KINGSTON – Mayor Steven Noble, Thursday, said he is proud of the recent actions taken in Kingston in response to the city’s housing crisis.
“With our Kingston Forward project, we are cusp of historic, comprehensive zoning reform,” he said, noting that last year, Kingston was the first municipality to opt into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act.
“Through our collaborations with the Land Bank, RUPCO, and others, we are ensuring that vacant city-owned properties are redeveloped into much-needed housing. However, I recognize that lasting solutions require coordination with other levels of government,” Noble said.
While state lawmakers and the governor work toward adopting the new state budget, he urged passage of legislation to fund the Housing Access Voucher Program, pass good cause eviction, and pass the New York State Housing Compact,
“In particular, I urge the state to pass a version of the proposal that will require all municipalities throughout the state to do their part to address our housing crisis,” Mayor Noble said. “Decades of data and research have shown that incentives-based housing programs, though often well-intentioned, do not produce enough housing, nor do they reduce exclusionary housing practices.”
