Kingston At the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast on Wednesday, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger gave a speech in which she discussed her administration’s first year’s achievements, including mental health advocacy and affordable housing.
Unaffordable housing and staffing shortages can be related, so Metzger said it’s critical to strike a balance for the county’s economy.
She stated that you are less likely to accept a job here if you are unable to locate an affordable place to live.
Metzger’s proposal from the previous year to use the budget surplus to create a $15 million fund for affordable housing has been crossed off the list of things that need to be done.
She stated, “I’m happy to say that we got that done with our legislative partners.”
Applications for county financing to support the construction of affordable housing are being accepted through March 11. To learn more about this program, prospective applicants can attend a webinar on March 19 hosted by the county planning department.
We’re really looking forward to this, she remarked. Funding will be made available for a wide range of projects, such as those pertaining to emergency and supportive housing, affordable rental and home ownership, housing-related infrastructure, and more.
In order to help county middle school children receive clinical treatment, the county launched a mental health initiative last year.
The community as a whole is in greater need of mental health help, she said. I am happy to report that the program now serves youngsters in all Ulster County school districts and has contributed to meeting the tremendous need at this crucial age.
Additionally, the county got over $34 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan; according to Metzger, $11 million of that money was set aside for the improvement of parks and trails as well as local water and sewer services. Assistance with economic development and sustainable energy will now have additional cash accessible.
According to her, this year we are launching a $2.5 million grant program to assist local sustainable energy initiatives, as well as a $2 million expansion for our economic development department’s Main Streets program.
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