County Executive George Latimer, Westhab CEO Rich Nightingale, Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, with housing advocates
Continuing their strong partnership in delivering funding to address historic inequities in Westchester County, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) today announced that they have secured $500,000 in federal funding for WestHab, Inc. to make critical upgrades to affordable housing and promote housing equity in Southwest Yonkers. The funding was secured as a part of the Fiscal Year 2022 end of the year spending package. The lawmakers said that the funding will make critical repairs to nearly 80 units of affordable housing, immediately improving quality of life for dozens of Yonkers families.
“Every Westchester family deserves a safe and secure place to call home, but historic underinvestment has created a housing crisis in places like Southwest Yonkers. Access to affordable housing is a fundamental right, and this funding gets to the issue at its core by making critical upgrades and repairs so that Yonkers residents can have the quality of life they deserve,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to have worked in lock step with Congressman Bowman to deliver this funding for Westhab and I will keep fighting to get every dollar of federal support needed to help lay the foundation here in Yonkers for a brighter, more equitable future for all residents.”
“Safe, reliable and affordable housing should be guaranteed for everyone,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D (NY-16). “In Yonkers many of our neighbors are experiencing housing insecurity and Westhab is perfectly positioned to address this crisis by offering affordable housing and fighting to end homelessness. I am honored to support Westhab and have worked alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to deliver $500,000 to Westhab as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Process. This money is critical to not only repair 79 units that house our neighbors, but also ensure the overall well-being and quality of life is improved for anyone living in those units. I am proud to deliver federal funding to uplift Westhab’s work and support their mission to ensure people have the resources to thrive and I look forward to every opportunity to support their efforts further.”
“While Westhab works to develop beautiful, new affordable housing, it is equally important that we preserve existing affordable housing so that all members of our community have a high-quality home. Westhab is grateful for the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Congressman Bowman for delivering these critical funds to preserve nine multi-family buildings in Yonkers where seventy-nine families call home,” said Rich Nightingale, Westhab President & CEO.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “I want to thank Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Bowman for their leadership towards transforming the Westhab property in Yonkers into an affordable housing opportunity for 79 Westchester County families. It is our responsibility in government to make sure that accessible, affordable housing is always there, and that every resident has a safe and decent place to call home. We are filling a critical need people have when we transform a property into something new, and we are helping Westchester’s families when we get them into a high-quality home at a price point they can afford.”
Schumer and Bowman explained that this funding would boost Westhab to repair 79 units of affordable housing, spanning across 9 multi-family apartment buildings. Specifically, funding will allow for critical improvements to the roof, fire safety systems, window replacement, utility upgrades, and apartment renovations. This funding comes at a critical time when 65% of households – roughly 24,000 families – in Southwest Yonkers are unable to afford the cost of living in Westchester County.
The representatives explained that the needs are especially evident in Southwest Yonkers. According to the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, a majority of households living in the 10701 and 10705 zip codes, which represent Southwest Yonkers, are deemed ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households. This population earns more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living in their county. In 10701, 66% of 22,535 households are ALICE, while in 10705, 64% of 14,260 households are also ALICE. (United Way of Westchester and Putnam, 2020 New York Report. ALICE in Westchester)
Schumer and Bowman have a long history of fighting for expanding access to affordable housing. Since the start of the pandemic, the representatives have championed numerous programs across the American Rescue Plan and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. These have included:
- $5 billion in HOME funding to combat homelessness by supporting service providers and providing permanent housing ($4.6 million to Yonkers)
- $46.5 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance
- $10 billion in Homeowner Assistance Fund
- $5 billion in Emergency Housing Vouchers, prioritized for families and individuals experiencing homelessness
- Permanent 4% floor for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), adding an estimated 125,000 more affordable rental homes.
- $3.6 million for CDBG and $1.3 million for HOME in FY22 for the City of Yonkers
