So you’re looking to build a backyard cottage? Or separate a unit within your own home?
RUPCO can help! The Plus One Home Program provides funds to assist Ulster County low-moderate income property owners with grants of up to $125,000 to construct or rehab code-compliant Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU).
All applicants must comply with the income limits below, and if selected, property owners must agree to not uses units as short-term rentals and keep rents at an affordable rate for a minimum of 10 years
Household Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Maximum Annual Income $78,700 $89,900 $101,200 $112,400 $121,400 $130,400 $139,400
Other terms and conditions may apply.
To apply:
All applications must be completed, signed, and mailed or dropped at 301 Fair Street, Kingston. NY 12401. No faxed or e-mailed applications will be accepted. Application window will end on September 22, 2023 at 4:00 pm
Applications received by September 8th (original deadline) will be given the opportunity to enhance their application before the review process.
Application Criteria and Scoring Process
Applicants must meet all these criteria to be considered for the grant:
Zoning
Building and Setbacks
Household Eligibility and Demonstrated Need
Geographic Selection
To ensure that grant funding is distributed relatively evenly throughout the County, applicants will be divided, based on their address, into four geographic locations in the County. The 3-4 top scoring applicants from each geographic area will be awarded the grants. In the case of a tie, a randomized lottery will be held to choose the winning applicants. Included below are the geographies based on municipal boundaries:
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Questions
Sandy Altomare
saltomare@rupco.org
845-331-9860 x
303
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Important Dates
September 22, 2023:
Application window
closes at 4pm
September 8, 2023:
Applications received by September 8th (original deadline) will be given the opportunity to enhance their application before the review process.
July 20, 2023:
Applications become
available
July 13, 2023 at 6 PM
Yes to ADU! Panel &
Information Session
at Hudson River
Maritime
Museum Barn
50 Rondout Landing
Kingston, NY 12401
View Recording
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Additional Resources
Find your
parcel & its
zoning in
the County
Information
on Kingston
Forward
Rezoning
Say Yes to
ADUs!
Accessory
Dwelling
Design
Competition
Applicant Supplemental Scoring
All applicants that meet the Minimum Criteria will then be scored based on the feasibility and cost of constructing an ADU on their property as well as their narrative description about their intended use for the property. Applicants can receive a total of 50 points. See application for details.
Project Narrative (2-10 Points)
The applicants will provide a narrative of their vision for the ADU and about the specific need the grant and supplemental income would fill. This will be the only subjective scoring criteria for the application where Selection Committee representatives will score based on:
Description of Envisioned Project (1-5 Points)
The applicant should provide a written narrative (500-word max) of their vision for the use of the ADU (e.g., providing an affordable rental property, providing needed student housing, helping current or formerly unhoused persons). The applicant should include a description of how their proposed ADU project is both feasible and using grant funding cost-effectively (i.e., units that could be built under the $125,000 limit or for much less).
Specific Need (1-5 Points)
The homeowner should provide a written narrative (500-word max) about the specific need the grant and supplemental income from the ADU would fill for them.
Water and Sewer (5-10 Points)
Projects that are located near public transportation (5 Points)
Projects eligible for a real estate tax exemption (5 points)
Additional Affordability (20 Points)
The maximum allowable rents for the ADU affordability period (ten years) is 30% of monthly income for a household making up to 80% of Ulster County AMI. See table below for maximum rental amounts. If the homeowner commits to targeting a lower income bracket (i.e., 30% of monthly income for a household making 60% of AMI households or lower), they will be granted 20 points.
A large cost of an ADU, particularly a detached one like a small structure in your backyard, can be utility hookups. If you have a septic tank, you need to make sure you know where it is and what capacity it has. You’ll also need to connect to existing water and electric lines.
To build an ADU, you’ll need to understand what zone or transect (City of Kingston) you are in, what setbacks apply to your lot, and what type of building type you already have on your site. You can find your zoning at the Ulster County parcel-viewer, your Town land use plan, or the Engage Kingston, Kingston Forward site.
Some of the things you need to consider in your budget are site work (landscape, excavation, utility hookup), construction and design fees (permits, drawings, architects, contractor), material costs (the actual materials). Make sure to include an extra buffer as a contingency. You should think about how you plan to use the ADU and if you will be receiving any income to offset these costs, as well as budget for regular maintenance.
ADUs provide another living unit on your property. You can use this for extended family
or rent it out to any resident. ADUs may not be used as short term rentals in the City of
Kingston. Based on your decision, you’ll need to think about what it takes to be a landlord
and the responsibilities and costs associated with that (advertising the property, legal
paperwork, liabilities, property management and maintenance, etc.).
The term accessory dwelling unit (ADU) refers to all forms of additional units on residential properties and may be either attached (internal) to the primary residence (e.g., basement apartment) or detached (external) from the primary residence (e.g., garage conversion, cottage).