KINGSTON, N.Y. – The first three affordable housing grants have been awarded to city projects, Mayor Steve Noble said Wednesday.
The American Rescue Plan Act Affordable Housing Fund grants are designed to “incentivize” the creation of new affordable housing units, Noble’s office said in a statement.
The first project, at 350 Broadway, received $225,000 for “substantial rehabilitation of a prominent mixed-use building that has been vacant for almost 30 years,” the announcement said.
A second project at 53 Garden St. received $85,640 for “substantial rehabilitation of a seven-unit residential multiplex where most of the units are currently vacant due to poor interior conditions.”
The other project, at 58 Clifton Ave. received $50,000 for the construction of an accessory dwelling unit.
Across the three projects, the ARPA Affordable Housing Fund applicants will leverage other sources of funding to create a total of 13 housing units, the statement said, adding that the number of affordable units created directly by the fund will be eight.
Kingston allocated $1 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funding for the Affordable Housing Fund, with the goal of prioritizing development or rehabilitation projects that result in the creation of housing rented at no more than 60% of the Area Median Income for a period of 20 years, Noble’s office said. The fund offers grant awards of up to $75,000 per affordable housing unit, and up to $300,000 per owner or a property.
“In our Economic Recovery Plan, we set aside $5,000,000 from the City of Kingston’s American Rescue Plan Act to help us launch several housing programs and it’s exciting to see these funds starting to get allocated,” Noble said in a prepared statement. “These three projects represent a variety of new affordable housing projects that are possible with this program.”
“Importantly, as these first awards show, the city’s recently adopted form-based zoning code better enables property owners to create new housing units in the City,” said Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives, in a statement.
The ARPA Affordable Housing Fund grant program is managed by the City of Kingston’s Office of Housing Initiatives.
One application is needed for each property. Non-profit and for-profit developers can apply. Owners may use funding to construct new housing to rehabilitate currently vacant properties, or for adaptive reuse of nonresidential buildings, the city said
Grant funds may be used for essential construction or rehabilitation activities including but not limited to roof repair/replacement, upgrade of electrical systems, environmental remediation, windows, accessibility ramps, plumbing, and heating systems. Depending on the total cost of the repair, a certain number of units will be subject to affordability restrictions for the full 20-year period.
Applications opened June 1, 2023, with a final application deadline of Dec. 15.
For further information, eligible fund uses, applications and more, visit www.engagekingston.com/arpa-affordable-housing.
For questions about the application, eligibility, or another concern, contact Starodaj at [email protected] or (845) 334-3928.