The poor state of Dunkirk’s housing stock has been a prominent point recently on the city government beat. Housing came up at the last Dunkirk Common Council’s meeting, the day before Mayor Kate Wdowiasz’s visit to Albany on Feb. 7 as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s rollout of the first 20 signers of her “pro-communities housing pledge.”

Councilmember Nancy Nichols asked Planning and Development Director Vince DeJoy about adding more housing for senior citizens.

“There was an article in the newspaper on Jan. 24 about these apartment complexes proposed for (the) city. In this article it said nothing about senior housing, that it would be available,” she said. “I had probably 18 phone calls of very irate seniors who were (looking) forward to finding an apartment to downsize, because they live alone and the house they have is just way too much for them.”

Nichols noted the pro housing communities pledge was approved in September by the council but wondered if there was anything in there to boost senior housing in the city.

DeJoy responded about the pledge, “We’ve submitted all the data and documentation to (New York state’s office of) Housing and Community Renewal. It hasn’t been determined that the city of Dunkirk, or any other municipality, has been certified. We have not heard back — as of about a month ago, I checked.”

The day after the council meeting, Wdowiasz joined other mayors from across the state in Albany as Hochul announced the first 20 signers of the pledge, including Dunkirk. Communities that join Hochul’s pledge program are supposed to go to the front of the line for hundreds of millions of dollars in housing project grants.

DeJoy continued on about the project Nichols referenced, which would build two apartment complexes on Washington Avenue and East Fourth Street. “It’s workforce housing… It’s not dedicated toward any one group other than those that meet the income qualifications,” he said.

Nichols suggested that Wdowiasz also sought senior housing as part of the two proposed apartment sites. “I still am hugely in favor of senior housing, you know my concerns,” the mayor responded. ” I made that very well known during the campaign. I am still looking for different developers to come in and bring in senior housing to our community, because it’s much-needed.”

Nichols said, “Yes, it is, and with the close proximity of a lot of the businesses, stores and doctors offices, to me, it would seem almost a no-brainer not to have a little bit of this housing available there for seniors as well.”

“That’s really why these two sites were chosen, because of the walkability factor,” DeJoy said. “Again, it’s not dedicated to one group or another — it’s being called workforce housing, but… most of the people who live and work in Dunkirk will meet the income eligibility for these apartments, and that includes seniors.”