASES EXPLAINEDWOMEN’S SUMMIT IN WHITE PLAINS COVERAGE WITH VIDEO OF APRIL RYAN’S ADDRESS
20% DOWN PAYMENTS ON MORTGAGES MAKE FIRST TIME BUYERS UNABLE TO BUY WITHOUT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE RENTALS, CONDOS, CO-OPS, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
WPCNR COUNTY-CLARION LEDGER.By John F. Bailey. March 16, 2023:
The Westchester County Executive proposed an alternative to Governor Kathy Hochul’s Housing Compact proposal that would override local zoning power of communities.
The County Executive said local control of zoning is the right of every hamlet and metropolis. He felt you could still set quotas per community for affordable “workforce housing,” that would preserve town, village and city control of their own zoning, that the Governor has said is preventing New York State from meeting housing needs.
Currently the legislature responding to suburban community leaders’ outcries at the overriding of zoning codes by the Governor’s proposal, has pronounced the plan dead on arrival, rejecting overriding of local zoning to build affordable housing stock, and the requiring a 3% percentage of affordable housing building in communities lagging behind the percentage.
Dan Murphy of Westchester Rising asked County Executive George Latimer in the Q. A. portion that usually ends Mr. Latimer’s Monday News conferences, asked him to “comment” on Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed Housing Compact bill and the County Executive gave a solution:
https://youtu.be/wYruzmzOgAQ
The County Executive introduced something completely new.See his complete remarks on the Governor Hochul Housing Compact and how he thinks the zoning issue can be resolved Click the red box and watch.
He said he is aware that many families are upset their children cannot afford housing in the towns they grew up in.
He said the Governor’s goals could be achieved without overriding zoning. He suggested the governor turn it over to the communities to come up with deciding how the communities could add affordable housing in their communities and where they would be built without compromising the character of the communities.
The effect: turning over the decisions on how affordable housing goals could be met (in keeping with the character, land availability and infrastructures of each town) by challenging the communities that lag in affordable housing to come up with their plans. How much time would they be given? How does the governor feel about this? How do the “anti-Hochuls” in her own party feel about that?
He is right.
The current state of the “recovery” where financial conditions change day to-day, where advisories are changed 100% from the day before, and stats are pumped out every week, up one day, down the next from Washington affects people trying to improve their lives and build a living profoundly.
The bank mortgages have risen dramatically by the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. Let’s take a look.
Professionals such as teachers, police, firefighters and young workers starting their careers (burdened additionally by student loan debt) do not have the incomes to save the money to afford the Westchester housing market.
The down payment on a 30 year mortgage is 20% in the metropolitan area according to Mortgage lenders statistics. What do you need to buy a 2-4 family home, condo, co-op and single family home on s 30 year mortgage?
Can you save a year’s salary to get a downpayment?
The average price of a 2-4 Family home at the end of the third quarter of 2022 Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors statistics was $735,000, requiring a down payment of $147,000 upfront.
The average cost of a single family home, at a median price of $872,000 at the end of the third quarter, (meaning half of single family homes sold below the median price of $872,000 in the July-August-September third quarter 2022) can be as much as a couple’s two salaries combined.
Say you want to get a 30 year mortgage at 6% for a single home priced at $500,000 that’s a down payment of $100,000.
A $650,000 home requires a $130,000 down payment.
An $872,000 (middle market price!) the down payment of 20% is $174,000.
The condominium average selling price was $546,861, requiring a down payment of $109,372. However the median sales price of condos was $460,000 showing there are more in-range condos available on the market than half-million dollar condos. Nevertheless, the down payment on a $400,000 condo mortgage of 6% would be still be $92,000.
Co-ops were the best buy in the third quarter, averaging $239,000, but as with all of these ballpark quotes on down payments banks could be making better down payment terms or worse depending on how sound the banks feel about the property. Still raising $40,000 for a down payment on a Co-op is less a burden to raise for a couple than the condo, the mult-family or the coveted single family.
Affordability of the mortage depends on whether you can swing over $2,000 a month ($25,000 a year out of a $100,000 income, with the burden of property taxes, living expenses, loan debt, car ownership and food.
That first foray in home ownership is a nightmare of financial worry for the twenty and even 30-somethings.
You are at the mercy of the banks, the sellers.
Even if you rent, locally you are paying $2,000 and up studios, $3,000 and up for two-bedrooms. That is still $25,000 in rent…equivalent to a mortgage payment.
You are forced to share apartments if you are single.
To handle a rental of up to $2,000 a month for a studio or $3,500 a month for a two-bedroom apartment (in White Plains), or purchase a median single home even by the time they hit their early 30s, plus commuting costs, car payment, rent payment it requires a great deal of discipline to save for a down payment today.
They need about a 25% down payment to take out a mortgage for a median price home and $400 3 to 4 family homes just burdens them with a massive $300,000 mortage. The banks are reaping the market.
The very lack of homes on the market keeps prices going up or not coming down.
The Home Compact bill is the Governor’s plan to jumpstart funding and building affordable housing construction and setting mandates and quotas for New York State towns villages and cities which the state finds to be short in the availability of housing for young persons, professionals starting out, professionals such as teachers, police, firefighters “work force” housing.
The County Executive said that he felt Westchester has “moved beyond” the time 50 years ago when community zoning prevented housing in the county. He said he would vigorously defend the Westchester record still ongoing of providing housing for persons who could not afford current prices of homes.
Shelley B. MayerState Senator37th DistrictLegislative Update
