BETHLEHEM - The town of Bethlehem is proposing to allow affordable housing developments to be considered - despite the current townwide construction moratorium.
The building moratorium was set in place in last year as the town works through a new comprehensive plan, which will dictate how the town wants to oversee land use. The moratorium is allowed under state law during land planning reviews and is commonly used by towns in New York.
Bethlehem is one of the most desirable Albany County suburbs due to the high ranking of the Bethlehem Central School District and its close proximity to the city of Albany.
But affordable housing is an issue for many, especially low-income renters.
A special town committee is currently debating and working on the comprehensive land plan, and affordable housing has been discussed as a priority since rents in town are considered to be a burden on low-income families.
In fact, nearly half of all renters in Bethlehem pay more than 30 percent of their income on their housing, which makes them "housing cost burdened," according to the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, a quasi-government entity that studies growth and planning trends.
"The ability of varying income levels to afford to purchase a house or rent an apartment have been raised as a public need during public meetings, and subsequently, reflected in our value for a diversity of housing options in the town," Robert Leslie, the town's planning director wrote the town board in an April 22 letter.
Before the moratorium was put into place, a 72-unit apartment complex was proposed in the area of Route 9W and Jericho Road. The project was eligible for affordable housing tax credits from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The tax credits expire in December, which means the project might not be able to move forward with the moratorium in place.
The planning board is scheduled to debate the potential exemption on Tuesday night when it may vote to recommend the change to the town board.
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May 03, 2021 at 09:05PM
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Bethlehem may allow affordable housing during moratorium - Times Union
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