The Department of Housing Initiatives supports housing planning in the City of Kingston. The Department manages housing-related grants and local incentives for housing, works directly with housing providers to support 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. The Department Head is also the City's of Kingston's Fair Housing Officer.
The City of Kingston is a proud member of the Ulster County Housing Smart Communities Initiative and part of the the Ulster County Continuum of Care. The Office of Housing Initiatives also manages a City of Kingston Housing Task Force and a Zoning Working Group.
The City of Kingston is a certified "Pro-Housing Community" by New York State.
Upcoming Housing-Related Public Events & News
Kingston Homeshare: Managed by Family of Woodstock, the Kingston Homeshare Program is now live. The HomeShare program is now accepting applications for the Kingston service area. For more information and to obtain an application, please contact: [email protected] or call 845-331-7080 ext. 162 or visit the Family of Woodstock website.
Emergency Tenant Protection Act: On July 28, 2022, the Common Council of the City Kingston passed Resolution 144 of 2022 to declare a housing emergency. That Resolution, based on a careful study of local housing conditions, allows Kingston to opt into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). Mayor Steve Noble signed the legislation on July 29, 2022. The effective date of this legislation is August 1, 2022. For the City's ETPA tenant information hub on Engage Kingston to learn about your rights under this legislation, click here. If you are a tenant or owner, you can also visit DHCR's rent connect website (https://rent.hcr.ny.gov/RentConnect/Welcome) for all relevant forms and documentation.
Good Cause Eviction: Good Cause Eviction is now in effect in the City of Kingston. For more information about this local law, reference this fact sheet.
Active Housing Projects on Engage Kingston
Kingston Forward: Citywide Rezoning
City of Kingston Surplus Properties
Public Mixed-Income Housing Development Model
Emergency Tenant Protection Act Information Hub
ARPA Affordable Housing Fund
Say Yes to ADUs! Accessory Dwelling Design Competition
Midtown Thriving: Brownfield Opportunity Area Grant
City of Kingston Right to Counsel Program (access to free legal services)
Kingston Business Park Redevelopment
Relevant Plans
A Plan for Redevelopment: The City of Kingston’s Vacant and Abandoned Properties
Kingston 2025 Comprehensive Plan
Fact Sheets & Housing Resources
Kingston Forward Development Guide - This handbook summarizes how to use the City's new form-based zoning code. For more information and many more resources, visit: https://engagekingston.com/kingston-forward
Short-term rental regulations in the City of Kingston - This fact sheet outlines the regulations for short-term rentals in the City of Kingston under the form-based zoning code. The online registration link is: https://cityofkingston.munirevs.com
Do you have a complaint related to short-term rental activity? You can submit it here. (Make sure to select City of Kingston, NY under the jurisdiction)
Good Cause Eviction - This fact sheet describes the Good Cause Eviction Law in Kingston, signed into Law on July 12, 2024. The law provides guidance for applicable landlords on the items that are considered "good cause" for eviction and sets guidelines for "reasonable" rent increases. See also the full Good Cause Eviction New York State statute here.
The City of Kingston's Right to Counsel Program - Are you facing an eviction in court? Do you need help exercising your housing rights? The City of Kingston's Right to Counsel Program can help.
Landlord-Tenant Housing Mediation Program - This fact sheet provides information on the Landlord-Tenant Housing Mediation Program. This program provides free, confidential mediation from a trained mediator that can help resolve your conflict without having to go to housing court. To get started, fill out an intake form or call the DRC at (845) 372-8771 x 5001 to reach Jolynn Dunn.
Emergency Tenant Protection Act in Kingston, New York - On July 28, 2022, the Common Council of the City Kingston passed Resolution 144 of 2022 to declare a housing emergency. This fact sheet gives information on the implementation of ETPA in Kingston and contains a list of properties covered by ETPA.
Residential Tenants' Rights Guide - This guide from the Attorney General's Office summarizes renter's rights and protections under New York State Law. If you need legal help for a housing issue, find out how to access the City of Kingston's Right to Counsel program here.
City of Kingston Disposition Policy - The City of Kingston follow this property for selling surplus property.
Looking for the latest statistics on homelessness in the City of Kingston/Ulster County? See the interactive map from the National Alliance to End Homelessness here. Then, click on Ulster County.
City of Kingston Form-Based Zoning Code
As of August 2, 2023, the citywide form-based zoning code is in effect. The code is designed to make it easier to develop in Kingston while protecting the City's unique assets. For more details, resources, a development guide and the latest updates, visit https://engagekingston.com/kingston-forward.
The Zoning Working Group tracks the implementation and impacts of the Kingston Forward Form-Based Code and will periodically suggest any changes to the Common Council. The zoning working group will ensure that the zoning code meets the intent & purpose of the form-based code as defined in Section 402.1 B d and relevant sections of the City of Kingston's comprehensive plan. For more information, visit: https://kingston-ny.gov/zoningworkinggroup.
Affordable Housing Under the Form-Based Zoning Code
The City of Kingston’s zoning code, Kingston Forward, requires reduced-rent units for housing developments that have 7 or more units. Projects with 7-19 units require affordable units (rented for no greater than 30% of 80% AMI) and projects with 20 or more units require both affordable and workforce units (rented for no greater than 30% of 120% AMI).
Form-Based Code Affordable Housing Requirements
Affordable and Workforce Housing 2025 Rents and Utility Allowances
Tenant Income Certification Form
Owner's Certification of Continuing Program Compliance
Instructions for Completing Tenant Income Certification
Payment in Lieu of Providing Affordable Housing - Common Council Criteria
City of Kingston Municipal Preference Policy
The purpose of the municipal preference policy is to prevent displacement from the City of Kingston by ensuring that current residents and former residents of the City have priority access to affordable housing opportunities and therefore have a better chance of living in the City. To read how housing providers in the City of Kingston could adopt a preference policy for City of Kingston residents, see here. Please contact the Office of Housing Initiatives for additional guidance.
Accessory Dwelling Units in the City of Kingston
Accessory dwelling units in the City of Kingston are legal citywide under the City's recently adopted form-based code. The City held an accessory dwelling unit design competition in 2023, see here. Pre-approved construction sets for the winning design by DEMO Architecture are now available for use, free of charge.
Kingston has adopted two tax incentive programs to encourage the development of ADUs in the City. For more information, contact the City Assessor. These are:
Kingston Water Department Accessory Dwelling Unit Guidance
421-P Legislation
Under Local Law 7 of 2024, the City of Kingston has opted into the 421-P Tax Exemption for New Multifamily housing, allowing the City to exempt newly constructed or converted rentals properties with multiple dwelling units from taxation and ad valorem levies. To qualify for tax exemption, the new structure must have 10 or more rental units and have been built on vacant or underutilized land. Further, at least 25% of the units in the structure must be affordable to households between 60-80% AMI, and none of these affordable units may have households with more than 100% AMI. Qualifying properties receive a full exemption during construction (up to 3-years) and an additional 25-year period of decreasing exemptions for the improvements made (beginning with a 96% exemption in the first year after construction, and then decreasing by 4% year thereafter). For more information, see the full statute here.
421-P Application (Instructions can be found here)
Short-Term Rentals in the City of Kingston
Short-term rental regulations in the City of Kingston - This fact sheet outlines the regulations for short-term rentals in the City of Kingston under the form-based zoning code. The online registration link is: https://cityofkingston.munirevs.com
Do you have a complaint related to short-term rental activity? You can submit it here. (Make sure to select City of Kingston, NY under the jurisdiction)
The list of registered short-term rentals can be found here. (updated quarterly)
Contact Information
Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives
(845) 334-3928
[email protected]