Thursday, November 11, 2021

HHA and Galvan

Last night, at the meeting of the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, Dan Kent of the Galvan Foundation appeared to propose a "linkage agreement" between HHA and Galvan specifically regarding the Galvan building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street, where the 54 apartments are to be "permanently affordable."

The agreement, which Kent said was being encouraged by Darren Scott of NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), is expected to enhance the project's chances of receiving low-income housing tax credits from HCR. The agreement would require that two months before the application period is opened for 75 North Seventh Street, Galvan would notify HHA, and HHA would inform everyone on its waiting list of this new housing opportunity. HHA would also provide Galvan with a list of all the websites it uses to post availability of units in HHA buildings.

When board member Marie Balle asked about a timeline for entering into this agreement, Kent said it needed to go with Galvan's application for funding, and the next funding deadline was sometime in December.

Rebecca Wolff, who sits on the HHA board, said she wanted an "actual relationship" between HHA and Galvan "that goes farther than the linkage agreement." She noted that "HHA will have to do relocation of tenants" when it carries out its plan to demolish and replace the current HHA buildings. Responding to Wolff, Kent mentioned 75 North Seventh and "even future projects" as the means to "help HHA reach its goals."

Regarding the linkage agreement, HHA board member Rebecca Borrer commented, "We need to wait until we have legal counsel," and then noted, "The executive director must make the decision." Later, in his report, Nick Zachos, one of the two recently appointed interim directors at HHA, reported there were "good options for interim counsel."
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11 comments:

  1. So Wolff's agenda is finally out in the open -- Hudson as a collection of below-market rentals owned exclusively by Galvan and HHA. Poverty-industry duopolists.

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  2. Yes indeed, this should help to clarify the doubts of anyone questioning the motives of these city saboteurs.

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  3. Let me get this straight.

    The HHA is going to make it easier for Galvan to rip off taxpayers even more by offloading their waiting list to Galvan, in exchange for the promise of MORE low-income, subsidized housing in Hudson?

    Am I missing something?

    During the IDA process, Rebecca Wolff made such a big deal about making sure Hudson residents were the ones to get priority for the low-income housing as part of the PILOT deal, and now they want to import out-of-town low-income residents, with limited revenue sources for the social services that low-income populations need to thrive (except, I mean, the middle class taxpayers who are already facing economic uncertainty.) This is the plan, rather than planning to move HHA residents over to Galvan in preparation for the demolition of HHA. So we'll have the Galvan low-income development, the HHA low-income development, and (wait-there's more!) additional low-income development options on the horizon? Are people really this stupid?

    This is, pardon my blue language, fucking outrageous.

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    1. Correct, the housing issue is just a cynical ploy being manipulated by folks with a grudge. The goal is to reverse engineer the economy of Hudson. Kiss your historic tourist town goodbye.

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  4. The industry of poverty. Galvan gets richer by working the system, while the taxpayer gets the bill. Sick to death of Galvan and his schemes and his MANY enablers who run things.

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    1. I hate to be so cynical, but from what I saw during the Planning Board's month's long process of granting Galvan approval of their mega development proposal on 7th street, I suspect the PB might be one of Galvan's enablers as well. There was so much false information, false data and outright fabrications in Galvan's parking studies that the board and the consultant they hired were perfectly fine with that it only makes a reasonable person suspicious of the board's motives, efficacy, and allegiances. I shouldn't imply that the entire board is on the take or not paying attention since one sensible member voted against the proposal. I showed the Board enough "errors" in the studies to make Dan Kent blush. It made no difference in the end. B Huston

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  5. Nothing like going back to the future. The Urban Renewal of Hudson in the 60's and 70's sank Hudson into low income housing with Section 8 residents occupying empty stores at ground level on Warren Street as well as building Bliss Towers. One by one in the '80's and 90's this situation was reversed by people buying and investing in restoring the buildings and bringing retail activity back to life on Warren which became a main street the envy of every other River town. History is repeating itself in the name of one company, Galvan after the struggles of many to improve it. Shame, shame, shame.

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  7. People in Hudson like to conduct studies and surveys, I would be very interested if someone did a study of all of the vacant units in Hudson that Galvan warehouses and does not rent out. Why doesn’t anyone on the council ever address the vacant units in Hudson that Galvan sits on in order to control the market?

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    1. https://cms3files.revize.com/hudsonny/Local%20Laws%20no.%208%20of%202018-%20Vacant%20Buildings.pdf

      Well, they sort of tried, but as with most rules there are exemptions built into it to get out of it.

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