At a glance
The Housing Authority met to discuss major federal funding constraints and local development progress. HUD warned that 2026 voucher funding may not keep pace with rising rents, forcing agencies like Hudson's to consider limiting new voucher issuance and closing waiting lists. The board elected Mary Decker as vice chair. The redevelopment project moved forward with planning board designating itself as lead agency under state environmental review, the March 10 meeting will review site plans and building renderings, and a Monday call with the state confirmed the October closing target.
Call to Order and Roll Call
Chair Roanda Smith called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 (the transcript date appears to be February 20). Six commissioners were present, one absent.
Key points
- Commissioners present: Smith, Young, Wolf, Decker, Zakos, Black
- Commissioner Joiner was absent
- January 2026 minutes and accounts payable were approved unanimously
The chair states the meeting date as February 18, but the transcript header and video title indicate February 20. The day of the week (Wednesday) does not match either date in 2026.
Mayor's Community Meeting at Bliss Towers
Executive Director Jeff reported that Mayor Ferris held the first community meeting at Bliss Towers, with good resident participation and a strong presentation.
Key points
- First mayoral community meeting held at Columbia Apartments/Bliss Towers
- Residents participated and asked questions
- Director encouraged more resident participation in future meetings
- Mayor and neighbors were invited to return
Property Vehicle Fire
A maintenance truck with a plow caught fire on January 26 while plowing snow. The Authority is filing an insurance claim.
Key points
- Truck with plow caught fire during snow removal on January 26
- Vehicle is being put through insurance for replacement
- Board was notified of the incident
Board Meeting Recordings Not Posted
The director discovered that board meetings had not been posted to YouTube since June or July 2025 due to a gap in service from the video provider. Meetings are now being uploaded immediately.
Key points
- Meetings were live-streamed but recordings were not posted to the Hudson City YouTube site
- Last posted meeting was from June, recorded in July 2025
- Problem occurred during transition with the minute-taking and video provider
- Director was unaware because a new staff member (Linda Finnoff) took over minute-taking
- Provider will now upload recordings immediately
- Authority apologized and asked the public to alert them to similar issues
The director emphasized that the Authority wants to be transparent and accountable, not private, and encouraged residents to speak up when meetings aren't accessible.
Planning Board Designates Lead Agency
The Authority attended the February 10 planning board meeting, where the board designated itself as lead agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act for the redevelopment project.
Key points
- Planning board meeting held February 10, 2026
- Planning board designated itself as lead agency under SEQRA
- Lead agency coordinates environmental review when multiple government bodies are involved
- Authority has been presenting to planning board for two years
The planning board will now coordinate the entire environmental review process for the redevelopment, a necessary step before construction can proceed.
Federal Funding Letter: HCV Budget Crisis
Director read a lengthy February 18 letter from HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary warning that 2026 Housing Choice Voucher funding will likely fall short due to rent inflation outpacing the renewal funding factor.
Key points
- Consolidated Appropriations Act 2026 signed February 3 provides HCV funding
- HUD estimates 99% proration factor for renewals, final amounts coming in spring
- Per-unit costs at many housing authorities outpace rental market inflation
- HUD cannot guarantee shortfall funding will be available
- HUD strongly encourages authorities to stop issuing new vouchers except for certain programs
- Authorities should pause new project-based voucher agreements (except public housing repositioning)
- Recommended actions: reduce payment standards, end exception standards, assess rent reasonableness policies
- Authorities that received 2025 shortfall awards must continue adhering to action plans or risk losing 2026 shortfall eligibility
- Technical assistance available throughout 2026
- Mainstream voucher funding now incorporated into overall HCV renewal funding
Hudson Housing Authority already has funding issues and is working with HUD. This federal constraint will force difficult decisions about voucher issuance and waiting list management later in 2026.
The redevelopment project uses project-based vouchers and is exempt from the pause because it is a public housing repositioning effort. However, the Authority may need to close its waiting list and stop issuing housing choice vouchers to current applicants.
Board Discussion: Federal Funding Explained
Commissioners asked questions to understand the federal funding letter in plain language. The director explained that level funding (no increase) combined with rent inflation creates a gap.
Key points
- Federal government provided level funding (no cuts, no increases)
- Rent inflation significantly outpaces general economic inflation
- Section 8 and project-based voucher rents are already extremely low
- Authority pays utilities, water, sewer, garbage while building is not fully occupied
- Many housing authorities across the country face the same problem
- Professional organizations have written letters to Congress
- Federal government has been divesting from housing programs over a long period
- Housing Authority currently operates about half a million dollars in vouchers annually, a significant local economic impact
- Many Hudson landlords participate in the voucher program
The director will begin working on the budget in March. Federal funding constraints will shape policy decisions throughout 2026.
