Citizens group pushes for low-income and affordable housing

NEWBURGH – The group Community Voices Heard wants City of Newburgh officials to hear their message loud and clear, that they believe the city needs more low-income and affordable housing.

They want the city’s yet-to-be adopted 40 year plan to include protections for lower income housing.

The group planned a march on City Hall late Monday afternoon with one message, said spokeswoman Brenda McPhail.

“In this community, in the City of Newburgh, we have to come together, and that’s what this march is about, getting people to come out and you have to stand up for your community,” she said. “Because if you don’t stand up for your community and you just allow people to come in and push you out, that is what is going to happen.”

Newburgh Economic Development Director Robert McKenna said the city is working on a continuum of housing.

“And that means different levels of housing all the way from very basic shelter for people that are homeless to transitional housing and various forms of assisted housing for people with special needs, through the different forms of affordable housing, low income, workforce housing, all the way to market rate,” he said.

Community Voices Heard says it is a grassroots organization with 700 families in Newburgh and more than 20,000 members statewide including in Poughkeepsie, Yonkers and New York City.