Village of Tuckahoe, NY
65 Main Street Tuckahoe, NY 10707914-961-3100 — fax:914-961-3114
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Tuckahoe TV Stations: Channels 26 and 75
Senior housing...is it always good? I ask this question because the project known as JUMA Senior Housing appears to have new life. JUMA stands for Jefferson Union Management Associates. They have proposed a low-income senior building consisting of 37 units, to be built over the parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Street and Union Street. About five weeks ago Jobco, the proposed builder of this project, called my office and requested a meeting. I obliged the two owners. They informed me that they had applied for NY State funding and were seeking support. At this meeting I told Jobco, my position on this project remains unchanged, I am against it.
Some might wonder how or why could I possibly be against senior housing. Let me be clear, I am not against senior housing. I agree it is important for any community to do everything in its power to assist seniors on fixed incomes with housing. However, this particular project has a long and sordid history. For those not familiar with this project, let me inform you, it caused a great deal of turmoil in our community for many years. First the Zoning Board denied the application for relief from our code regarding, among many things, parking impact and the size of the building, the Board recommended they construct a building conforming to the zoning village code. The building was five stories and over fifty units. JUMA then sued and won. The next step was Planning Board approval; I have intimate knowledge of this phase of the process, because I sat on the Board during the entire two years of this particular application. Ultimately we were successful in having the building reduced to the smaller 37-unit facility that we now see presented. During both Zoning and Planning hearings, many members of the public came out to voice opposition to the construction. Objections ranged from village seniors who feared they wouldn’t be able to afford to move into the building, to those that were upset by the removal of green space. Most residents who lived near this site publicly opposed JUMA’s construction by correctly pointing to the already congested street. Before casting my vote I laid out all the sections of the zoning code that I felt supported my vote against the project, mainly the negative impact on the character of the street, as well as its bulk and size. I was the lone vote against.
I don’t want to give the impression that there has been no Village support for this project, quite the contrary, as a matter of fact former Mayor Mike Martino sent a letter to the State in February 2006 urging funding for this project. Even before that, the village board under former Mayor Phil White approved the land being transferred to JUMA for $1. The Tuckahoe Housing Authority board has also been a vocal advocate of this project but that shouldn’t surprise anyone since the JUMA board of directors generally consists of past and present members of the Tuckahoe Housing Authority.
Last week a press release was sent to my office explaining that the funding for this project has been approved and will be provided by the NYS Housing Trust Fund to the tune of $1,800,000, as well as a contribution of $730,606 from the Federal Low-Income Housing Credit Program. Further funding is listed from Shelter Resource Corporation and the Westchester County HOME Program. Additionally, WNC and Associates will syndicate tax credits that will produce an equity contribution of approximately $6,794,633. After a little research I have found that WNC and Associates is the fourth largest privately held owner of affordable housing in the United States. The press release further states the Tuckahoe Housing Authority is both owner and managing agent.
As Mayor, my areas of responsibility and oversight have grown since my planning board days. I am now permitted to consider issues outside the scope of planning members. My original concerns of size, lack of parking, and destruction of the character of this street are now combined with affordability to our residents, as well as the THA management of the facility. In addition, the 1994 adopted Master Plan recommended that no further publicly funded housing be erected in Tuckahoe, a recommendation I support. Regarding affordability most of the current residents at 4 Union Place (our existing senior building) pay $250 or less a month. JUMA will have gross rents (rent plus utilities) that range from $543 to $1086. It seems to me that the New York State Housing Trust Fund should have done a little homework before funding this project. Jobco and WNC & Associates may be honorable and upstanding business entities, but certainly a second look at having such a troubled agency as Tuckahoe Housing Authority manage this facility was in order. HUD is the agency that listed the THA as a troubled agency, yet the Federal Low Income Housing Credit Program saw fit to place $730,606 into this project and place an additional 37 units under their management, nine of which will be targeted for frail elderly.
The objective of senior housing is obviously to provide housing alternatives within our Village for aging residents who wish to remain here. This is a worthy objective given the inevitable rise in school, county and village taxes. However, this can only be accomplished with an eye on who will properly run and maintain such a facility. The THA are already in over their heads with the current number of units it oversees. Their inability or unwillingness to address the issue of persons with disabilities, in my opinion, further calls into question their abilities regarding seniors. The current site and the THA are all wrong for this important project and the current agencies that have allotted our tax dollars should stop and rethink their actions. A proposed alternate site on Jackson Ave for a similar project has languished. That site not only offers the proper size lot but also the parking these residents and their guests deserve. It would also allow a senior housing facility to be of a size large enough to be profitable. Publicly funded housing, by nature, seems under funded and not properly maintained, even our existing building at 4 Union needs an upgrading. I believe our first priority should be to properly fund and enhance our existing public housing, before ever adding to the volume.