MONTICELLO – Assemblywoman Paula Kay recently hosted a roundtable discussion for Sullivan County’s largest employers, developers, construction unions and officials to meet and share ideas about what they say is a critical lack of housing for residents and employees. 

Kay says affordable housing has been a priority of hers since she was elected. “We need workforce housing—especially in Sullivan County, but also in the Orange County portions of my district as well.” 

The purpose of the meeting, which was held at Resorts World Catskills, was to speak with employers and assess their needs.

“They know what their employees are going through on a daily basis in terms of finding quality, respectful, decent housing that’s affordable,” Kay said.

Kay said she is hearing from them about losing employees due to lack of housing, a sentiment echoed by New Hope Community CEO Karen Russell. 

“As one of the area’s largest employers, we have witnessed firsthand the significant housing challenges our employees face,” Russell said. “Many are working multiple jobs just to cover basic living expenses, and some have even been forced to relocate to more affordable areas.”

The Center for Discovery—the largest employer in Sullivan County—employs more than 1,800 people with their workforce expected to reach 2,000 in 2026 and 73% of current staff live locally. 

Dr. Terry Hamlin, President & CEO of The Center for Discovery says the lack of affordable, high-quality housing options has become one of their greatest barriers to recruitment and retention. 

“This shortage affects not only our ability to hire but also our ability to expand our services in the area,” Hamlin said. “We have staff who want to build their lives here, raise families and contribute to the local economy, but they can’t find attainable options.”

Hamlin added that they are actively exploring housing solutions.

The roundtable meeting also served to put employers together with developers to see what needs to be done and “get shovels in the ground.”

Kay said one of the most exciting things to come out of the meeting is that two offers were made between some of the employers who have property available to develop and who would be willing to work with developers to make a deal, adding that she can’t release any more information on that proposal. 

“These employers are offering a lot of incentives, but if they don’t have housing, it’s not helpful,” Kay said. “They need housing and stability to maintain long-term employees.”

Kay noted that the limited stock on the market is either out of the price range for first-time home buyers or requires too much work for the price point, saying she is focused on creating new, affordable homes. “It’s important to me that we build locally, and we use local people,” she stated.

The group looked at the rising costs faced by many residents, such as utilities, to see what they could realistically afford. Kay also noted that where they build housing needs to have the infrastructure to support it. “Some towns have the needed infrastructure, such as the Town of Thompson that received grant money to upgrade its sewer system,” Kay said. 

The meeting served to connect those in attendance, share information with each other and will continue to meet. 

“Assemblywoman Paula Kay’s recent roundtable opened up a broader conversation about how organizations like The Center for Discovery and so many others can work together with policymakers and developers to create sustainable, affordable housing that meets the needs of our essential workforce and strengthens the entire region,” Hamlin said.