Housing progress is a key source of economic growth, but it is not the only one. Education, the environment and that old trope “quality of life” factor in, as well.
Consider, for example, the virtual consensus of the Hudson Common Council and the Columbia County Board of Supervisors that housing has to be addressed, not just in Hudson, but in all of Columbia County. More resources for the youth department and mental health are badly needed. Tourism is a major resource, too. “We need to collaborate with Columbia County to bring more tourism to the city of Hudson,” 3rd Ward Councilmember Shershah Mizan said last week. “It’s a great city for tourism.” While they’re at it, they should work together to solve the county’s housing crisis.
But at the start of 2024, Hudson is a small city with limited resources.
Interactions between the Common Council and the Board of Supervisors have been smooth and fruitful, even when they don’t make big headlines. “When one compares the quality of government in Columbia County to what goes on in Washington, Columbia County residents can be both proud and grateful,” retiring Copake Town Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said last week. “I found that the interactions between supervisors have been cordial and productive. The board of supervisors works in a collegial, professional way.”
Headlines aside, this is a wonderful opportunity for city councilmembers and county supervisors to assemble their resources — knowledge, expertise, experience — and create a model of what it will take to deal with the housing crisis before another year passes. That will be a truly monumental achievement.