7 Hudson Valley Communities Receive Pro-Housing Certification From NYS

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Communities that are actively working to unlock their housing potential have been recognized by New York as “Pro-Housing Communities.”

Twenty communities, including seven in the Mid-Hudson Region, received Pro-Housing certification that will give them priority over others for up to $650 million in state discretionary funding.

The communities in the Mid-Hudson Region are:

• Village of Croton-on-Hudson
• City of Kingston
• City of New Rochelle
• City of Newburgh
• City of Poughkeepsie
• Town of Red Hook
• City of White Plains

The other communities include Binghamton, Mineola, New Lebanon, Plattsburgh and Pulaski.

Governor Kathy Hochul said these 20 communities, and more than 60 that have started their applications, are taking a stand to build a better, more prosperous and more affordable future for New York.

“The only way to solve the housing crisis is to build hundreds of thousands of new homes,” she said, “and through the Pro-Housing Communities program, my administration is continuing to put its full-fledged support, including up to $650 million, behind communities that are serious about housing growth.”

The Pro-Housing Community Program was established in 2023 in order to recognize and reward municipalities actively working to unlock their housing potential and encourage others to follow suit.

Localities that have successfully unlocked housing growth or committed to taking important steps to support housing, such as by streamlining permitting and adopting pro-housing policies, and that have applied and submitted critical housing and zoning data to the state, will receive a certification from New York State Home and Community Renewal that will make them eligible for the discretionary funding.

Mayor Yvonne Flowers of the city of Poughkeepsie said in an email that the city welcomes the pro-housing designation and stands ready to partner with the state to increase housing stock in Poughkeepsie.

“The city is committed to blasting past the barriers holding us back from achieving this milestone collaboratively with our neighbors throughout the Hudson Valley and through innovative policies that Governor Hochul and her administration are initiating,” she said.

“There is clearly a housing shortage that must be addressed through various means, and the governor is providing us with a sound road map for the city to obtain more resources and support to achieve this essential goal,” Flowers said.

White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach said in a phone interview that the city has been trying to do its part in dealing with the housing crisis.

He said that people living and working downtown are the reasons Mamaroneck Avenue is thriving.

Roach said that the key to the success of White Plains is access to public transportation.

“We are the hub of the (Bee-Line) buses and we have two train stations,” he said.

“They are vital to building housing,” Roach said.

New Rochelle City Manager Kathleen Gill said in a statement to Patch that it was an honor for the city to be recognized by the governor as one of the first Pro-Housing Communities.

“For nine years, New Rochelle has led robust efforts to incentivize the development of affordable, transit-oriented housing, bringing online nearly 3,900 apartment units to revitalize the downtown community,” she said. “We commend the governor for her commitment to increasing affordable housing throughout the state and are eager to continue working together to create more opportunities within the city.”