FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2023
ADU ‘Plus One’ Grant Program
Public Information Meeting
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston, in partnership with Ulster County and RUPCO, will host a public information meeting regarding the Ulster County Plus One Home Program and the City’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) design contest on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
The Plus One Home grant program provides funding to create new code-compliant ADUs. Homeowners who meet the low- and moderate-income threshold (earning 100% or less of Ulster County Area Media Income) can apply to receive up to $125,000 dollars for the construction of a new detached or attached ADU. In exchange, the property owner agrees to rent the apartment at an affordable rate for a minimum of 10 years. Applications for the Ulster County Plus One Home Program will open after the event.
As part of the Plus One program, the City of Kingston launched the ‘Yes to ADU!’ Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition. The winning firm or design professional will receive $25,000 for producing permit-ready construction documents that Kingston and Ulster County homeowners can use to obtain building permits to construct new, detached ADUs. A $3,000 award will be given to the best non-professional/student entry.
City, County, and RUPCO staff will host an informational event on both the ADU design contest and the Plus One grant opportunity and guide property owners on the potential process to construct an ADU. The event will begin with a panel discussion on the role that ADUs can play in serving a Countywide housing need. The info session will be held on Thursday, July 13 at 6:00pm at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Barn and will also be live-streamed. Please register here.
Mayor Noble said, “As part of my administration’s ongoing efforts to combat our local housing crisis, these ADU programs will help us increase the supply of workforce and affordable housing in Kingston. Not only do ADUs help us create much-needed housing and create affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents, they’re also environmentally friendly. We look forward to hosting this meeting and answering any questions our residents may have about ADU opportunities.”
Director of Housing Initiatives Bartek Starodaj said, “I encourage anyone thinking about building an ADU on their property to attend this kick-off event to learn more about the resources that are now available to Kingston and Ulster County homeowners.”
Yes to ADU! Panel & Information Session
Thursday, July 13, 2023
6:00pm
Hudson River Maritime Museum Barn
50 Rondout Landing Kingston, NY 12401
Register here.
The term Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) refers to all forms of additional units on residential properties and may be either attached to the primary residence, such as a basement apartment, or detached from the primary residence such as a garage conversion or cottage. Among many other benefits, ADUs can provide rental income to homeowners and offer an affordable way for renters to live in residential neighborhoods or can help older residents age in place.
The proposed Form-Based Code legalizes attached and detached ADUs citywide and clarifies ADU approval rules, including setbacks and parking requirements. In addition, the City of Kingston Common Council recently passed Local Law 1 to adopt the 421-F Property Tax Exemption for the creation of new attached ADUs, which allows property owners to exempt a portion of the value of new ADUs from their assessment.
Ulster County and the City of Kingston were awarded $1.75 million from the New York State Housing and Community Renewal to help implement the Plus One Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Program, in partnership with RUPCO. Applications will open on July 13, 2023 and will be found here https://rupco.org/plusone/.
The Yes to ADU! Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition is funded with the City of Kingston’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Additional details about the ADU design contest can be found here: www.engagekingston.com/adu-design-competition.
Mayor Noble established the Department of Housing Initiatives in 2020 to support housing planning in the City of Kingston. The Department manages housing-related grants, supports the construction of new market-rate and affordable housing, develops policies to protect existing residents, and addresses the connection between housing and sustainability, health, and mobility. The Department also reviews the disposition of city-owned property suitable for housing development and collaborates with local and regional housing organizations. Current projects include city-wide rezoning efforts, short-term rental guidelines, the ARPA Affordable Housing Fund, the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, the Midtown Brownfields Opportunity Area, the Disposition of City-owned properties, and many more. Visit https://kingston-ny.gov/housing.