Homeowners in Pine Plains, Stanford, and eight other Dutchess County municipalities can now apply for up to $125,000 in state grant funding to create or upgrade an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on their property.
The funding comes through the Plus One ADU Program, administered locally by Hudson River Housing. The program is aimed at addressing the region’s housing crisis by supporting the development of small residential units — backyard cottages, garage apartments, and in-law suites — that can house family members, renters, or caregivers.
“We’re really excited to be able to administer this program,” said Jordan Shinella, Community Development Manager at Hudson River Housing. “There’s a lot of lessons that have been learned by previous communities… so we’re able to distribute these funds, hopefully, and award residents quicker and easier.”
Announced in February the award brings a combined total of $6 million to homeowners whose primary residence is in one of the participating municipalities: Pine Plains, Stanford, Amenia, Beacon, Clinton, Northeast, Pleasant Valley, Poughkeepsie (Town), Rhinebeck (Village), and Union Vale.
To be eligible, applicants must live in a one- to four-unit home, commit to using the ADU for long-term housing rather than short-term or vacation rentals, and fall under income thresholds — ranging up to $103,300 for a one-person household and $194,500 for an eight-person household.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Pine Plains Town Board member Jeanine Sisco, who advocated for the town’s participation. “I think it will create affordable housing for people and it’ll help residents remain in Pine Plains who want to remain in Pine Plains.
“Is it going to solve affordable housing in Pine Plains? No. It’s gonna help, though.”
Sisco noted that the income threshold was recently raised from no more than 100% of the median income to no more than 120% which could make more homeowners eligible.
As of late June, four Pine Plains residents had submitted interest forms for the program. “That’s not to say that there won’t be more people that are interested, and I’m hoping that there are,” Sisco added.
The potential uses of ADUs are varied. “It can be a standalone [structure] on someone’s property, it can be a renovation of say a garage or a barn… or it can be an existing structure that is not a legal accessory dwelling unit but needs some renovation in order to come up to code,” Sisco explained.
She also sees potential benefits for the town’s farmers. I know that it’s very challenging for them to find housing for their employees,” she said. “Certainly they can take advantage of this and build homes maybe on their existing property that could then be rented to their workers.”
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, starting with residents who previously filled out an interest form. According to Shinella, 184 homeowners expressed interest across the participating towns, and 19 full applications have already been submitted since the portal opened on Monday, July 14.
Sisco said Pine Plains is well-positioned to take full advantage of the program: “We’ve had the accessory dwelling unit written into our zoning for quite some time… We also passed a resolution will on a graduated scale over 10 years exempt the property owner from having to pay increased taxes because they have another dwelling on their property.”
Shinella Hudson River Housing will host a dedicate information session in Pine Plains, though a date has not yet been announced.
Homeowners can begin the application process by completing a pre-screening form. Those with questions are encouraged to email plusoneadu@hudsonriverhousing.org.