Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Board Unanimously Recommends Code Change to Encourage Affordable Homeownership
Summary
The Yonkers Planning Board on Oct. 8 voted 7‑0 to recommend that the City Council amend the Affordable Housing Ordinance (Chapter 43 Article 15) to create a separate AMI distribution for affordable homeownership units.
The Yonkers Planning Board on Oct. 8 voted unanimously to endorse a City Council referral that would amend Chapter 43 Article 15 of the Yonkers City Code (the Affordable Housing Ordinance, or AHO) to distinguish affordable ownership housing from affordable rental housing and to set different area‑median‑income (AMI) bands for ownership units.
Planning staff explained that the AHO overlay currently applies to several downtown and transit‑oriented zones and has historically been tailored toward rental developments. The proposed local law "changes the AMI distribution required for affordable ownership housing units" so that, under the draft, "100% of the affordable ownership housing units shall be provided to households earning between 80% and 120% of AMI," using the most recently updated HUD AMI figures for Westchester County, the staff report said.
Board members expressed support for distinguishing ownership and rental affordability bands. "I think it's great to see the city streamlining the process to promote affordable housing that's not just rental," board member Miss Forsberg said during the discussion.
The planning board issued a favorable recommendation back to the City Council (motion presented by Mr. Bello), finding the changes consistent with the purposes of the zoning code and the comprehensive plan. The vote was recorded as 7‑0. The City Council will hold its own public hearing and may adopt the local law or modify it in subsequent steps.
