HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220690 Crescent & Jefferson Zoning Amendment Public Comment �`
T0: MAYOR KIM AND COMMISSIONERS
FROM : TODD SHIMKUS, PRESIDENT OF THE SARATOGA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
DATE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
RE: URGENT NEED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING IN SARATOGA SPRINGS
If we want to sustain our place as a vibrant and great city that is welcoming to all, we must prioritize the
building of more workforce housing now so that people regardless of income can work AND live in
Saratoga Springs. This is both a moral imperative and an economic one, and the need to act is vital.
In the last few years, the City approved two workforce housing initiatives; Promenade, on West Circular
St., and Intrada, at 1 Freeman Lane, near West Ave. These actions created more than 200 affordable
units at two different locations for essential workers and others. Nearly overnight, all units at the
Promenade were rented, and all but two 3-bedroom apartments at Intrada are fully occupied as well.
There is now a wait list at these two properties that numbers well over 300 individuals and families, and
the only option to meet this demand in a timely fashion is to find appropriate properties in other areas
of the City where similar multi-unit housing options can be built.
This is important for local employers because of our historic labor shortage, particularly as it relates to
essential workers. Efforts to retain and attract employees is constrained by the lack of affordable
housing and limited public transportation. As a result, local restaurants, for example, are closed some
days because they don't have enough labor. Local nursing homes have closed units for lack of staff, and
agencies serving disabled individuals have temporarily shut down programs for the same reason.
Before you tonight is a request to advance to the Planning Board a proposal that could help hundreds of
real people to become our neighbors. It's a procedural request that we hope you will approve with the
knowledge that there will be time for public input and modifications to the plans. This action tonight will
give us the opportunity to work together to meet this urgent need for more workforce housing, and to
ensure our city in the country is not just for the rich and wealthy.
With Kindness,
Todd Shimkus