Larry Rulison reports in the Times Union that the Bethlehem Planning Board on Feb. 7 approved the 72-unit Selkirk Reserve apartment complex off Route 9W, bringing some affordable housing in southern Albany County closer to reality. Town Board approval is still necessary to approve the $20 million project. The development is getting more than $12 million in tax credits from the state. Everyone from the governor to activists agree there is an affordable housing crisis in the Hudson Valley and throughout New York. U.S. Census Bureau data reports that the average rent in Bethlehem is $1,800 a month, above of the "affordable" price range for the average Albany County resident. At this project, called Selkirk Reserve, rents would be lower around $1,400 for a three bedroom unit, and 12 apartments would be set aside for military veterans. If the town approves the project that is located on vacant land near near the Jericho Drive-In, construction could begin in the spring. Read the full story in the Times Union.