Affordable Housing Task Force to present data-driven 'Common Ground' findings; task force outlines local need

The Village of Mamaroneck's Affordable Housing Task Force briefed the Board of Trustees on Feb. 10 on research compiled during its first year and invited residents to a task-force presentation scheduled for March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

"If you're paying for your housing and utilities and you're spending 30% or less of your income on those bills, then that housing is affordable," Andreine Smith, chair of the task force, said during her remarks, citing the HUD-based definition the group used. Smith said the task force's 'Common Ground' report — published in November and available on the village website — defined beneficiaries (seniors on fixed incomes, people starting in the workforce, teachers' aides, nurses, EMTs, childcare staff and social-service case managers) and estimated local need using county housing-assessment data updated in 2022.

Smith gave several local figures: roughly 654 homeowner households and about 685 renter households were identified as cost-burdened in the village, with approximately 2,571 total households spending a disproportionate share of income on housing costs. She said the village's 2022 median household income was about $121,000 and that a typical single-family home in 2023 would require about $374,000 to purchase — a gap Smith described as substantial for many residents.

The task force intends to publish recommendations in May after finishing phase two of its work; Smith said the group is also educating residents and will hold a community presentation to explain findings and answer questions. She encouraged residents to apply for available state and federal programs and noted the task force will continue researching specific policy options and funding sources.

Sources and provenance The article is based on Andreine Smith's presentation and data points cited in transcript segments SEG 077 through SEG 299.