A letter to keep up the pressure on the Governor regarding housing development from our colleagues.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Hey, Cuomo: Housing delayed is housing denied

Eight organizations write that the governor has undermined his own $2 billion plan for affordable units and downplayed the effects

Published: August 23, 2016 – 12:01 am

To the Editor:

The pushback from homeless advocates against Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s disappointing lack of urgency in addressing New York’s housing crisis is understandable (“Advocates fume as state housing plan delayed until 2017”). While the governor has made strong commitments to affordable housing in the past, he dashed his own plans to provide $2 billion in new housing funds and his recent comments implied that it makes no difference whether the funds are released this year or next year.

We strongly disagree. From Brooklyn to Buffalo, low-income New Yorkers desperately need more affordable housing. Millions are struggling to pay rent. They do not have the luxury of waiting months or years for the state to act.

Failure to release the $2 billion this year will jeopardize nearly 3,000 already-planned affordable housing units statewide. It is impossible to build many of these homes without confidence that the promised state funds will be available.

As this major funding commitment remains unfulfilled, we are becoming concerned about the state’s response to the housing crisis. We know the governor can do better on this issue because he has proven it so many times before. We hope he will recognize that and take action.

AARP, Community Preservation Corp., CSH, Enterprise Community Partners, LISC New York City, New York Housing Conference, New York State Association for Affordable Housing, and Supportive Housing Network of New York.