OC Legislature's Housing Task Force 6/23/26 @3 p

The Orange County New York Legislature's Housing Task Force met on June 23, 2026, to discuss emergency housing programs, homelessness prevention efforts, and affordable housing development challenges. The Department of Social Services (DSS) provided detailed updates on emergency shelter placements, transitional housing, motel placements, and rental supplement programs, noting a total expenditure of approximately $19.5 million on emergency housing over the past year. The task force also reviewed the impact of state and federal funding streams, including the Housing Access Voucher Pilot Program and the Shelter Arrears Eviction Forstallment program, which has allocated over $300,000 to assist families with back rent. Additionally, the meeting addressed challenges related to landlord participation, transportation for shelter residents, and the complexity of regulatory requirements. A significant procurement-related issue was raised regarding new state legislation requiring prevailing wage payments for affordable housing projects receiving payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements from industrial development agencies (IDAs). This change is causing delays and increased costs for three major affordable housing projects in Orange County, including the Lafayette (Liberty Street Apartments) and 104 Washington projects in Newburgh. The Housing Task Force was informed that developers are exploring alternative structures to comply with the new requirements, but uncertainty remains, potentially impacting future affordable housing development and procurement activities. An update on this issue is expected at the upcoming Environment & Energy Committee meeting.