Westchester affordable housing plan rejected by court monitor

The plan submitted by Westchester County to address its lack of moderate-income housing has been deemed too vague by a federal monitor who oversees the county program. The monitor has rejected the proposal, pointing to a lack of enforceability as a key problem. Westchester County, which six months ago signed a desegregation agreement to build moderate-income housing in its overwhelmingly white, upscale communities, has been ordered to revise the plan. Of particular importance in the plan’s revision is the inclusion of specific timetables and processes for the 750 homes the county will develop and market to minorities. Westchester is committed to spending $51.6 million over seven years on affordable housing development, according to the August settlement, but its plan did not even designate a person or government agency to be in charge of putting that money to use, said James Johnson, the court-appointed monitor. [NYT]

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