Hudson Housing Authority and Plans Replacement of Bliss Towers and Expansion of Section 8 Housing

On April 29th, at a special meeting of the Common Council, the CC voted to approve an application to the Empire State Development (ESD) agency for Restore NY grant money of up to $2 million for the demolition of Bliss towers. I voted against this resolution. Most of the communications I received urged me to vote against it. I will lay out here my rationale for my vote and next steps for residents who wish to have their voices heard in Albany.

This is part of a larger project to build replacement Section 8 housing for Bliss Towers, and then to demolish Bliss Towers and build additional affordable housing on the site for households in the 50th to 80th percentile range of AMI. The project as presented to us at the regular meeting of the CC expands the public housing/affordable capacity from 135 units – 104 of which are currently occupied - to 315 at an estimated cost of $220 million.  All 315 would be under the management if HHA. The financial rationale given for the expansion to 315 at the HHA meeting on Monday May 20th was that the additional units would provide revenue for the HHA to manage the development. Placing this volume of public/affordable housing in one location is not consistent with the Strategic Housing Action Plan, which specifically speaks to locating affordable housing in multiple locations within the city, rather than concentrating them in one location.

• It does not meet criteria for Round 8 of Restore NY Grants.

  • “Projects should be architecturally consistent with nearby and adjacent properties or in a manner consistent with the municipality’s local revitalization or urban development plan”.

  • “It is further anticipated that the improved community and business climate will result in an increased tax and resource base thereby improving the municipal finances”

  • Additionally, the building categories listed by Restore NY are vacant, abandoned, surplus and condemned. Currently Bliss Towers does not fit into any of those categories.

Given that this demolition project appears to meet few of the criteria for Restore NY, what was the urgency? It is my belief that the purpose of receiving a positive vote on the resolution was to use that vote as a signal to future investors, the State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) agency, and the Empire State Development (ESD) agency that the residents of Hudson are in favor of the overall project.  Following the vote, this was confirmed when Mr. Dodson, the Executive Director of HHA was quoted in the Register Star saying “I’m excited the measure passed. This is a strong and clear decision to support us (the HHA) with the 9-2 vote.”

So what can the residents of Hudson do to make their voices heard? I encourage you to submit your comments to the ESD as a first step. Their contact information is:

nys-capitaldist@esd.ny.gov (General)

Heidi.pasos@esd.ny.gov (Deputy Director of ESD Capital Region)