Westchester County Executive Fuming Over Housing Settlement
WHITE PLAINS, NY (WCBS 880) - Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino says he won't work with a gun to his head.
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Astorino says the Department of Housing and Urban Development is asking him to change the zoning laws, sue towns, and bankrupt taxpayers - all so a specific kind of housing that wasn't in the original housing desegregation agreement can be built.
"We are at an impasse with HUD," said Astorino.
Astorino says they're asking him to do things he can't legally do, and he won't do.
"HUD is asking for things that are not within our power to deliver and certainly not helpful going forward," says Astorino. "We're saying it's now time for HUD to be accountable for its actions."
He also says, under their new terms, the cost of the 740 affordable housing units has almost doubled and is now at about $94 million.
"We can only go so far," says Astorino.
He's now asking for a meeting with HUD secretary Shaun Donovan.
