WMCHealth Network Awards RUPCO $1.3 Million For Home Rehabilitation Project in the City of Kingston

KINGSTON, NY – Building on its successes as a catalyst for economic development throughout the Hudson Valley, the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) has granted $1.3 million to RUPCO to advance the Home Regen Project. Short for Regeneration, the project scope includes the rehabilitation of 10 vacant homes in the City of Kingston, which are expected to create homeownership opportunities for low-moderate income first-time homebuyers earning 60% – 80% of the Area Median Income.

These housing funds originated as proceeds from a sale of property within the Bon Secours      Health System, and the WMCHealth Network through its member, Bon Secours Charity Health System, had discretion to direct the use of these funds within its Hudson Valley footprint. WMCHealth and RUPCO worked with the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development to direct the release of these proceeds, which will support the creation of low-income housing in Kingston, home to WMCHealth’s HealthAlliance Hospital. The properties to be rehabilitated by RUPCO were acquired from the City of Kingston, an essential partner in this important community redevelopment project.

The buildings included in the program in Kingston are located at 232 Elmendorf St., 33 & 44 Franklin St., 54 Van Deusen St., 3 Tenbroeck Ave., 22 Staples St., 98 Downs St., 50 Crane St., 89 Newkirk Ave, 112 Hone St.  The homes are a mix of single-family and multi-family houses that will undergo complete gut renovations to be transformed into highly energy-efficient homes, using passive house design principles. RUPCO has begun remediation work on two properties and anticipates that all the homes will be completed and sold by the end of 2024.

The project is also receiving funds in the amount of $500,000 from the NoVo Foundation, and amounts to be determined from the City of Kingston and New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Furthermore, RUPCO has partnered with Ulster YouthBuild – a job training educational, leadership, and community development program for out-of-school low-income young adults – for the rehabilitation of 50 Crane St.

“We are grateful for the partnership with WMCHealth to jumpstart this project in Kingston,” said Kevin O’Connor, CEO of RUPCO. “When WMCHealth had the opportunity to access these funds, which resulted from a sale of property by its member, Bon Secours, they sought RUPCO out as a housing partner to brainstorm project ideas in Kingston. We were fortunate to have an opportunity in partnership with the City of Kingston to eliminate blight and create affordable homeownership with these funds.”

“We are pleased to be able to partner with a tremendous organization like RUPCO, and provide critical funding to support the advancement of this important project for Kingston residents,” said Josh Ratner, WMCHealth Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer. “Homeownership can be a challenge for many members of our communities, especially for first-time home buyers, and this project will help pave a path to homeownership, and serve as an important investment in this growing community.”

“We are delighted to have been in the position to reinvest these funds into the community by making a significant financial contribution to RUPCO,” said Mary Leahy, MD, MHA, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System. “These resources will help advance an important redevelopment project from which Hudson Valley families will benefit directly, through the creation of affordable housing opportunities.”

“The City of Kingston had a large number of foreclosed or vacant properties, and we were happy to partner with RUPCO to create homes for lower income first-time homebuyers while also contributing to the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhoods,” said City of Kingston Mayor, Steve Noble. “The City’s Department of Housing Initiatives has been working on the properties at 33 and 44 Franklin Street and 54 Van Deusen Street to prepare them for renovation, and with RUPCO’s help we will soon be able to get families in these homes and back into the community.”

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About RUPCO
RUPCO creates homes, supports people, and improves communities across a broad spectrum of community development solutions, including housing, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization in the Hudson Valley. RUPCO creates and maintains quality, sustainable housing and rental opportunities, inspires understanding and acceptance of affordable housing initiatives, and champions pathways to opportunity. For more information, visit www.rupco.org.

About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with nine hospitals on seven campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 13,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. The Network has Level I (adult and pediatric), Level II and Level III trauma centers, the region’s only acute care children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, home-care services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today, WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated health care in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org or follow WMCHealth on Facebook.com/WMCHealth or Instagram.com/WMCHealth.

In the About the City of Kingston section
Mayor Noble established the Department of Housing Initiatives in 2018 to support housing planning in the City of Kingston. The Department manages housing-related grants, supports 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. Current projects include city-wide rezoning efforts, the Tiny Homes Project, Good Cause Eviction, short-term rental guidelines and more. Visit https://kingston-ny.gov/housing.