Register NOW for your chance to purchase the most well-designed, affordable homes in Kingston! Our campaign is live, and registrations must be received by November 8, 2023.
All details can be found on our registration page HERE.
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The Kingston City Land Bank (KCLB), the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), and partners are proud to announce that the KCLB is the first organization in New York State anticipated to close on affordable home sales under the New York State Legacy Cities ACCESS Program. This is also the KCLB’s first development partnership with Maeda Construction, a Certified MWBE General Contracting firm based in Staatsburg. Goldstein Hall provided legal counsel to the partnership. Homeownership Counseling services were provided by PathStone Community Improvement of Newburgh.
The KCLB purchased the 4 homes in this project: 29 Rogers Street, 63 German Street, 237 East Union Street, and 169 Hurley Avenue from the City of Kingston for the full price of back taxes. The first 2 properties to be sold—63 German Street and 237 East Union Street—have been fully rehabbed and will soon be sold to first-time homeowners. Each of these 3-bedroom homes will be sold for $194,995. Sales and marketing for the final 2 homes in this project will commence this month.
To fund this work for our community, the Community Preservation Corporation provided $866,661 in financing and New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Housing Trust Fund Corporation provided $600,000 in financing.
Legacy Cities ACCESS is a partnership between New York State Homes and Community Renewal and The Community Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit community development financial institution that focuses on the preservation and creation of affordable and workforce housing across New York. CPC is providing construction financing and technical assistance to the developers through its ACCESS program, an initiative that provides financial resources and capacity-building support to real estate entrepreneurs of color who have historically faced barriers to entry in the development industry.
KCLB’s Board Chair Daniel Kanter said, “We are excited to be the first organization to provide completed, affordable homes under HCR’s amazing new Legacy Cities ACCESS Program. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the City of Kingston and all involved to scale our efforts under this program to provide many more well-designed, affordable homes for current and future residents of our community.”
Maeda Construction Principal Robert Drost said, “This program helps to fulfill a great need in the Mid-Hudson region. Developing these vacant buildings to provide first time, affordable, home ownership will change people’s lives for the better, and we get to be a part of that.”
Goldstein Hall Partner Brian Hsu said, “We would like to congratulate Kingston City Land Bank and Maeda Construction on this innovative and exciting project to create more affordable home ownership opportunities for the City of Kingston.”
Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, ”Our innovative Legacy Cities ACCESS program, in partnership with the Community Preservation Corporation, is providing affordable homeownership opportunities while helping New York’s upstate cities eliminate long-time distressed properties that strain community resources. Congratulations to the two soon-to-be homeowners and all of our partners in reaching this milestone, and I look forward to seeing this program benefit more homebuyers in Kingston and in communities across the state.”
The Community Preservation Corporation President Sadie McKeown, said, “In less than a year these properties have transformed from abandoned eyesores into beautiful high performance, all electric homes that will stabilize the neighborhood and provide first-time homeowners with a place to put down roots and grow their futures. The Legacy Cities ACCESS program shows us the kind of positive change that we can accomplish together when we think cohesively about equitable community development. My thanks to HCR, the Kingston City Land Bank, and Maeda Construction for their commitment to a program that is helping to create more stability, equity, and opportunity in our communities.”
Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “The NYS Legacy Cities ACCESS Program is an incredible pathway to affordable homeownership for first-time buyers and a conduit for building generational equity and wealth for working people. I was proud to secure a historic housing investment to support the creation of Legacy Cities, and to now see four formerly vacant homes transformed and sold to Kingston families marks a tremendous milestone for this first-time program. Expanding access to housing that Hudson Valley families can afford is a top priority, and I commend Kingston City Land Bank and Maeda Construction for their leadership on this project and in helping people who may never have had this opportunity to actualize the dream of homeownership.”
