Mount Vernon residents are calling on leaders to establish more affordable housing to combat
homelessness instead of building more discount stores.
A
group, including former Mayor Richard
Thomas, rallied outside a former supermarket on Friday.
The
city is reportedly seeking to turn the property into a dollar discount store.
However, residents tell News 12 there are enough - with four already being in the neighborhood.
Homeless
housing advocate Mike Fernandez says, “Mount Vernon is sitting on thousands of
parcels of property that are sitting and going to waste."
Fernandez
is hoping officials will use the properties for affordable housing.
News 12 reached out to the city for comment but
was told it had nothing to add.