In her State of the State address, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a housing compact that would create 800,000 new homes in the state over the next decade.

However, by the end of the legislative session, the governor and Legislature couldn’t agree on a housing proposal and the compact failed to get over the finish line.

Last week, in an attempt to spur action on housing, the governor issued an executive order that Michael Borges, executive director of the Rural Housing Coalition of New York, argues doesn’t really address the housing needs of rural New York.

The state’s Department of Housing and Community Renewal considers a locality to be a rural area if it has less than 25,000 residents. Borges said these areas need investments in infrastructure like sewer and water systems to better support new housing. He added these areas also need to do an examination of the types of housing they need, whether that’s senior, entry level, or assisted-living.

Borges told Capital Tonight that legislative leaders and the governor need to come together in the next legislative session and hammer out a plan that “addresses all of New York, not just downstate.”