Videos discuss the importance of furthering Fair Housing and Fair Housing Opportunities in Westchester County
In recognition of the month of April as National Fair Housing Month, County Executive George Latimer is introducing a video series to discuss the importance of fair and affordable housing opportunities in Westchester. Fair Housing Month celebrates the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, a national law that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of housing based on race, religion or gender. The video series is designed to demystify the issues surrounding affordable housing, and explain the importance of furthering fair housing throughout Westchester County.
The video series is a product of the County’s Housing Needs Assessment from 2019, which called for a continued education on fair and affordable housing. Since Latimer took office in 2018, the County has allocated millions of dollars in each County budget to develop and rehabilitate affordable housing units. To date, over 2,000 affordable housing units have been either built or occupied, went under construction, or have their land use and funding in place to begin development.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “Every Westchester County resident deserves to have a safe, comfortable place to call home. Our responsibility as a County government is to make sure that the opportunity for fair and affordable housing is always there. That is why April is Fair Housing Month. It doesn’t matter what demographic you may fall into, but we need to have a range of people and we need to have them all living in this County. It is our job to make sure that housing is available, that it is fair and accessible for everybody, and that it is affordable. This is about a critical need that people have, and we are helping people when we can get them into decent housing that they can afford. That is why this is important to me.”
You may also go to YouTube to watch this introductory video on Fair Housing with County Executive George Latimer.
Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning Norma Drummond said: “The good thing about affordable housing in Westchester is that it is hiding in plain sight. There are affordable housing opportunities all over this County that are located on different streets, in different neighborhoods, really all around. When we talk about affordable housing, we are really only talking about the cost of that housing. The housing is not built any cheaper, it is the same number of two-by-fours being used to construct it. It can be a single family home, a multi-family home, an apartment or a senior living facility. We are making sure that there are opportunities available to fit every demographic and need.”
Assistant Director of Operations Blanca Lopez said: “Affordable housing brings an economic vitality that we need. There have been many reports stating that jobs follow housing. If workers cannot find places to live based on their salaries or their incomes, they are going to find someplace else to live and their jobs are going to follow them. There is a strong connection between people who want to live close to their jobs, be able to raise their families there, or just stay in a community that they’ve lived in for so long but are now becoming priced out. That is why we need to have the affordable housing stock in place, to address the needs of people who are living and working in our communities.”
You may also go to YouTube to watch this video with Drummond and Lopez, “What is Fair Housing? How Can I Apply?"
If you are interested in pursuing a fair and affordable rental or homeownership opportunity in Westchester, visit the County’s Homeseeker. Homeseeker identifies the affordable housing units that are available based on location, and notifies those who qualify when a new home becomes available. For more information, contact the Westchester County Department of Planning at