NEWS RELEASE-
Waterloo, NY – The Seneca County Department of Planning & Community Development is hosting a public presentation of the recently completed Seneca County Housing Needs Assessment on Wednesday, August 30th, 2023 starting at 6:00 PM in the auditorium of the Health and Senior Services Building located at 2465 Bonadent Drive, Waterloo.
The presentation will be given by High Road Planning and Analytics of Erie County who conducted the Housing Needs Assessment and drafted the report. Following the presentation there will be time for questions and discussion.
The Housing Needs Assessment was funded by a CDBG grant awarded to Seneca County by New York State and took roughly a year to complete. The report makes the broad argument that Seneca County should prioritize housing policy in the same manner that economic development is prioritized. The report is 109 pages long containing housing, economic, and demographic details and analysis. Some of the findings include: single family home prices have increased 17% since the start of the pandemic; housing costs are projected to continue to rise into the near future; a severe deficit exists of transitional, supportive, and affordable housing; and an increasing affordability gap for rental households. These and many more findings will be discussed during the presentation.
The report recommended taking the immediate steps of forming a Housing Standing Committee of the Board of Supervisors, forming a task force, and moving to develop a comprehensive Seneca County housing strategy.
The Board of Supervisors will be considering a resolution accepting the findings of the Housing Needs Assessment as well as holding a public hearing during their regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 12th at 6:00 PM. The report is available for public view on the Planning Departments website.
