Cortland Standard .net

By COLLEEN SIUZDAK
Staff Reporter
csiuzdak@cortlandstandard.net
The second half of a $7.5 million grant will be given to Catholic Charities of Cortland County for a proposed low income housing project near Riverside Plaza which would add 42 new beds to the community.
This grant was awarded by the state Office of Mental Health and state Homes and Community Renewal program. Officials say the project takes a big step toward addressing the housing needs in the county.
Members of the Cortland County Community Services Board discussed Tuesday that there needs to be more focus on housing in the community for those people who cannot afford to live in a sustainable home.
According to officials, there are a total of 117 beds in the county that are accessible for people who cannot afford housing or for those who seek help through the office of mental health or the Department of Social Services.
Catholic Charities of Cortland County counts beds to get an accounting of the number of places in the county where people can sleep.
Marie Walsh, executive director of Catholic Charities of Cortland County, said Wednesday afternoon that there has always been a housing need for all members of the community, not just those with limited incomes.
“I think it’s across the board with people who have more limited needs not just necessarily in people (in) poverty,” Walsh said. “I think the issue is a lack of rental housing stock right now that’s adequate for people to live in.”
The proposed project would see a two-story, 39-unit building erected on the 1.24-acre parcel at 6-10 Riverview Ave., between Riverside Plaza and Rickard Street. There would be36 one-bedroom units and three, two-bedroom units. The property was bought by Catholic Charities in 2001 to house community members with disabilities and mental health diagnosis.
Formerly the Briarwood Home for Adults, the new building would serve as permanent housing for low- to moderate-income residents, with 10 percent of the building set aside for people with special needs.
Syracuse-based Christopher Community Inc. will work on the housing project.
Walsh said the organization hopes to start construction in November.
“We, as a community ... have to identify that our lack of housing situation is a community problem that needs to be addressed,” Walsh said.
One push to this end is to update the county’s consolidated housing plan, which advocates say would increase the chances for non-profits to receive federal funding to address the lack of housing in the county.
Cortland County legislators on the Agriculture/Planning and Environmental Committee have voted against updating the consolidated housing plan because to do so would cost $24,000. The last plan was updated in 2002.
The consolidated housing plan would identify current housing needs in the community, such as housing for senior citizens, disabled people and low-income families. The county’s current plan is based on 1990 census data and was created by Thoma Development Consultants.
The county planning department now is tasked with gathering the information needed to update the plan.
Legislator Mary Ann Discenza (D-LD6) said Thursday afternoon she definitely sees the need for more affordable housing in the community and encourages non-profit organizations, such as Catholic Charities, to get that grant funding.
Regarding the Riverview project, Discenza said she thinks it will help increase the housing stock and she thought the idea was “visionary.”
“It’s targeted specifically to areas ... it’s needed,” she said of the project. “I hope it will close the gap.”
Aaron Baier, consumer and systems advocacy coordinator for Access to Independence, said he has also been an advocate for the consolidated housing plan, which he said would address the big issues in the county, such as homelessness and the lack of quality affordable housing.
“We (ATI) are pursuing grant opportunities to do a more thorough assessment of housing in Cortland County,” Baier said Wednesday afternoon.
Baier said he hopes a strategic plan can be developed so that housing can be brought up to par for safety and other standards.
For example, Baier said housing problems currently include outdated plumbing and heating and cooling systems, lack of energy efficient windows and use of lead based paint.
“There are numerous apartments in Cortland that people settle for ... but those individuals would probably move if there were affordable and quality options to live in,” Baier said.
The Riverview project, Baier said, is a huge step in addressing the housing problem.
But he would also like to expand the housing opportunities to rural areas outside of the city.
“It’s going to make a big dent in addressing some of the housing needs,” Baier said. “However, I think one of the bigger areas we’re going to need to start focusing on is the out(lying) areas.”