Cities and communities across New York state are dealing with housing challenges. There’s a need for not only more affordable housing, but different housing types. That’s why Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and his team created a new housing guidebook that could be a blueprint for other municipalities across the state.
The purpose of the guidebook is to provide tools for communities to promote housing development that fits specific needs. It defines housing terms and zoning techniques that can be incorporated into existing laws and it identifies financial programs and incentives for developers.
“We are so desperately short of housing across the board for almost every demographic we have here in the [Mohawk] Valley,” said John Brown, owner and broker of Coldwell Banker Faith Properties.
He says the housing guidebook is a step in the right direction.
“It’s having a follow through with real action so that we can see something built here in the Mohawk Valley, besides below market rate housing,” said Brown.
“And with job growth, you know, coming in steadily, whether it’s existing or some of the new pieces, even, you know, whether it’s Chobani or whether it’s Micron, that’s going to have the ripple effect throughout Central New York. We need more housing and we need different types of housing,” said Picente.
Picente says the housing guidebook was created to help municipalities expand their housing.
“Get them more motivated and looking at ways in which where there is available land that they could in tune prep that land for it with infrastructure, with other pieces and then kind of fill in the gaps,” said Picente.
“We need housing for seniors. They don’t all want to live in homes. We have a shortage of villas,” said Brown. “There seem to be such stringent guidelines on manufactured housing, which would be known as trailers, double wides, which are referred to as manufactured housing.”
And Brown says credit plays a vital role in getting a home.
“I’ve worked with lots of first time homebuyers and we get them on credit correction. And sometimes your journey with buyers can take years, not weeks,” said Brown. “I believe everyone should own a home that wants a home, and I think that is a big part of the American dream.”