Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously Tue., Jan. 17, to move forward with an assessment of the county's housing needs. Approval by the full board is needed before Capital Advocates of Albany can begin work. The first stage of the project would involve an analysis of the county housing stock and the need for additional low-income housing, and the creation of a communications strategy. Capital Advocates President and CEO William Teator said from a cursory look the need for affordable housing is concentrated in Hudson and surrounding communities. County Department of Social Services Deputy Commissioner Michelle Ublacker said there up to 100 homeless people in Columbia County on a given night, and the department puts many of them up at local motels at the average cost of $90 a night. The housing assessment project would begin Feb. 1 and the research phase is expected to last three months. Read the full story in the Register-Star.