Dan is serving his 4th term as Albany County Executive; fighting for those in need & creating better opportunities for the middle class, poor & disadvantaged.
Albany County, NY
Joined January 2012
- Tweets25.6K
- Following2.6K
- Followers9.1K
- Likes6.7K
Last night, Chief Policy Officer Cameron Sagan attended the International Center of the Capital Region’s 70th Anniversary & Achievement Awards. Congratulations to all of this year's honorees, and a special thank you to Dr. Michael Brophy and Hudson Valley Community College for their continued commitment to education, community partnerships, and global engagement.
Our diversity and international connections are among the things that make the Capital Region such a special place to live and work. Thank you to ICCR for 70 years of bringing people together and strengthening our community
We are excited to announce a lease opportunity of the first-floor restaurant/commercial space at 112 State Street in downtown Albany!
This is an exciting chance to be part of the continued growth, revitalization, and future of downtown Albany.
Interested in learning more? Visit the link below for additional information. Please note that registration is required to access the details.
bidnetdirect.com/new-york/al…
Getting homeless people off the streets and into housing is a priority and also a very complex process. The Department of Social Services will utilize motel placements as a last resort to temporarily house households/individuals when our shelters are full or the individual has been discharged and restricted from returning to our contracted shelters. Once a bed opens up at one of our contracted shelters we look to move the individual from the motel into a shelter placement. It is important to note, the costs for motel placement are less than what it costs for someone to be housed in our contracted shelter facilities. The lower cost is not a reason for us to place individuals in motels, as motels are a last resort for Albany County Department of Social Services. The rates for the motels are negotiated and are sometimes less than the market rate. The motel rooms are inspected according to NYS Office of Temporary Disability Assistance regulations to ensure the rooms meet the standards required for placement. We work with motel management to correct any identified concerns. The motels are a temporary solution for sheltering some of our most vulnerable populations, especially when our contracted shelters are full.
There are a number of challenges that Albany County DSS as well as social services across NYS are facing. We are seeing an increase in individuals/families becoming unhoused due to a variety of factors including increasing mental health crisis in the community compounded by higher chemical dependency rates and a limited stock of affordable housing. Other contributing factors include the rising costs of meeting the basic needs of a household: housing, food, utilities, healthcare, transportation, etc. SNAP and HEAP help offset some of these costs, but it is certainly not enough to meet the full need. We continue to work with our community partners to help identify ways to stabilize our unhoused population so they can become permanently housed and self-sufficient.
NYS has provided eviction prevention funds as well as some limited rental supplement funding for a small percentage of households in order to help them stabilize. We also are working with NYS Homes and Community Renewal to provide rental assistance vouchers to eligible unhoused individuals where they are required to pay about 30% of their income toward rent. Even with these rental assistance vouchers, there is limited affordable housing that has been able to be secured to move our unhoused from the shelter or motel setting. Outside of the voucher programs, households can apply for public assistance and receive a monthly shelter allowance. For a one-person household, the monthly shelter allowance if there are no children, the shelter allowance is $184 per month. Where can someone live for $184 per month? For a family of four, the shelter allowance is $348 per month, not including utilities. That rate has not changed since 2003. Where is there an apartment that someone can rent for a family of four for $348 per month. In addition to these challenges, in 2027, HUD funding is going to be eliminated for permanent supportive housing. This will be devastating for the more than 700 households who have been stabilized for several years and will now be forced to move to a temporary housing situation.
Under New York State regulations and policy, when a household is placed in temporary housing and has income, the local social services district must determine the household’s required contribution toward the cost of that housing. It should be noted that the budget for individuals in need of shelter is calculated within the NY eligibility system, which determines each client’s required contribution toward shelter costs. NYS regulation/policy is clear that if a household fails to pay the required contribution, the district must deny or discontinue Temporary Housing Assistance (THA).
Albany County continues to work with our Continuum of Care and our community partners to identify ways to help secure permanent housing for our unhoused population. With Code Blue starting in November, Federal funding cuts, the lack of affordable housing stock, significant increases in food, utilities, and other basic needs, we will be hard pressed to find solutions quickly. We remain diligent in our efforts and feel we have made small strides of success with each household we are able to get into permanent housing and remain self-sufficient.
As for inspections of where people are placed, motels are inspected by DSS every six months. If there are violations that require corrective action, we make sure that no one is placed there until those violations are corrected. Additionally, the Albany County Department of Health conducts routine annual inspections where clients are placed as well.
