Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media residents of Catskill brought their concerns and frustrations over the dearth of affordable housing and rent control during a recent Catskill Village Board meeting. Village officials are now in the process of updating the zoning laws to be compatible with the village's new comprehensive plan. Village President Vincent Seeley announced August 16, that he will hold a teleconference 7 p.m., Thu., Aug. 20 to address affordable housing issues in the village in light of the planned changes. WGXC plans to have a webcast of the meeting. “We have a few key parcels, all totaling about 80 acres, that are left in the village to expand our housing inventory,” Seeley said. “We have different zoning rules for different areas, but I estimate the ability to easily build 200 units with the appropriate corresponding infrastructure.” The village rental market is another issue, Seeley said. “Rent control on new construction or existing units would be devastating to both investors and renters. If we go down that path, I believe that any investment in building quality rentals will be stopped in its tracks,” he said. Seeley likewise rejected the idea of capping rent on current units. Resident Megan Henry asked the village to take a hard look at affordable housing and rent structure. Many residents earn $12 to $15 an hour, Henry said. “That salary is not going to be able to pay for a $900- to $1,200-a-month apartment, utilities, a car, food,” she said. “It just doesn’t happen. There needs to be a strong effort to look at how the community is going to be able take care of people who have been here a long time.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.