Plus One ADU Program

The 2022-2023 NYS Capital Budget made available $85,000,000 for the purposes of creating and upgrading accessory dwelling units across New York State, as part of a five (5) year Housing Plan. The Plus One ADU Program is an initiative to create and improve Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) across the state. The Plus One ADU Program provides grants to units of local government and not-for-profit organizations that are committed to crafting community-specific programs for generating safe, quality ADUs. By working with units of local government and community development partners, Plus One ADU will provide a full-service program to support low- and middle-income single-family homeowner occupants who wish to build a new ADU on their property or improve an existing ADUs that needs to be brought into compliance with local and state code requirements. Depending on the property and what the locality permits, ADU’s may be small, stand-alone (detached) units on single-family lots, basement apartments, garage conversions, or other permitted units.

Eligible Applicants

Partnerships between a non-profit housing organization and a municipal or county government. Either the governmental or non-profit entity may serve in the role of the lead Applicant and the proposal should specify which entity is the lead.

Project Activities

Pre-Development: Awardees will identify low- and moderate-income homeowner occupants who wish to add an ADU to their property or make capital repairs to an existing ADU. Awardees will oversee the pre-development process including design, budgeting, permitting, environmental assessment, appraisals, and other required due diligence to secure funding from HTFC or other needed sources.

Construction Oversight: Awardees will oversee all aspects of the construction process from contractor bidding and selection, compliance with MWBE utilization standards, general construction oversight and coordination between property owners and contractors, preparation of payment requests and other essential activities to ensure efficient construction for each ADU.

Post-Construction Monitoring: Awardees are required to enter a Regulatory Agreement, and associated declining balance enforcement documents, with the participating homeowners for the Regulatory Period which shall not be less ten (10) years. Compliance monitoring will include the collection of annual compliance certifications including confirmation that the ADU is being used as permanent housing rather than as a short-term rental’, and site visits every two years to ensure appropriate property maintenance and quality housing standards, among other standards.

The Plus One ADU Program is an initiative to create and improve Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) across the state. The program is aimed to support low- and middle-income single-family homeowners who wish to build a new ADU on their property or improve an existing ADU that needs to be brought into compliance with local and state code requirements. Select municipalities have been awarded to launch this program, and HCR anticipates more municipalities to be onboarded in the next few years.

Homeowners must apply with the local program administrators (LPAs) of the program to see if they are eligible. See below for the list of organizations and municipalities that are working on this project.

Don't See Your Town Listed?

If your town is not listed above, and you would like to see the Plus One ADU program expanded to your municipality, please fill out the interest form below.

ADU program expansion interest form

AARP: ADU Model State Act and Local Ordinance (aarp.org)

National Association of Home Builders Primer on all the ADU ordinances in the country: Ordinances and Built Examples of ADUs (nahb.org)

American Planning Associations Guide on Removing Local Barriers to ADU Construction: Expanding ADU Development and Occupancy: Solutions for Removing Local Barriers to ADU Construction (planning.org)

Shelterforce Magazine’s Series on ADUs: ADUs Explained Archives — Shelterforce Shelterforce

A website dedicated to Accessory Dwellings: Model Code for Accessory Dwelling Units | Accessory Dwellings