Nonprofit Westchester's Statement on County Executive Latimer's recently released Westchester County Housing Needs Assessment.

November 21, 2019

Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) applauds Westchester County Executive George Latimer for commissioning and delivering the Westchester County Housing Needs Assessment.  The study clearly documents that affordable housing is an issue that not only impacts the bottom 10% of our County’s population, it is a challenge that has serious repercussions for more than 50% of our residents, a thriving workforce and a stable economy. 

The study shows hard data that the need for affordable housing in Westchester is over 82,000 units. It also reveals many key points, including: more than 40% of households are living in homes and apartments that are paying more than 50% of their income toward housing cost; the gap in rental affordability is as significant as home purchasing; the 30 to 44 age cohort shows significant decline, which may mean there are not enough affordable housing options for young families; and there is a demonstrated need for senior housing. 

Nonprofit Westchester is forming a coalition of nonprofit, for-profit and community members to further review the study, make recommendations and partner with government at all levels to implement solutions to this critical problem that cuts across communities and populations.  “The nonprofit sector has been the leader in supporting affordable and low-income housing as both an issue of racial and social justice and as a workforce and economic development issue. We look forward to continued collaborations to advance efforts to ensure that Westchester is a place where people seek to live and where all residents can work, learn, recreate and thrive,” stressed Jan Fisher, Executive Director of NPW.