Westchester Communities Apply for Pro-Housing Certification to Unlock Up to $650M in Funds

Twelve municipalities in Westchester County are among the 335 statewide that have launched applications to be certified as Pro-Housing Communities, 162 of which have already been certified, including major cities in every region of the state.

Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement on August 12 while touring Three Mile Harbor Housing in East Hampton, a recently certified Pro-Housing Community. The Pro-Housing Communities Program, launched by the governor last year as part of a package of Executive Actions to increase the housing supply, recognizes municipalities for their commitment to housing growth.

As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, Hochul secured an agreement to make the Pro-Housing Community certification a requirement to be eligible for up to $650 million in state discretionary funding.

“We are confronting New York’s housing crisis head-on by working with local leaders to grow our housing supply, build new homes and make New York more affordable for everyone,” Gov. Hochul said. “More than 300 communities across the state, including rural towns, villages and major cities in every region, are unlocking housing growth to ensure families have access to quality homes – supporting residents, building our economy and helping our communities reach their full potential.”

“The BCW’s Smart Development Working Group, which has 17 leaders in the real estate development sector, will continue to give helpful suggestions to the governor and the state legislature on ways to eliminate obstacles so that we can build more housing in the county,” said BCW Executive Vice President and COO John Ravitz.

The following are the municipalities in Westchester County that have sent Letters of Intent to the state: Town of Cortlandt, Village of Croton-on-Hudson, Town of Greenburgh, Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck, City of New Rochelle, Village of Ossining, City of Peekskill, Village of Port Chester, Village of Sleepy Hollow, City of White Plains and City of Yonkers. The following municipalities have already been certified: Village of Croton-on-Hudson, City of New Rochelle, City of Peekskill, City of White Plains and City of Yonkers.

Applications close on Friday, Oct. 18 at 4:00 p.m. Municipalities must be certified by HCR as a Pro-Housing Community in order to receive a grant award through these programs. Submit a letter of intent from an authorized official to HCR at prohousing@hcr.ny.gov. Once HCR receives the letter of intent, the team will send the municipality the link to submit the documentation.