Development Update: Planning Board and State
John Mattio of Monarch Housing gave a detailed update on the redevelopment project. Planning board will review site plans in March, state pre-application call scheduled for Monday, and construction drawings are underway.
Key points
- Planning board could not review site plan in February due to consultant transition
- Mayor bringing in new consultant but agreed to use previous consultant for this project to avoid starting from scratch
- City's engineer now on board and exchanging comments with project engineer
- March 10 planning board meeting will include full site plan review (drainage, lighting, parking)
- Planning board requested building renderings to ensure design does not look like stereotypical 1960s/70s public housing
- Architects creating renderings showing setbacks and character to break up long building facades
- Pre-application call with New York State HCR scheduled for Monday to confirm October closing timeline
- State wants to confirm financial commitments, building plans, site plan approval timeline, building permit timeline, and sustainability/energy efficiency
- Construction drawings started early due to tight timeline, minor risk if planning board changes site plan significantly
- Buildings will not move significantly, heights and unit counts staying the same
Planning board members want to ensure the development does not resemble large, characterless brick buildings typical of mid-20th century public housing. Architects are using setbacks and varied facades to create visual interest.
Development Timeline and Approvals
Mattio outlined the project timeline showing an October closing is achievable. Two major wildcards are brownfields sign-off from DEC and final HUD approval.
Key points
- Updated project timeline sent to board listing all major milestones and approvals
- Timeline shows October closing is achievable
- Targeting four months for planning board approval (aggressive but reasonable)
- A few months for building permit approval after planning board
- Two major uncertainties: DEC brownfields final sign-off and HUD approval
- Brownfields program approval letter received but final DEC sign-off is a process, approximately 6 months allocated
- Cannot close project without final DEC sign-off
- HUD call toward end of 2025 was very positive
- Attorney Brian Lawler working with director to provide HUD everything needed for sign-off
- Board will receive link to all documents sent to state in advance of Monday call
Staff will send a note to all board members after Monday's state pre-application call.
Vice Chair Election
The board elected Mary Decker as vice chair to fill the vacancy left by Blair. Commissioner Black asked about board positions and responsibilities.
Key points
- Board lost Blair (former vice chair)
- Current positions: Roanda Smith (chair), vacant (vice chair), Commissioner Black (treasurer), Commissioner Wolf (secretary)
- Vice chair serves as chair in chair's absence
- Vice chair does not have check-signing responsibilities
- Chair audits bills, treasurer signs checks, executive director signs
- Auditing involves reviewing bills and backup documentation to verify accuracy
- Mary Decker nominated by Commissioner Smith, seconded by others
- Vote was unanimous
Commissioners Black and Joiner are new to the board and requested training. Director will provide list of acronyms and bylaws to help them get up to speed.
Voucher Programs and Site B Housing
Commissioners asked about mainstream vouchers, the Authority's two voucher programs, and who can live in the new Site B family housing across the street.
Key points
- Authority operates two voucher programs: Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) and Project-Based Voucher
- Housing Choice Vouchers are portable, tenant takes voucher to find housing
- Project-Based Vouchers are attached to specific units
- Difficulty getting housing choice voucher holders into Hudson apartments due to rent gaps
- New landlords paying more for homes and taxes, need higher income to maintain properties
- Authority funds about half a million dollars in vouchers annually, significant local economic impact
- Site B building is designated family housing, not senior housing
- Two five-bedroom units, plus two-bedroom and one-bedroom units
- Current residents of Bliss Towers will move to Site B
- A resident was incorrectly told she could not move because she is a senior, this is not true
Misinformation is circulating among residents about who can live in the new Site B housing. Director encouraged residents to attend meetings or speak with office staff to get accurate information.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned with a motion and second.
Key points
- Motion to adjourn made and seconded
- All in favor, meeting adjourned
About this page
FUTURE HUDSON is an experiment in civic engagement: every public meeting of the City of Hudson since January 2026, transcribed and made readable, so any resident can follow what the city is deciding without attending every meeting. This page covers one meeting; see the full archive.
How it was made
The meeting video was transcribed automatically; the transcript was then organized into sections and summarized. The raw transcript is above, every claim can be checked against it.
What to be skeptical of
The transcript is automated and contains speech-recognition errors; names and numbers may be wrong. This page has not been reviewed by a human. Nothing here is an official record, the city's official minutes are authoritative.
About coverage of this body
Meetings of the Housing Authority are uploaded to the city YouTube channel by members on a best-effort basis (not by the city audiovisual coordinator, who posts only the Common Council family, Planning Board, and HCDPA). If a meeting of this body is missing from the archive, it usually means the recording was not uploaded. See the archive index for the full coverage note.