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Residents urge more disability-inclusive housing; council says talks under way with housing groups
Summary
Residents and the Access Committee urged Ridgewood officials to pursue more disability-inclusive housing. Village staff and council said they are meeting with Community Options and the affordable housing planner to seek properties and potential credits toward future obligations.
At the July 8 Ridgewood Village Council workshop, residents urged the village to move more actively to expand disability-inclusive housing and to form a committee to pursue options.
Leo Rowan, a Ridgewood resident, told the council he was following up on his wife’s earlier remarks and handed a Bergen County United Way printout showing neighboring towns’ inclusive-housing activity. “Allendale currently has 4 housing complexes. Fort Lee and Ramsey each have 2,” Rowan said, and he asked council members to consider the old Franklin Avenue town garage as a potential site. He also said Ridgewood has only “a 31 year lease on inclusive housing at 257 Ridgewood Avenue” for independent and shared apartments and warned of long wait lists at nearby developments.
Emily Cathcart, secretary of Ridgewood’s Access Committee, praised the council for approving an accessible viewing area pilot for the July 4 parade. “Because of your efforts, multiple people expressed interest in participating…20 people were able to attend,” she said, and thanked volunteers and the host who donated space.
Village Manager Keith and council members responded that conversations are already underway with Community Options and the village’s affordable housing planner, Beth McManus, to evaluate potential properties and to pursue projects that may earn additional credits toward the village’s unmet need. “They are actively looking through available properties in the village,” the manager said, and asked residents who know of suitable sites to send them forward for review.
Council members said they generally support pursuing disability and veterans housing, noting such projects can provide additional credit toward the municipality’s future affordable-housing obligations. No formal committee was created during the meeting; council members agreed to continue discussions with Community Options and staff and to keep the public informed about next steps.
Next steps: staff will continue conversations with Community Options and the affordable housing planner; residents were invited to propose candidate properties for staff review.
