Serino Expands Housing Rehab
Program to Help More Homeowners

The deadline to apply is Monday, June 9  at

Department of Planning & Development’s website

Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation now
open to even more income-eligible residents

Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino is proud to announce the expansion of the County’s Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation Program, helping more residents make critical home repairs to remain safely in their homes. The expansion of this beneficial program preserves local housing stock, a key initiative in the County Executive’s commitment to the creation and preservation of affordable housing.

Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said, “This program reflects our continued commitment to ensuring safe, quality housing for all residents in Dutchess County. For years, we’ve seen this program assist local older adults age in place and live independently. By expanding eligibility, we continue to remove barriers and give even more homeowners the chance to preserve and improve their homes. Making sure people can stay in their homes is just as important as building new ones, and we hope many in our community will take advantage of this great opportunity.”

The Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation Program was originally designed to assist income-eligible Dutchess County older adults. County Executive Serino, having seen the initiative’s success in helping seniors remain safely in their homes, announced in her 2025 State of the County Address her intention to expand the program to help additional low- and moderate-income residents bring their homes up to current health, building, fire and safety codes.

Serino noted, “This program not only helps residents remain safely in their homes, it helps preserve local housing stock.  When homes fall into disrepair, or even become uninhabitable, it only exacerbates the affordable housing shortage. Making a home safe for today and ensuring it is maintained for the future is a win-win.”

The Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation Program provides financial assistance, up to $40,000 per project, to complete rehabilitation projects to address one or more substandard conditions that fail to meet federal, state or local codes relating to health, safety or fire hazards. The program’s focus is to repair major systems, including, but not limited to furnaces, plumbing, structural (roofs, walls, decks/porches), electrical, necessary handicapped accessibility improvements, bathrooms, and kitchens with significant deterioration and appliances.

A key component to the Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation Program is that the homeowner is provided with assistance in developing the scope of work to be performed, selecting a contractor and monitoring the project.

To qualify, applicants must:

• Own a single-family detached home located in Dutchess County
• reside in the home;
• be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident; and
• meet the following income eligibility requirements:

For Homeowners Age 60 and Over

Family Size      Income Limits             Family Size      Income Limits

1                      $64,300                        4                      $ 91,850

2                      $73,500                        5                      $99,200

3                      $82,700                        6                      $106,55

For All Other Homeowners

Family Size      Income Limits             Family Size      Income Limits

1                      $40,200                        4                      $57,400

2                      $45,950                        5                      $62,000

3                      $51,700                        6                      $66,600

The Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation Program is one of several housing priorities the County supports utilizing funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  Serino was able to extend the program to all income-eligible homeowners, regardless of age, with funding from the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC).  The Dutchess County Legislature supported this expansion, voting earlier this month to accept $225,000 AHC funding.

The complete Owner-Occupied Property Rehabilitation Program instructions and guidance, as well as application, are available online. Interested applicants with questions, or in need of additional assistance, can contact the Department of Planning & Development at communitygrants@dutchessny.gov or (845) 486-3600.

This program is one of several initiatives coordinated through the Department of Planning & Development to expand safe, affordable housing.

Applications, for example, are now being accepted for the second round of Dutchess County Housing Trust Fund awards, with $3 million available for developers to build or maintain affordable housing, particularly smaller projects in rural areas. Additional information about this round of funding is available on the Department of Planning & Development’s website; the deadline to apply is Monday, June 9.

Dutchess County also collaborates with community partners, Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County and Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley, to build and repair homes for homeowners of various incomes and backgrounds. In the last two years, for example, six local homes have been built or repaired through these partnerships.

For more information about Dutchess County’s housing initiatives, visit https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Planning/Housing-Department-of-Planning.htm