TOH Starts Petition Against Hochul's Affordable Housing Plan

HEMPSTEAD, NY — An affordable housing plan proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul is not sitting well with the Town of Hempstead.

A Facebook post from the town seeking homeowners to sign a petition to "eliminate single-family home zoning" and remove the provision from her budget.

However, the state says the $25 billion, five-year plan will create and preserve 100,000 affordable homes.

"The proposed bill would not end single-family zoning," the governor's press secretary, Hazel Crampton-Hays said. "[It] would further the rights of individual homeowners to determine how best to use their property by providing homeowners on fixed incomes the opportunity to have additional rental income to stay in their homes or create multi-generational housing to care for elderly relatives, and would allow municipalities to require necessary health and safety measures for new units."

The plan would give homeowners the ability to pick whether to create an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on the property they own and maintain.

ADUs are small residential units built within an existing property, and may be basements, garage or attic apartments. They could also separate units built adjacent to the primary residence of single-family homes in single-family zoned areas.

The town's petition calls on the governor to "stop the urbanization plan."

More than 4,400 residents signed the online petition.