Friday, March 18, 2022

Greenburgh Insider: Greenburgh may expand workforce/affordable housing requirement to single family homes.

 


10% of multifamily housing developments are required to be affordable. Town Board considering legislation to require single family housing developments to also have workforce housing (link to discussions below).

GREENBURGH TOWN BOARD BOARD TO CONSIDER EXPANDING REQUIREMENTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO SINGLE FAMILY HOME DEVELOPMENTS.

 

Currently, multi family developments require 10% affordability --but law does not apply to single family home  developments.



 



At the March 15 work session of the Greenburgh Town Board, the Board discussed with Planning Commissioner Garrett Duquesne the possibility of the Town Board enacting legislation  expanding town law to  require a percentage of future single family home developments  to be affordable workforce housing.  This would only apply to new single family home developments.   The legislation, if adopted, would  be modelled on legislation the Town Board approved  close to thirty years ago requiring 10% of new multi family housing to be affordable rates. Greenburgh was the first community in the state to have a 10% affordable requirement for multifamily housing. But, the current  law doesn't apply to single family developments..  


Workforce housing typically costs  homeowners about $260,000. Those eligible to move in would have  family incomes of around $90,000. Workforce housing is needed for municipal employees, police, firefighters, teachers. 


 

You can watch the full discussion of the March 15th work session of the Town Board here: https://greenburghny.new.swagit.com/videos/156688


 

Planning Commissioner Garrett Duquesne advised that the Board that he will spend the next few months researching options for the Board to consider so we can increase affordable workforce housing in town.  One issue to be considered: If there is a large development of very expensive homes a payment in lieu option could be included in the legislation. This money could provide for more affordable options elsewhere.  The Town Board also is considering increasing the percentage of workforce/affordable housing in developments from the current 10%. Yonkers requires 12% of multifamily housing developments to be affordable.  



At a previous public hearing on a development proposal  civic leaders from different neighborhoods around the town  asked the Town Board to expand our law to require large single family home developments to comply with the same requirements as town house developments. The link to that discussion can be found here:   

https://youtu.be/GdmIOZcZ-RY


Your feedback is welcome and encouraged. E mail townboard@greenburghny.com with your thoughts.


PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

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