City of Kingston Mayor Steve Noble said, “I congratulate the Kingston City Land Bank on the completion of two new renovations, which will soon mean affordable homeownership for two more families in our community. These homes, which were once vacant and a blite, will now be a vibrant part of the neighborhood. Thanks to the Kingston City Land Bank for their work, and to Governor Hochul for the State’s LCAP program, I look forward to seeing community members thrive in their new homes.”
City of Kingston Ward 9 Alder Michelle Hirsch said, “The Kingston City Land Bank’s ability to access funding from the newly created New York Legacy Access Program is a welcome development in getting Kingston families into homes that have been vacant and abandoned for far too long. This program will help revitalize our neighborhoods while bringing home affordability to the City of Kingston.
We are happy to announce the sale of this property to a first-time homebuyer and local small business owner. The purchaser plans to file for a building permit tomorrow and invest heavily in a full rebuild of the property.
24 Hamilton and 108-110 Henry were both part of a public RFP in 2021, and after years of work in partnership with our community they are both back on the City’s tax rolls!
Help us continue to fulfill our mission of placing vacant and abandoned properties back on the tax rolls while providing a City for All! The KCLB actively works to create affordable, first-time homebuyer opportunities in the City of Kingston and placing properties back on the City’s tax rolls. We currently have five homes under construction and many more in the pipeline.
Board members play an integral role in the organization’s success. This includes working with staff members on community engagement, financial oversight, acquiring/selling properties, construction, design, fundraising, and much more. You don’t need to have expertise in any of these areas…only a keen interest in getting involved! .
In order for the KCLB to have the greatest impact on those we serve, the diversity of the community must be reflected in every aspect of our organization. The KCLB is committed to continued integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work.
Board members must be current residents of the City of Kingston. For a full description of Board member duties and responsibilities, and to apply, see: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewFmmXFf-ijjbs92xl098Dqllcy6ziI1Dm8yka32dktcKbIQ/viewform
We are pleased to announce that New York State Housing and Community Renewal and Housing Trust Fund Corporation has awarded the KCLB $1.8MM for our pipeline of new projects. Following the recent passage of the City’s Disposition policy, we are able to pursue acquisition of additional properties from the City of Kingston.
This generous award under the State’s Land Bank Initiative program is our largest single grant award to date…we are truly humbled and honored for this trust in our work!
The Kingston City Land Bank is pleased to announce it has closed on the purchase of 3 single-family homes! 38 Chapel Street, 488 Hasbrouck Avenue and 52 Grand Street were purchased from the City of Kingston, who foreclosed on the properties for unpaid real estate taxes.
These are the same properties we asked for your outreach to the Common Council on…you asked, and we will deliver!
Stay tuned for more updates as we move forward with our work to return these properties to the tax rolls and to create additional opportunities for affordable homeownership.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kingston, NY – The Kingston City Land Bank (KCLB) is pleased to announce the opportunity to purchase two fully renovated, affordable single-family homes located at 237 E. Union Street and 63 German Street. These 3-bedroom homes are currently undergoing extensive renovations, including energy efficiency upgrades and new windows, kitchens, bathrooms and heating/cooling systems. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2023.
These two homes are part of New York State’s Legacy Cities ACCESS Program. Both homes were formerly vacant properties foreclosed on by the City and purchased by the KCLB for the full price of back taxes.
“As the first organization to utilize the Legacy Cities ACCESS program, we are excited to offer these beautifully renovated homes to the community at an affordable price,” says Bob Dennison, Chair of the KCLB’s Acquisition, Disposition and Construction Committee. “We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to own a home, and we are committed to making that dream a reality for as many people in our community as possible. We also recognize and appreciate the legislature and Governor for creating this amazing program.”
“For two years the KCLB has worked faithfully towards this moment: the opportunity to offer two wonderful homes for sale below market-rate,” says Aron Chilewich, Chair of the KCLB’s Communications and Fundraising Committee. “We look forward to spreading the word of our marketing campaign to prospective buyers and, later this year, to proudly handing over the keys to the homes’ new owners.”
