Developer proposes 26‑unit Healy Homes SRO in Greenport to house county residents

Danny Messing (speaker 3), identified in the meeting as representing Healy Homes, presented a privately funded 26‑unit single‑room‑occupancy project on Healy Boulevard in the town of Greenport and asked the committee to consider partnering so the county could house vulnerable residents locally.

"Healy Homes delivers what Columbia County needs," Messing said, describing the site as on the county bus route and within walking distance of medical services and job training. He told the committee the Greenport planning board granted conditional approval after the developer agreed to wastewater mitigation measures and a 24‑hour storage tank to guard against overflow; he said final DEC sign‑off was pending. Messing said the building would provide microwaves and refrigerators in units, with a communal kitchen and on‑site casework provided by St. Catherine's under contract.

Members pressed for contract details. Supervisor 15 asked whether the county would be obligated to a specific nightly rate and sought clarity on escalation clauses and set‑aside percentages; staff and Messing said those terms would have to be negotiated after final approvals and clarified that the project is privately developed and the county would not own the asset. The committee discussed a Galvin Civic/Motel precedent (a prior motel conversion with a county set‑aside arrangement) as a possible template for negotiating room rates and service obligations.

Why it matters: the proposed SRO would add modest in‑county capacity for people experiencing homelessness and could reduce costs and transportation burdens, but the committee signaled it needs clear contract terms — particularly nightly rates, set‑aside volumes and service commitments — and environmental approvals before authorizing a county purchase order or contract.