To the Editor:

“With that, Hochul brandished a literal bunch of carrots. As people around the table chuckled, Hochul said, ‘I’m told this is what you want to eat … I’ve got $600 million carrots out there on the table.’” [“Local leaders must act to put housing in reach,” Altamont Enterprise editorial, Feb. 22, 2024]

Did this truly happen? Had I been in the room, I would have asked her, “Are you telling towns let them (New Yorkers) eat carrot cake? Will you be serving Kool Aid to wash down your Accessory Dwelling Unit Plan?”

Governor Hochul’s Accessory Dwelling Unit initiative is an overcrowding-tenements initiative disguised as good intentions disguised as a way to raise taxes on residential lot sizes disguised as — carrots.

There are solutions to New York’s housing and affordability crisis that would not require us to overcrowd our small community. The town of Guilderland could be a leader in affordability solutions but we appear to be followers of Democratic governors, in my opinion. For example:

— 1. For volunteer firefighters, Guilderland should be buying the smaller starter homes in our town for sale and/or rent to volunteer firefighters; this has been done successfully in the town of Orangetown;

— 2. New York state needs to open the eligibility requirements for the New York state-backed home mortgage program known as SONYMA [ State of New York Mortgage Agency]. SONYMA is an excellent program that would benefit the town of Guilderland and make home ownership a reality for low income New Yorkers. Too many people are unaware of SONYMA mortgages and we should do more to get people qualified for the SONYMA mortgage;

— 3. Create a town of Guilderland agency dedicated to homeowner solutions as a subsidiary of the IDA [Industrial Development Agency] that is a one-stop shop for any homeowner or renter seeking ownership or encountering problems keeping their home;

— 4. Any multi-apartment/condo/multi-family builder must dedicate a percentage of their units to affordable housing with tax incentives;

— 5. Make a commitment to build dedicated affordable housing in the site occupied by the Department of Health Griffin Labs on State Farm Road. Right now, we need legislation enacted to preserve the land solely for affordable housing. They are moving soon. What is the town of Guilderland planning or working on regarding the future of this state land? Simply repurposing Griffin Labs has the possibility to eliminate the ADU initiative;

— 6. Medical Debt: Albany is among the highest number of areas with liens against homes for medical debt. We need legislation that will prohibit any medical provider from placing a lien on homes;

— 7.  Low wage workers: Employers will always push for lower salaries. We need to require employers to contribute to a fund to offset the cost burden they shift to towns;

— 8. Utility providers: Expand the HEAP [Home Energy Assistance Program] eligibility;

— 9. Bequeath in lieu of taxes program. In the event an elderly homeowner can no longer afford his tax bill, allow resettlement into affordable housing and/or bequeath their home to the town;

— 10. Town paid upkeep: In Nyack, I knew an elderly woman unable to afford to hire a painter for the exterior of her home. The town stepped in and offered to paint the home to preserve the neighborhood.

We can do better than Governor Hochul’s ADU initiative. We won’t. ADUs are a loyalist move and we are loyal to Democratic leaders. Guilderland under Peter Barber and Jacob Crawford will happen.

Christine Duffy

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Yes, the governor said that in a session with representatives of the first 20 municipalities that had signed on as pro-housing communities. She was not referring to accessory dwelling units but rather to the bundling of various state programs that grant funds for housing; municipalities who join the pro-housing initiative are eligible to apply to pull from the $650 million pot.