By Jolie Milstein and Kevin O’Connor
Kingston finds itself caught up in intense housing debates about rent stabilization, rent rollbacks, and land use – a conversation many residents likely welcome in the face of a worsening affordability crisis in the region.
As the discussion progresses, however, Kingston’s leaders, advocates, and elected officials need to find a real long-term solution to address an affordable housing shortage. Even if Kingston implements tenant protections, we will continue to leave our community’s most vulnerable at risk of rent instability or homelessness without meaningful efforts to produce more housing.
Fortunately, the citywide zoning amendment currently being considered by the Kingston City Council is a commonsense plan that represents the best zoning and planning practices from comparable cities across America. It is the long-term solution we need right now, and it should be adopted as soon as possible.
The need is clear and continuing to escalate. The median rent for a one-bedroom in Ulster County increased by 27% between 2016 and 2020, while two-bedroom apartments went up 48% during the same time period. These figures are almost surely worse since the pandemic altered market conditions, and they mirror statewide needs stemming from job creation far outpacing housing production.
The simple takeaway, which will be familiar to anyone who has sought to find a home in Kingston lately, is that there are not enough housing options right now. And that’s because of intentional policy decisions that Kingston, and other cities and towns across New York, have made for years.
The proposed zoning amendment would change that framework.
The land use changes will remove the artificial limits on multifamily housing production, which will allow Kingston to produce housing at the scale needed to serve its residents and encourage a greater variety of housing options. The text will also abolish all parking requirements for new housing. Parking mandates increase the cost of each unit by $40,000-$125,000 per space and drive up the cost of housing, misuse available property space, and make neighborhoods less walkable for residents.
Zoning amendments will also emphasize property rights by allowing homeowners to include accessory dwelling units on their property. This effort, strongly supported by the AARP, will help seniors age in place with intergenerational support.
These policies are supported by the latest empirical research, which demonstrates that building more housing lowers rents immediately adjacent to the property and in the surrounding region. In other words, it benefits the entire community.
Residents wondering what sort of future this will unlock for Kingston need look no further than Energy Square in Midtown. The property, which opened in 2020, was the first net-zero for living affordable housing property in upstate New York, providing homes to 56 mixed-income households, as well as 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and community services that house two community-based arts programs, the Center for Creative Education (CCE), and The D.R.A.W.
A combination of residential, commercial, and civic resources, Energy Square, is an example of how allowing affordable housing production will create opportunities for Kingston’s residents. If the recent zoning amendments are passed, developments like Energy Square can be replicated in our city and contribute to a more sustainable, affordable future.
What’s more, the zoning amendment will proactively bring Kingston into compliance with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed Housing Compact, which would require upstate localities to reach a 1% housing growth target growth rate over three years. This citywide zoning amendment will get us ahead of the curve, rather than reacting to the new requirements as they come in – and show that Kingston is a true leader on housing affordability.
That is what is currently on the table in Kingston. The way forward is clear – now, we just need to take the final step to unlock a safer, greener, and more affordable future for our great city.
Jolie Milstein is president and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing. Kevin O’Connor is the chief executive at RUPCO, a Kingston-based affordable housing developer.
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