The allocations were made official by Land Acquisition Acts signed by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, county officials announced on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Under the acts, $2.7 million was set aside for the purchase of land in Yonkers, while $3 million was allocated for the purchase of land in the Village of Ossining. Both properties will be used for the construction of affordable housing that will be marketed and leased to residents aged 62 and older, officials said.
The property in Yonkers will offer a total of 94 affordable housing units for seniors earning at or below 30 percent of the area median income, while the Ossining property will provide 74 affordable units for seniors earning at or below 40% of the area median income.
To help with a portion of the acquisition costs for the three privately owned land parcels in Yonkers, the county will dip into its New Homes Land Acquisition funding.
As for the purchase of the Ossining property, county funds will be used for a portion of the cost, excluding the price of the non-residential commercial space. Additionally, the project will also receive $995,000 in sales tax benefits from the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency.
"Our responsibility as a County government is to make sure that the opportunity for affordable housing is always there," Latimer said of the land acquisitions, adding, "Having access to decent housing is a basic, human right, and homes need to remain at a price point that all people can afford."
"This legislation is about filling a critical need that people have across our County, and when we allocate significant funding towards the construction of affordable units, we are helping to improve the quality of life for many of our residents and families," Latimer added.
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