At a glance
The Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) met for half an hour. Staff said three things will shape the agency's money next year: the Housing Authority closing, how much the Board of Estimate and Apportionment contributes, and a request for proposals open until September 30. The board reviewed the Housing Trust Fund's 2027 budget, which would ask the city for $28,000, and heard that the Hudson Roots rental assistance program helped 19 households this year with no evictions among them. Members discussed the shortage of lawyers for tenants facing eviction. A lot the agency owns has been cleared of stored items, and a member is reaching out to Albany about how it runs a similar agency.
Roll call and minutes
The meeting began at 6 p.m. A quorum was present, and the minutes were approved.
Key points
- Board members Ferris, Rooney and Smith answered the roll, along with a member whose name the captions garble. One member was not yet online.
Admin report: savings, records and the Housing Authority closing
Staff reported moving savings into a new certificate of deposit and gathering old records, and asked where the Housing Authority project stands.
Key points
- Just over $15,000 was moved into another five-month certificate of deposit, maturing in February. Staff needed a board signer to make the transfer.
- A former staff member's emails from 2021 on are being archived to the agency's computer, to keep title search records in one place.
- Staff said the Zoning Board of Appeals approved setbacks for the townhouses in the Housing Authority development.
- Asked where things stand, a member said the goal is to close by the end of the year, but that depends on Planning Board approvals, which then go to the state.
Budget outlook
Staff named three things that will shape the agency's revenue next year and proposed a budget workshop in October.
Key points
- The three factors: the Housing Authority closing, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment's contribution, and a request for proposals.
- One proposal has come in; the request is open until September 30.
- The October meeting would be a budget workshop, with undecided lines left blank.
- Staff said the city's budget must be submitted to the Council by November 10.
- Bills were approved. There were no resolutions.
Hudson Roots: 19 households helped, no evictions
Staff shared the annual report for Hudson Roots, the rental assistance program the Housing Trust Fund supports.
Key points
- Nineteen households were served, with 33 people affected.
- None of the families receiving assistance were evicted.
- The program's $20,000 for 2026 has been fully given out, so no more families can be helped this year. Individual awards ranged from $160 to $3,500.
Housing Trust Fund 2027 budget
The board reviewed the Housing Trust Fund advisory committee's 2027 budget, which would ask the city for $28,000.
Key points
- Planned spending is $21,000: $5,000 to the agency for its share of audit and admin costs, $1,000 for contingency, and $15,000 for Hudson Roots.
- The advisory committee wants to request $28,000 from the Board of Estimate and Apportionment.
- By December 2027 the fund would hold $10,800 with no city contribution, or $30,000 to $38,000 with it, plus what remains in the certificate of deposit.
- A member worried about covering audits and other obligations in 2028 and floated cutting Hudson Roots from $15,000 to $10,000, or raising the agency's admin share.
- Another member said the board should not negotiate against itself before going to the Board of Estimate, and should ask for the full amount.
Few lawyers for tenants facing eviction
A member asked whether money could pay for lawyers for tenants facing eviction. Staff said the problem is bigger than the fund.
Key points
- The member said tenants sent to legal aid often wait, and cases come at the eleventh hour.
- Staff said they have called attorneys across the area, and most either will not take eviction cases or work for landlords. Outreach to recent law graduates and retirees has not produced anything consistent.
- A speaker said legal aid serves 16 counties, first come, first served.
- A city right-to-counsel law came up as an idea discussed before.
- Staff from Promise sometimes help tenants and landlords reach agreements at eviction hearings, though they are not attorneys.
Housing bingo in November
The Housing Trust Fund committee is not meeting in October and is planning a know-your-rights housing resource bingo event in November.
Key points
- Organizers hope local businesses will donate door prizes.
- Possible locations named include Spark of Hudson, the Housing Authority community room and the library community room.
An agency lot is cleared
Items stored on a lot the agency owns (referred to as 238) have been removed after staff contacted a tow company.
Key points
- Members suggested a snow fence or other physical barrier, since signs had been stolen.
- The boundary with the neighboring property is not marked, and no survey markers have been found. Staff will look through the county plat maps and old records.
Learning from Albany
A member reported reaching out to the group that runs a monthly regional mayors' meeting on Zoom, which may put the agency on its October agenda.
Key points
- The member also met the mayor of Albany at a conference and plans to talk about what Albany has been doing.
- No one spoke in public comment. The 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.