FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 10, 2023

Mayor Noble Launches Residential Rehab Program

for Uptown/Stockade Business District Residences

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston will launch a Residential Rehabilitation Program to provide grants of up to $40,000 to income-eligible owners of residential properties in the Uptown Stockade Business District.

With $247,500 in funding from the City of Kingston’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, the Residential Rehabilitation Program will assist eligible residential property owners in making minor to substantial repairs to resolve building code violations, address health and safety hazards, and make necessary structural improvements. The eligible area is bounded by the Esopus Creek and Route I-587 to the north and east, St. James Street to the south, and Washington Avenue and Dietz Stadium to the west. View the Uptown Stockade Business District boundary map here.

“I’m proud that a portion of Kingston’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative funds will be used to address housing issues in the Stockade Business district,” said Mayor Noble. “I encourage eligible property owners that need to perform necessary rehabilitation activities, especially those that will resolve health and safety hazards, to apply for this grant program.”

Program Requirements:

• Award Amount: A min of $20,000 and a max. of $40,000 will be available to each property owner.

• Match Requirement: Awardees must contribute a minimum of 25% of the project total. Match may be through monetary investment or as evidenced by eligible expenses of more than $500 for building improvements made within the twelve months prior to application submission date.

• Eligible Applicants: Grants will be available to 1.) Owner-occupied: Homeowner must be at or below 100% AMI ($112,400 for a family of four), or 2.) for non-owner occupied units, rent must be made affordable to tenants who households are at or below 80% AMI. See chart here.

• Eligible use of funds: minor to substantial repairs to resolve building code violations, address health and safety hazards, and/or to make necessary structural improvements.

• Ineligible uses of funds: acquisition costs; new construction (including in-fill buildings); improvements to structures owned by religious or private membership-based organizations; or improvements to municipally owned and municipally operated buildings; furnishings, appliances, electronics, tools, disposable supplies, business equipment, and non-permanent fixtures. Funds may not be used for site work or ancillary activities on a property including but not limited to: septic systems/laterals, grading, parking lots, sidewalks, patios, new deck construction, garages, sheds, landscaping, fences, free standing signs, general maintenance or repairs.

• Form of Grant/Compliance Period: The value of the work funded by DRI Small Grants program will be provided to the property owner in the form of a forgivable grant; it will be forgiven, so long as the recipient remains the property owner for at least three years.

• Disbursement Procedures: Funds will not be provided in advance. Once the project reaches substantial completion, the City will conduct an inspection to ensure work has been completed according to program requirements.

• Environmental Testing: Prior to the start of each rehabilitation, the property will be tested for potential environmental hazards.

The grant program will be administered by the City of Kingston’s Office of Housing Initiatives in partnership with the Grants Management Department. Applicants who are unsure if their property falls within the Uptown Stockade Business District boundary, email [email protected] with the residential address.

The deadline to apply is September 6, 2023, at 2:00pm. For more information, including how to calculate project cost, grant amount request and match amount, please visit www.engagekingston.com/dri-residential-rehab.