Orange County, NY - Senator Rob Rolison, joined by Senator Bill Weber, led a roundtable discussion focused on addressing the issue of affordability in New York State. This affordability roundtable is the first of a series hosted by members of the Senate Republican Conference in regions across the state, aiming to understand and to confront the impact of increasingly burdensome policies originating from Albany.

With residents across the state struggling to keep pace with the rising costs of living, including child care, housing, utility bills, high taxes and crushing mandates, New York is at a critical juncture. During the roundtable, Senators Rolison and Weber engaged directly with the public and key community stakeholders, including representatives from Pattern for Progress, RUPCO, Hudson River Housing, the Builders Institute of Westchester and Mid-Hudson Region, Childcare Council of Dutchess and Putnam, Child Care Council of Orange County, INC, CSEA VOICE Local 100A, Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board, Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Putnam County Business Council, Regional Food Bank - Hudson Valley and Community Foundations of The Hudson Valley, to listen to their concerns and explore actionable solutions to deliver much-needed relief.

The insights gathered from these discussions will help shape future legislative proposals intended to ease financial pressures and restore economic stability for hardworking New Yorkers.

“Everywhere we go, we hear the same message — Hudson Valley residents are being stretched to their limits by the rising cost of living. The speakers we’ve invited to this roundtable are on the front lines, addressing the costs of housing, childcare, commuting, business operations, and food insecurity. They bring practical insights and real solutions to help make our communities more affordable and livable. We look forward to incorporating their feedback into our legislative efforts in the coming year,” said Senator Rob Rolison.

“It’s no secret that living in New York has become more expensive than ever, driving more and more families and businesses to leave our state. Nowhere is that felt more acutely than here in the Hudson Valley, where residents shoulder some of the highest taxes in the nation. My colleagues and I are committed to finding solutions to lower taxes and make New York more affordable — but we need the majorities in both chambers to join us in a bipartisan effort to deliver real tax relief for New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley and beyond,” said Senator Bill Weber.

“Families are squeezed by escalating utility bills and exorbitant childcare costs. Seniors are shouldering outrageous property tax burdens, and every employer in the state is impacted by a regulatory environment that fuels rising insurance costs, kills new jobs and stops innovation in its tracks. My colleagues and I are listening to New Yorkers from all walks of life across the state so we can make sure the policies we push in Albany this session are tailored to their wallets, their budgets and their futures,” said Senator Jake Ashby.

“I’m grateful to be part of this important conversation. Our Voices of the Hudson Valley report shows that challenges like housing affordability, childcare access, and food insecurity are deeply connected. Addressing them effectively requires collaboration across sectors and communities, and roundtables like this one are essential for developing lasting solutions,” said Laura Washington, President & CEO, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.

“This is not just a family issue; it is an economic issue. Without a stable childcare sector, parents—especially mothers—cannot fully participate in the workforce, which hurts all local businesses. We remain hopeful, however, and are encouraged by Senator Rolison’s established commitment to the well-being of our youngest residents. We trust that he understands the critical need for sustained, significant investment in early childhood education and will champion efforts to ensure every child and working family has the support they need,” said Rachel Ambroziak, Executive Director, Childcare Council of Orange County, INC.

“We know that our housing shortage has led to a housing affordability crisis that negatively affects employers, our local economy, seniors, millennials, working families and, honestly, anyone currently paying our steep property taxes. Every system is perfectly designed to achieve the results that it gets, and if you're not happy with the results, that argues that we should re-examine past policies, past choices, and past regulations that brought us to this appoint. We deeply appreciate Senator Rolison's leadership in re-examining what brought us to this point and how we can make different, better choices to improve housing affordability throughout the Hudson Valley,” said Tim Foley, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, Builders Institute of Westchester and Mid-Hudson Region.

“Right now, about 11% of Hudson Valley residents are facing food insecurity — and that number continues to rise each year. Combine that with a recent report from Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, which found that the cost of housing has continued to outpace wages, especially for lower-income earners in the Hudson Valley, and now with a government shutdown and expected cuts to cuts to SNAP, there is an unprecedented strain on local food banks and pantries to meet the growing needs of families, children and seniors in this region,” said Felicia Kalan, VP of Regional Food Bank Hudson Valley.

These discussions will offer overburdened New Yorkers an opportunity to discuss a path to make New York more affordable with a variety of local stakeholders. These events will take place in six locations across New York State. 

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