“We congratulate the Kingston City Land Bank on moving swiftly to implement their recently announced Legacy Cities Access grant, and thank the NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal for continuing to invest in Kingston,” says Kingston Mayor Steve Noble. “I am so pleased to see the Land Bank work so diligently to transform these formerly vacant houses into beautiful homes and look forward to seeing them sold to first-time homebuyers from the community.”
“This is a golden opportunity,” says Alderman Steve Schabot, Alderman for Ward 8. “In my district and our City, owning an affordable home has become increasingly difficult. I look forward to seeing these properties returned to productive use for our community.”
Homes are available to first-time homebuyers, and each home will have a maximum cash purchase price of $194,995.* Homeownership Counseling will be provided by PathStone of Newburgh. The homes will be sold through a lottery system, and the application period will end on March 18, 2023. First-time homebuyers interested in learning more about the opportunity and starting an application can begin the process by visiting KCLB.org/homes.
Click HERE for our public notice flyer in English and Spanish. Click HERE for our planned finishes, floor plans and historical photos!
*Cash Purchase Price is dependent on numerous factors including but not limited to final interest rate, NYS HCR down payment assistance, and additional subsidies, and including enforcement debt, based on credit and due diligence factors and all subject to qualifications and availability.
**Income limits set using 2022 Area Median Income figures for Ulster County
The Kingston City Land Bank was formed in collaboration with the City of Kingston for the purpose of acquiring title to tax-foreclosed and other distressed properties, removing barriers to redevelopment, and returning properties to the tax rolls. Our mission is to foster an equitable community where vacant or distressed properties are transformed into community assets that improve the quality of life for Kingston residents, stabilize and enhance neighborhoods, and create new pathways for social and economic development.
For more information about the KCLB and to join our mailing list for updates, visit KCLB.org and follow us on Instagram at @kingstoncitylandbank
We are thrilled to announce the success of its 2022 Fundraising Campaign! Your generosity helped us exceed our goal of raising $20,000…thank you!
These funds will be used to reduce the sales cost of future homes, improve the quality of the finish details in homes currently under construction, and expand our capacity to better meet the affordable homeownership needs of the City of Kingston.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from the community of supporters,” says Aron Chilewich, Chair of the KCLB’s Communications, Community Engagement and Fundraising Committee. “Thanks to your generosity, we will be able to continue our work to provide the most well-designed, affordable homes for our community.”
Dear Friends of the Kingston City Land Bank,
As you take stock of this whirlwind year and celebrate with your friends and family, please consider contributing to our holiday fundraiser. We think we’ve done a lot in 2022, but with your help we can accomplish even more in the year ahead.
In the past twelve months, we:
- Sold 149 Greenkill, the 4th home in our 5-home pilot, to a family who had previously been pushed out of their Kingston community by rising rents;
- Partnered with a new MWBE contractor on 124 Franklin, the final home in our 5-home pilot;
- Were the first organization in New York State to close on construction financing for 4 additional affordable homes through the State’s Legacy Cities ACCESS Program;
- Hired a Development Project Manager to manage our real estate pipeline and secure funding for new affordable housing opportunities;
- Collaborated with the City of Kingston on a new property disposition policy for the City that would, if passed, ensure that the City’s future surplus property supports affordable housing in Kingston;
- As a member of the New York Land Bank Association, we successfully advocated for a new $50 million program for New York State land banks;
- Were awarded $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding under the City of Kingston’s Economic Recovery Plan;
- Redesigned our logo and visual identity to improve our messaging in Kingston and beyond;
- Welcomed multiple new board members;
- And much more!
As we grow, it’s important we remember that we do this work for the individual families whose lives are measurably improved by safe and affordable homes. With your help, we can reach more families–improving their lives and bringing a measure of stability to our ever-evolving city.
Yours,
The KCLB Staff and Board
