Issuu

THE

CityREVIEW NewRochelle January 6, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 1 | www.cityreviewnr.com

County meets housing deadline; still must submit AI

GAELS SOAR

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

Iona Prep’s Josh Alexander defends Mamaroneck’s Ethan Renner in the finals of the Slam Dunk Tournament at the Westchester County Center on Dec. 29. Alexander scored 21 points in the Gaels 64-41 win over the Tigers. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith

Cuomo proposes free tuition for SUNY students By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer Gov. Andrew Cuomo, alongside U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, unveiled a proposal on Jan. 3 to provide free tuition for income-eligible residents statewide at SUNY colleges and universities. The plan, to be known as the Excelsior Scholarship, will cost approximately $163 million a year once the program is fully carried out over a three-year period, according to Cuomo’s office. Families and individuals earning up to $125,000 a year would qualify for free tuition at

public universities in New York state. “A college education is not a luxury,” said Cuomo, a Democrat. “It is an absolute necessity for any chance at economic mobility. New York is making a major investment in our greatest asset—our people.” The scholarship would mandate participating students to be enrolled at a SUNY or CUNY, two- or four-year college full time. The plan will not cover the cost of room and board. As of press time, tuition costs $6,470 at four-year SUNY schools; it was increased by the SUNY board of trustees by $300

a year through 2011 and 2015. Likewise, tuition costs $6,330 at four-year CUNY schools. According to Cuomo’s office, the plan will work hand-in-hand by borrowing capital from a number of tuition assistance programs the state already offers to low-income families, such as TAP, which provides nearly $1 billion in grants to college students statewide. The proposal comes in wake of Sanders championing free college tuition during his presidential campaign for the Democratic nomination last year. “Cuomo is proposing a revolutionary idea for higher education,” he said.

“It’s an idea that’s going to reverberate not only throughout the state of New York, but throughout this country.” SUNY Purchase, located in the town/village of Harrison, and SUNY Westchester Community College, in the hamlet of Valhalla, are the only two New York state schools located in Westchester County. State Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat, said while the initiative is a really interesting concept, how it will fit into the budget is questionable. Cuomo’s plan would require TUITION continued on page 3

Four days before a courtimposed deadline, Westchester County has met and exceeded the core obligations of its 2009 settlement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, county officials said. During a Dec. 27 press conference, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, announced that the county had financed and arranged building permits for more than 750 affordable housing units in its 31 of its predominately Caucasian communities, surpassing a benchmark set in a 2009 settlement with HUD. Astorino said that the county has financing and permits in place for 790 units, with additional provisions in place to build at least 100 more units in 2017. In 2006, the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York, ADC, sued Westchester for collecting annual federal block grant money to promote fair housing, and not doing enough to respond to housing needs in its communities. According to the 2010 census, the county population is 15 percent AfricanAmerican and 22 percent Hispanic; but several municipalities within the county had less than 2 percent of an African-American population and less than 5 percent Hispanic population. Facing a multimillion dollar lawsuit, the county—under the

direction of former County Executive Andy Spano, a Democrat—agreed to settle the case by promoting affordable housing in 31 of its communities, including building at least 750 units and analyzing zoning laws in a seven-year period. During his press conference, Astorino, who fought the settlement after defeating Spano and taking office in 2010, maintained his position that the population disparity was a result of economics and not discriminatory zoning practice. But Craig Gurian, executive director of the ADC, told the Review, “The county executive’s statement, as usual, is breathtakingly dishonest.” According to the ADC, some of the units that Westchester built do not comply with the terms of the settlement, which mandates that the county prepare at least 630 units in municipalities with the lowest minority populations. According to the ADC, the county only prepared 283 units in those areas. “When you exclude the cheating units, the county is actually hundreds of units short,” Gurian added. “I couldn’t care less, really, what the ADC has to say at this point,” Astorino said in the county press office in White Plains. “I’m just concerned about making sure we finish the terms of the settlement and that we move on.” The county will still have to HOUSING continued on page 9