POUGHKEEPSIE – Former Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the proposed homeless shelter on Oakley Street in Poughkeepsie. Molinaro first proposed the shelter in late 2021 and early 2022. The City of Poughkeepsie sued the County seeking to prevent the shelter from being built on Oakley Street.
The lawsuit was mediated by a federal judge, the County, and the City, with County Executive Sue Serino and Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers coming to an agreement that would continue the shelter development. On Wednesday, the Poughkeepsie Common Council ratified the agreement, with the expectation that the Legislature’s Budget, Finance, and Personnel Committee would approve the plan at a special meeting on Thursday, immediately followed by a special meeting of the entire legislature.
In early July, . The Budget and Finance Committee on Thursday instead voted to postpone the ratification until September, negating the need for a meeting of the full legislature. Majority Leader Barrington Atkins cited the need for additional information before he could vote on the signed agreement.
On Friday, .
Molinaro, who proposed the plan before leaving the county for a seat in Congress, spoke to Mid-Hudson News on Saturday, expressing his frustration.
“The County Executive and the City of Poughkeepsie did their jobs. They negotiated a settlement in good faith. The City Council approved it, he said, before continuing. “The Legislature’s Democratic majority had one job: vote. Instead, , they called a special meeting, gathered everyone together, and then punted. That’s not leadership. It’s political cowardice. Their inaction now jeopardizes significant state funding for a nationally recognized model, increases costs for taxpayers, and delays services for people who desperately need them.”
Molinaro said he cares about the project because he helped launch the idea, which was not based on politics. “It was never about politics. It was about replacing a broken system with one that treats people with dignity while protecting neighborhoods and taxpayers,” before admonishing the Democrats. “Stop playing politics with vulnerable lives and taxpayer dollars. Dutchess County deserves a legislature willing to make decisions—not a majority avoiding them.”
The Legislature began considering the shelter in early 2022, and Chairwoman Yvette Valdés Smith, who was Minority Leader at the time, was able to .
Valdés Smith admitted in 2022 that the need for a shelter exists but didn’t think the proposed location was acceptable. “Yes, we need to help the county’s homeless population, but locating a 24,000 square foot facility in an area that has the highest unemployment rate and the lowest household incomes in the county is not the answer.”
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