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Workforce Housing Committee reforms

AMENIA — At last Thursday’s Town Board meeting, town Supervisor Wayne Euvrard officially named members to the town’s Workforce Housing Committee.

Members named to the committee by Euvrard include board Chairwoman Betty Rooney, Nina Peek, former town Supervisor Janet Reagon, Elizabeth Whaley, Allison Hale, Donna Durbridge, Sue Gregory, Joy Johnson and Tracy Salladay.

Rooney said the committee had its first informal meeting and will have a formal meeting this Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

"The committee used to be called the Affordable Housing Committee, but a lot of people got confused," Rooney said.

"Workforce Housing is the proper name because that’s what it’s called in the hamlet plan and zoning laws. Workforce housing is for people who work in the community, including residents who work for the hospital, in the schools and for the town," she said. "The reason it’s so important is because we have very little affordable housing because the price of housing is high and the median income for residents is so low that people can’t afford to live in Amenia."

According to the U.S. Census taken in 2000, there are 4,048 residents, 1,625 households and 1,074 families in Amenia. The median income for a household is listed as $39,231, while the median income for a family is listed as $51,294.

About 3.4 percent of families and 8.1 percent of the population were listed as being below the poverty line.

"It’s important to residents of Amenia that we recognize people with moderate incomes," Rooney said. "They need opportunities to find housing that is affordable to them. A lot of the federal funding that used to be out there for affordable housing is no longer there and it’s up to the community to provide it for residents who live here."

Lakeville Journal

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