Monroe County’s New Comprehensive Plan Draws Early Criticism Over Poverty, Housing Gaps

Monroe County officials have released the public review draft of “Plan Forward,” the county’s first comprehensive plan in more than four decades, outlining a long-term vision for growth, housing, infrastructure, transportation and economic development across the region.

But even as county leaders celebrate the milestone planning effort, early debate is already emerging over whether the proposal adequately addresses poverty and the needs of Monroe County’s most vulnerable residents.

Adam Bello announced the release of the draft plan May 19, calling it a roadmap for the county’s future after more than 40 years without a comprehensive update.

“Plan Forward is a roadmap for our future, built on the voices of our residents,” Bello said in a statement. “After 40 years, it is critical that we align our investments in infrastructure, housing, and economic development with a modern, shared vision that serves everyone in Monroe County.”

According to the county, the planning process began in August 2021 and included more than 50 public pop-up meetings, six steering committee meetings and numerous stakeholder and municipal focus groups. Officials said the process generated hundreds of comments from residents and community organizations.

The draft plan lays out recommendations intended to guide future county decisions involving land use, transportation, housing, environmental stewardship, economic development and infrastructure investment.

However, one of the first local lawmakers to publicly weigh in on the draft says the plan falls short in confronting poverty and inequality.

Rachel Barnhart, who also serves on the Monroe County Planning Board, submitted formal comments criticizing what she described as a “glaring gap” in the document’s treatment of poverty and public assistance.

“This plan does an excellent job diagnosing Monroe County’s challenges,” Barnhart said in a statement. “But it has a glaring gap: it assigns almost no role to the Department of Human Services, the county’s largest department, in addressing poverty.”

Barnhart noted the Department of Human Services represents nearly 39% of the county budget — more than $600 million annually — and argued a comprehensive county plan should more directly address how the department operates and delivers services.

Her comments focused on four primary areas: poverty and benefits administration, affordable housing for low-income residents, transportation safety and implementation accountability.

Barnhart called for the county to add a dedicated section addressing Human Services goals, strategies for improving benefits access and measurable benchmarks to determine whether residents are successfully receiving assistance.

She also criticized the housing chapter for focusing largely on “missing middle” and workforce housing while devoting little attention to homelessness and residents at the lowest end of the income spectrum.

According to Barnhart, the word “homeless” appears only once in the entire draft document.

Her comments referenced a 2025 report showing Monroe County denied more than 22,000 public assistance applications in 2024 — an 81.5% denial rate she said ranked among the highest among comparable urban counties in New York State.

Barnhart also voiced support for the plan’s recommendation to adopt a Vision Zero framework aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries, but urged county officials to define specific implementation standards, targets and accountability measures.

Additionally, she called for the final plan to include timelines and designated lead agencies so lawmakers and the public can measure progress.

The release of the draft plan comes as Rochester and Monroe County continue grappling with rising housing costs, persistent poverty, aging infrastructure and growing concerns over climate resilience and transportation equity.

Residents can review the draft online through Monroe County’s “Plan Forward” initiative. Printed copies are also available at the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County and the Monroe County Department of Planning and Development.

The county will host public engagement sessions in the coming weeks, including an in-person meeting June 3 at the Monroe Community College Brighton Campus and a virtual meeting June 10.