The Westchester County Housing Flex Fund will help facilitate the development of affordable housing that are shovel ready. The development must serve households earning at or below 65% of the County Area Median Income.
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Westchester County Housing Programs are designed to support Westchester County's committment to promoting fair and equitable housing across its six cities, 19 towns and 20 villages.
For decades, Westchester County has been at the forefront of fair and affordable housing development, winning more than 50 awards in the process. Westchester is one of the most diverse counties in New York State, which is one of our greatest strengths. Diversity enhances our quality of life every day by attracting talented people, stimulating creative thinking, and promoting tolerance and understanding.
The Housing Programs website offers a wealth of information on the specifics of Fair and Affordable Housing, Fair Housing laws and Fair Lending laws, and how to find accessible housing, among other topics.
Our hope is that this website will serve the Westchester community at large as a key resource for understanding the importance of fair and affordable housing and diversity, as well as a source of information for your questions.
Westchester is at its best when we are working as one community.
Watch this virtual tour of some of the county’s newest affordable housing. From a 65-unit affordable rental development in the Town of North Salem, to a four-bedroom, single-family home for ownership in Cortlandt, the affordable housing opportunities are attractive, well-built, come in all shapes and sizes, and blend in with their surrounding communities.
Westchester County publishes free informational booklets, available below, to help with a whole range of housing topics including the very fundamental, "A Roof Over Your Head" to well researched reports and plans.
Westchester County Housing Needs Assessment
The Assessment looks at the County’s history of housing policies; lays out the methodology for data analysis; provides findings on a wide variety of demographic, housing stock and housing affordability issues; and provides recommendations, including Best Practices from across the country, to help the County move forward in meeting its affordable housing needs.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Model Ordinance
Municipalities can consider updating their zoning codes to allow accessory dwelling units to help support more efficient use of existing housing stock and infrastructure, provide housing that responds to changing family needs and accessible housing for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
This analysis identifies the impediments to fair housing choice and describes actions that can be taken to overcome the identified impediments. This report was delivered to H.U.D. on April 24, 2013.
Adapting Underutilized Office Parks for Housing
Study demonstrates feasibility of building housing, including fair and affordable housing, on underutilized office park land.
Rutgers Report (March 30, 2004)
A report on affordable housing needs in Westchester in the years 2000 through 2015 by Rutgers University.
Affordable Housing Allocation Plan based on Rutgers Report (Nov. 9, 2005)
Advisory recommendations on allocating affordable housing throughout Westchester.
Westchester Urban County Consortium Consolidated Plan
The Consolidated Plan is a comprehensive document promoting a holistic approach to housing and community development needs and fosters the coordination of all programs, funded by HUD. The report chapters can be accessed from the Community Development page.
Housing Implementation Plan
The 46-page implementation plan provides greater detail about the county’s plans and processes for building 750 units of fair and affordable housing in 31 communities.
A Resource Guide for Homeowners of Westchester County Fair and Affordable Housing Units
This handbook is written for owners of subsidized housing and it details many fair and affordable housing programs and their requirements for participation. Includes program summaries, FAQs and links for additional information. Sample letters and documents are included to make it easier to refinance or make changes to your mortgage.
A Roof Over Your Head: A Guide to Housing Resources
Whether you are a tenant, landlord, homeowner, elderly, or disabled, this guide is a compilation of the most commonly-asked questions on housing resources available to everyone. English Spanish
Housing Resource Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) created a Housing Resource Guide for families seeking housing in Westchester County for their adult children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The guide:
Who Wants Affordable Housing in their Backyard? An Equilibrium Analysis of Low Income Property Development
This report is posted on the Stanford Business Graduate School’s Web site. It estimates the spillovers of properties financed by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) onto surrounding neighborhoods and estimates the impact of LIHTC development on nearby house prices. The report concludes that affordable housing is a desirable way to invest in and revitalize low-income communities.
Federal Home Loan Banks
The FHLB is a cooperative of banks organized into twelve regions. Together, the banks and their members are the largest providers of residential mortgages and community development credit in the United States.
Fannie Mae
The Federal National Mortgage Association, Fannie Mae, was established to expand the flow of mortgage funds in all communities, at all times, under all economic conditions, and to help lower the costs to buy a home. Here you will find many resources about home lending and mortgage fraud protection.
Freddie Mac
The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation was chartered by congress to increase the supply of funds that mortgage lenders can make available to homebuyers and investors in multifamily developments. On this site you will find information for homebuyers, investors and developers including how to avoid foreclosure.
Ginnie Mae
The Government National Mortgage Association, Ginnie Mae, is a federally sponsored agency that helps secure and guarantee the issuance of home mortgages.
Westchester Residential Opportunities
WRO offers training and education about the fair housing responsibilities of Co-op Board members. An interactive CD and “Webcast for Coops” are available. See link above or phone WRO at 914-428-4507 Extension 306.
