AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS
The City of Poughkeepsie has a severe housing affordability crisis and an ever-growing homelessness problem. The majority of city of Poughkeepsie households are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. One in three renters are spending more than 50% of their income on housing. Over half of the new housing units in Poughkeepsie are market rate.
Stabilizing housing will be a major priority under my administration. We can no longer expect developers to build affordable housing units. We will need a city-wide comprehensive housing plan that incentivizes developers and non-profits to build affordable housing units and address the chronic homelessness problem.
Some of the research work has been conducted. Pattern for Progress (regional non-profit organization) detailed housing report concluded with several recommendations such as: better building code enforcement, mandatory inclusionary zoning, establishing a well-funded land trust, and exploring opportunity zone investments.
Solutions/Recommendations
- Explore re-zoning to allow for mixed-use development and multi-family housing that doesn’t overburden or drastically change the beauty and fabric of existing neighborhoods.
- Invite community input along every step of the way to make sure we are making community decisions equitably.
- Unlock the potential of vacant lots long considered too small or irregular for traditional housing stock with innovative smaller homes.
- Use some CDBG funds to create a loan lending program that will finance some of the repairs of dilapidated housing units. Require a portion of the new housing developed to be permanently affordable to low- or moderate-income households.
- Create and develop simplistic and flexible incentives to preserve long-term affordability.
- Continue to work with Community Housing partners such as DC Habitat for Humanity and Hudson River Housing, who specialize in helping first-generation homebuyers and low-wealth families on the path to homeownership. Help fund a “Down Payment for First-time Homebuyers initiative Program”.