#ICYMI - We announced the inaugural Albany County Holiday Market, taking place Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MVP Arena and along South Pearl Street in downtown Albany.
youtube.com/watch?v=oxRl3S0z…
On Tuesday, Albany County voters made their voices heard and approved Local Law N, paving the way for a modernized Medical Examiner’s Office to replace our outdated Coroner system. This is an important step forward for Albany County and a change that will strengthen how we investigate deaths, improve data collection, and ensure we have qualified medical professionals overseeing this critical responsibility.
We made a commitment to modernize this system, and now, thanks to the support of our residents, we're making it happen. This is meaningful progress for Albany County and a change that will serve our community for generations to come.
wamc.org/news/2026-11-04/ele…
Congratulations on the ribbon cutting of Capriccio on the Green @ Pinehaven Country Club! Bringing delicious food from Albany to a new venue. – at Guilderland, NY
#ICYMI - November's Honor-a-Vet Ceremony was in honor of U.S. Army Veteran Rev. Dr. Willie James Stovall Sr.
youtube.com/watch?v=pLkTN1Gb…
#ICYMI - Last week's Halloween Party & Costume Contest at Shaker Place Rehabilitation & Nursing Center was once again a huge hit!
Election Day is here! Every vote is a voice, and your voice matters. Make a plan, head to the polls, and help shape the future of our community. To find your polling place visit: voterlookup.elections.ny.gov…
This afternoon, I officially announced the launch of the inaugural Albany County Holiday Market, taking place Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MVP Arena and along South Pearl Street in downtown Albany. We’re looking forward to bringing families together, supporting our local businesses, and creating a new holiday tradition. This event also celebrates five years of the Innovation Partnership between Albany County and MVP Health Care.
Learn more: albanycountyny.gov/holidayma…
Last weekend, as part of our Cheer FUNdamentals Clinic, students performed with the UAlbany cheer team at halftime of the football game at Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium! The Innovation Partnership between Albany County and MVP Health Care is proud to partner with Albany as a sponsor of this program, supporting inclusivity, community engagement, and meaningful opportunities for children!
#ICYMI - Last week, we unveiled “AllianceNEXT: A Strategic Plan for Advancing Albany County’s Economic Growth,” our comprehensive five-year economic development strategy.
youtube.com/watch?v=tHN1OAhR…
The Capital Region Transportation Council (Transportation Council) and Albany County invite the public to visit the Albany County Airport Area Trail Connector Study project website. The website includes information about the project, previous planning recommendations, and a new interactive web map with draft route concepts and an associated public survey. The draft route concepts include proposed shared use paths along British American Boulevard, Albany Shaker Road, and Troy Schenectady Road, among others. Community members are encouraged to visit the project website, view the draft route concepts, and provide feedback ranking the concepts through the public survey, now open until November 6, 2026.
The Albany County Airport Area Trail Connector Study aims to connect the existing multi-use trails along Albany Shaker Road and Watervliet Shaker Road to the Empire State Trail along the Mohawk River. These trail connections will consider users of all ages and abilities to create safe pathways for non-vehicular transportation. For additional information, contact Carrie Ward, Project Manager, at (518) 458-2161 or [email protected] or visit storymaps.arcgis.com/stories…
Great to welcome wrestling fans from near and far to our community for the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame 2026 Induction Ceremony at MVP Arena!
Congratulations to this year’s inductees, Tommy Rich, Wendi Richter, The Bushwhackers and the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, as well as Marc Mero, recipient of the Rocky Johnson Medal of Mettle.
Great to welcome wrestling fans from near and far to our community for the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame 2026 Induction Ceremony at MVP Arena!
Congratulations to this year’s inductees, Tommy Rich, Wendi Richter, The Bushwhackers and the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, as well as Marc Mero, recipient of the Rocky Johnson Medal of Mettle.
Wishing everyone across Albany County a happy Halloween! 🎃 I hope you and your families have a fun day, make some great memories, and enjoy a few extra treats. Stay safe and have a great night!
Tune in to News Radio 103.1 & 810 WGY tomorrow morning at 7:30AM to hear my interview with Albany County Land Bank Executive Director Sean Maguire.
This morning, I joined with the Advance Albany County Alliance to unveil “AllianceNEXT: A Strategic Plan for Advancing Albany County’s Economic Growth,” our comprehensive five-year economic development strategy.
When we first set out to strengthen Albany County's economic development efforts, our goal was to create an organization that could attract investment, support businesses and take on projects that would otherwise be difficult to move forward.
Five years later, the results speak for themselves: we've helped businesses expand, created jobs and advanced major redevelopment projects that will benefit our communities for generations. AllianceNEXT gives us an opportunity to build on that success.
The full AllianceNEXT strategic plan is available at advancealbanycounty.com/docs….
#ICYMI - Yesterday, I was proud to recognize Albany County's next Citizen of the Month - Norman Rose.
youtu.be/uiEe-LhEQFI?si=qsrE…