Westchester Urban County Consortium Consolidated Plan
The Consolidated Plan is a comprehensive document promoting a holistic approach to housing and community development needs and fosters the coordination of all programs, funded by HUD. You can find it in the Dept. of Planning Publications.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development offers information on all aspects of housing.
Westchester County submitted an update of the report titled “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice” Chapter 12 to H.U.D. on March 20, 2017. The report and report appendices are below.
Analysis of Impediments July 2017 Chapter 12
HUD July 14, 2017 Response to VHB July 13, 2017 AI Submission
Analysis of Impediments March 2017, Chapter 12
VHB Errata sheet for March 20, 2017 AI submission
HUD April 10, 2017 response to the VHB March 20, 2017 AI submission
County’s response to HUD April 10 review letter
Analysis of Impediments December 2016, Chapter 12
HUD Dec. 29, 2016 response to VHB December 2016 AI submission
Cover Letter to HUD, April 24, 2013
Analysis of Impediments April 2013, Chapters 1-11
Analysis of Impediments April 2013, Chapter 12
Appendix 1. Fair Housing Marketing Plan
Appendix 2. Fair Housing Outreach and Education Plan
Appendix 3. Centralized Intake And Housing Outreach Plan
Appendix 4. Fair and Affordable Housing Implementation Plan
Appendix 5. Census Tables Protected Class Analysis
Appendix 6. Housing Mortgage Data
Appendix 7. Fair Housing Complaints
Appendix 8. Municipal, County, School and Special District Tax Rates 2005 - 2009
Appendix 9. Bee-Line Onboard Survey
Appendix 10. Land Use Report (25 MB)
Appendix 11. Affordable Housing Ordinance Zoning Review
Appendix 12. Municipal Zoning Abstracts
Appendix 13. Access To Employment Centers Study
Appendix 14. List of Survey Contacts
Appendix 16. Survey Summaries (Excel Tables)
Apeendix 17. Draft Buildout Analysis Results
Appendix 18. Housing meetings 2010-2012
Appendix 19. “Office Park Housing” dated March 2008
Appendix 21. Saw Mill Pocantico Stormwater Management Recon Plan 2012
Appendix 22. Municipal Zoning Analysis Report - February 2012
Appendix 23. Professor Nolon’s report, June 2012
Appendix 24. Order of the United States District Court, July 2012
Appendix 25. Status of Allocation per Affordable Housing Allocation Plan
Appendix 26. Monitor’s correspondence to the District Court July 2012
Appendix 27. County’s correspondence and table, August 2012
Appendix 28. Tables (62) on racial and ethnic composition of zones, August 2012
Appendix 29. Personnel involved in the preparation of the February 2012 Zoning Submission
Appendix 40. Map of undeveloped parcels outside of areas served by County sewer district facilities
Appendix 47. Monitor’s correspondence to the County, October 2012
Appendix 49. County’s correspondence regarding update of Allocation Plan table, November 2012
Appendix 51. County’s Sixth Zoning Analysis
Appendix 52. LULA Training Program Participant List
Appendix 53. CEO Roundtable List
Previously, Westchester County submitted a revised report titled “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice” to H.U.D. in July 2011. Link to PDFs of the report and report appendices below.
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice - July, 2011 (Main Report)
The Westchester Housing Opportunity Commission (HOC) was established by the County Board of Legislators (BOL) in August of 1994. The legislators adopted updated provisions for the HOC in 2010. The commission meets six times a year and is charged with educating, advocating and advising on the topic of the need for fair and affordable housing in Westchester County.
The HOC currently consists of 11 members appointed by the County Executive with approval by the County BOL. The commission must include at least one resident from each of the five county Planning Regions. One of the members must also be a member of the Westchester County Planning Board. The HOC is chaired by Lindsay Carden.
Studies completed with HOC involvement include:
The Office Park Housing study, completed in March of 2008 and re-issued in September 2010, demonstrates the feasibility of building housing, including fair and affordable housing, on underutilized office park land. It includes a model zoning ordinance that could be adopted and adapted by local governments to create the opportunity for this redevelopment.
The 2005 Affordable Housing Allocation Plan, which finalized the allocation of the units identified in the Westchester County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment by the year 2015.
The Housing Needs Assessment, developed by the Center for Urban Policy Research (CUPR) at Rutgers University, released in 1991, established the goal to build 5,000 low and moderate income housing units during the 1991–2000 decade.
In 1992, the Housing Implementation Commission (HIC) was charged with developing a 1995 Affordable Housing Allocation Plan which allocated 5,000 units among each of Westchester municipalities.
For further information, contact:
Blanca P. Lopez, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Planning
Westchester County Planning Department
148 Martine Avenue, Room 416
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-4007
E-mail: