Ulster County is looking for new solutions to tackle its ongoing housing crisis. It created a new role in government to help.
Laura Nordstrom is Ulster County’s first director of housing and homelessness. She previously served as the county’s director of research and operational programs.
As the head of the new family-centered services program, Nordstorm hopes she’ll be able to better coordinate with agencies across the county.
“Connecting those dots and really increasing the impact is a big piece of what I'm going to be doing, as well as really helping to shift our emergency housing folks from being emergency housed to being permanently housed,” Nordstrom said.
She said that in the short term, tackling the crisis of emergency housing and homelessness will be a priority, while in long term, the county will have to work to create more affordable housing.
County Executive Jen Metzger announced Nordstrom's appointment on Tuesday.