The Ulster County Housing Action Fund, approved last August by the Ulster County Legislature, will open its first application window on March 11 and will accept applications until May 10, 2024, at 3 p.m. EST.
The Ulster County Planning Department will host a virtual webinar on March 19, 2024, at 6 p.m. to provide information on the fund and application process. Interested parties can register at ulstercountyny.zoom.us.
The $15 million Fund, of which up to $3 million in projects could be allocated this year, was proposed last year by County Executive Jen Metzger and sponsored by Abe Uchitelle, Chair of the Legislature’s Health, Human Services and Housing Committee, to address the housing crisis and support a wide variety of sustainable and affordable housing projects. After the Fund’s approval by the Legislature last summer, a Housing Policy and Oversight Committee, composed of housing and financial experts, was appointed in November to develop and administer the application process, with the support of the Ulster County Planning Department. The maximum grant amount and affordability level for projects vary based on the housing category. Generally, the Fund focuses on serving households earning up to 80% of Ulster County Area Median Income (i.e., $81,300 for a four-person household, $56,950 for a one-person household). Recipients of these grants will be required to keep housing units affordable for a minimum of 50 years, with priority given to projects that keep the housing permanently affordable. Projects are required to meet New York State Housing and Community Renewable Sustainability Standards. For detailed information and application materials, visit participate.ulstercountyny.gov/housing-action-fund.
Eligible housing project types for Year 1 funding include:
• Affordable Rental Projects
• Affordable Homeownership Projects
• Preservation of Affordable Housing for Housing Co-Ops and Community Land Trusts
• Emergency and Supportive Housing Projects
• Housing-Related Infrastructure
• Housing Catalyst Fund Projects
“The only way to address the acute shortage of housing options in our County and make housing more affordable for our residents is to expand supply,” said Metzger. “The Housing Action Fund is intended to do just that, providing needed gap funding to help projects pencil out while at the same time encouraging housing solutions that are innovative and energy efficient, which is good for the environment and good for residents’ pocketbooks.”
Following the adoption of the Housing Action Fund legislation, the County Executive and County Legislature appointed members to the Housing Policy and Oversight Committee (HPOC) to oversee its implementation. Committee members include:
• Fawn Tantillo, Chair - Fawn Tantillo served as an Ulster County Legislator from 1993 to 2003. Tantillo also worked as a legislative staff member for Ulster County from 2012 to 2023. She has also been a small landlord and property manager for 15 years and brings this experience to the Committee.
• Susan Blickstein, Vice-Chair - Dr. Blickstein has served as a planning, policy, engagement, and research consultant to municipalities, counties, MPOs, and state agencies for over 30 years. She has served as Director of Planning for two multi-disciplinary planning, transportation, and engineering firms and, since 2007, as the Founding Principal of Susan G. Blickstein LLC (SGB, LLC) since 2007.
• Soham Dhesi, Secretary - Soham is a Senior Investment Office for the Leviticus Fund, a regional nonprofit loan fund (CDFI) founded in 1983 that uses capital to alleviate poverty and improve the economic and social conditions of low-income individuals and families throughout the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area.
• Loriman Rhodell - Lori is a long-time community organizer and housing advocate having worked for the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York, Oglala Sioux Housing Authority, and El Puente de Williamsburg, a community-based organization (CBO) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.