KINGSTON – The City of Kingston has been awarded a grant to participate in the New York State Anti-Displacement Learning Network. Enterprise Community Partners and the New York State Attorney General selected Kingston, among nine other municipalities, for the Anti-Displacement program, which will give the city resources to create a thoughtfully designed strategy to help ensure that all residents can remain in their homes.
Over the course of two years, the New York State Anti-Displacement Learning Network program will include peer learning opportunities, one-on-one technical support, and up to $25,000 in funding. The program will also potentially lead to $1 million in additional funding to implement the strategy the city creates. All resources will aid in strengthening the city’s work to prevent displacement.
The Anti-Displacement Learning Network gives elected officials the opportunity to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to identify anti-displacement strategies targeting the most vulnerable populations. Kingston will be partnering with representatives from local organizations, Guy Kempe from RUPCO, Frank Waters from Midtown Rising, and tenant advocate Rashida Tyler from the YMCA, to implement lessons and strategies from the Anti-Displacement Learning Program.
In 2020, Mayor Steven Noble has committed to addressing housing issues through a variety of efforts, including the current housing vacancy study, proposed tenant protection legislation, and education.
“Displacement is affecting communities across the state, and we do not want to see it in our own city,” he said. “I am working every day to make sure no Kingston resident is displaced, and that starts with education, collaboration with partners both local and statewide, and really understanding the underlying issues driving displacement. We are grateful for this opportunity to learn from and unite with neighboring municipalities to tackle pervasive housing issues.”
“When longtime residents are squeezed out of their homes where they have built their lives, their whole community and family suffers,” said New York State Attorney General Letitia James. “Resident displacement is a vexing issue and one that requires the best thinking from all leaders across this state. We are grateful for the support of Enterprise Community Partners in this endeavor and are hopeful about the thoughtful work that this new learning community will undertake in the year ahead.”
Enterprise is working alongside the Attorney General’s office as well as PolicyLink and the Center for Community Progress to manage the program implementation process.
The first phase of the program, a three-month learning exchange, is scheduled to begin in January 2020. All phases of the program are expected to be completed by December 2021.
