Westchester County's three-member Board of Acquisition and Contract is scheduled to vote Wednesday, July 22, on accepting nearly $6 million in federal housing money that funds homelessness prevention, affordable housing, and infrastructure projects across the county.
The centerpiece resolution on the board's noon agenda would formalize the county's acceptance of $5,970,202.77 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Fiscal Year 2026, split across three programs: $4,529,567 in Community Development Block Grant funding, $1,032,577.77 through the HOME Investment Partnership Program, and $408,058 in Emergency Solutions Grant money.
The county's Department of Planning administers the CDBG and ESG programs, which support a range of work from homelessness prevention to public infrastructure improvements in local municipalities. The HOME program targets affordable housing development.
The total is roughly in line with Fiscal Year 2025 levels, with HOME and ESG funding rising slightly and CDBG funding dipping slightly, according to a county press release issued April 9.
County Executive Ken Jenkins, Board of Legislators Chair Vedat Gashi, and Budget Director Lawrence Soule make up the board and will cast the votes. The Board of Legislators' Infrastructure and Housing Committee and Budget and Appropriations Committee both reviewed and approved the underlying 2026-2030 HUD Consolidation Plan at a joint meeting on Monday, May 18, clearing the way for the county to apply for and accept the funds.
Planning Commissioner Blanca Lopez, who oversees the programs, said in the April 9 press release that the county is "supporting residents facing housing instability while also investing in the infrastructure and services that strengthen our municipalities."
Other contracts on the agenda
Beyond the HUD funds, the July 22 agenda includes more than $1.5 million in social-services contracts:
- Legal Services of the Hudson Valley: Up to $419,367 for free civil legal services to the indigent and legal assistance to low-income immigrants at the county's Mount Vernon District Office, through Dec. 31, 2026.
- Westchester Public/Private Membership Fund for Aging Services: Up to $585,000 for the Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors, April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027.
- YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester: Up to $225,210 to operate the Awakenings Program, July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
- Westchester Jewish Community Services: Up to $194,009 for educational and health-related programs through Dec. 31, 2026.
- Westchester Community Opportunity Program: Up to $88,807 for job training, child care, internet access for low-income seniors, veteran support, and energy efficiency measures through Dec. 31, 2026.
The board is also set to vote on accepting a separate $1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant to fund the Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk Team through Sept. 30, 2028.
The Board of Acquisition and Contract meets at the Michaelian Office Building in White Plains. Its next scheduled meeting is Thursday, July 30, at 11 a.m., and meetings are open to the public.
