Published on 9/17/2006
By MAURY THOMPSON
[email protected]

Editor's note: Over the next six weeks, The Post-Star will feature a weekly series of articles focusing on issues in the 20th Congressional District race.

If there's a downside to being a desirable place to live or vacation, it may be that it drives housing prices higher.

Officials have been grappling with the affordable housing issue in Saratoga County, which has experienced population growth, and farther north in the Adirondacks, where the demand for vacation homes has driven up housing prices.

Candidates for Congress in the 20th Congressional District think the federal government can help.

Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, in a telephone interview Friday, said the federal government should offer low-interest loans and tax credits to developers who designate a portion -- possibly 20 percent -- of housing units in a project for individuals who meet income guidelines.

Developers could sell the tax credits to investors to raise capital for projects.

"You create an opportunity for a developer to invest in a community," Gillibrand said.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, would not comment for this report, the first in a series of weekly reports about issues in the congressional race.

Spokeswoman Melissa Carlson said the congressman would only comment if The Post-Star expanded the series to include issues in races of statewide offices and local Senate and Assembly races.

In July, Sweeney appointed an affordable housing task force that has been studying the issue. It is expected that task force will, at some point, make recommendations.

"I am committed to addressing the current challenges for working families to find affordable housing ...," Sweeney said in a press release at the time.

Gillibrand said creating incentives for developers to designate a portion of housing units for those with moderate and low incomes would provide social benefits by integrating people of various income classes in the same neighborhood with similar looking homes or apartments.

"It (low-income housing) will look just like everyone else's housing," she said.

Gillibrand also said the federal government should increase funding for subsidized housing programs.

The best thing the federal government can do to make housing more affordable, she said, is to reduce unfunded mandates that contribute to high school district and local government property taxes, she said.

THE CANDIDATES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democrat, proposed providing federal tax credits and low-interest loans to developers who designate a portion of housing units in a project for people with moderate and low income.

The concept would be an alternative to developing subsidized housing projects exclusively for the poor.

John Sweeney, the Republican, has appointed a task force to study affordable housing issues and make recommendations of actions the federal government should take.

Sweeney would not comment for this report, and he does not have a position about affordable housing posted on his campaign Web site.

Spokeswoman Melissa Carlson said the congressman would comment only if The Post-Star expanded the series to include statewide races and local state Assembly and Senate races.