POUGHKEEPSIE – A “Housing Vacancy Rate Analysis” commissioned by the Poughkeepsie Common Council has been completed and the council will formally receive the results at Tuesday’s meeting.
The study, conducted by the Collective for Community, Culture, and Environment (CCCE), says, that in 112 buildings constructed before 1974, with each having six or more dwelling units, there were only 58 of 1,494 units available for rent as of November 1, 2023, resulting in a vacancy rate of 3.96 percent.
With vacancies under five percent, the city council is eligible to consider declaring a housing emergency under the state’s Emergency Tenant Protection Act, according to CCCE.
The consulting firm made at least three attempts to reach property owners or managers for the eligible properties that were identified through city tax records. The eligibility resulted in 112 properties being identified. Of those properties, 68 owners or managers responded to the survey; a 61 percent response rate.
The 965 subsidized dwelling units in the city were exempted from the study.
The full study, including the data collection methodology, can be found here. The common council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, in the council chambers at city hall.
The cities of Kingston and Newburgh have also declared themselves eligible for the emergency rent protection. A landlords group is challenging both in court.
