News and Updates

Mount Vernon has been considering an Affordable Housing Set-Aside Program that could change how affordable apartments are included in future residential development.

An affordable housing set-aside is a rule that asks a developer to keep a share of the apartments in a new building at rents that working families, seniors and people on fixed incomes can actually afford. The rest of the apartments are rented at market rates.

Rents in set-aside apartments are usually tied to Area Median Income (AMI), a yearly income figure published by the federal government for our area. A lower AMI percentage means a lower rent and a lower income limit.

This program is still being discussed by the City of Mount Vernon. Nothing here is a final law, and the details could change before anything is adopted.

Source: City of Mount Vernon (opens in a new tab)

Construction is underway on QWest Towers near the Mount Vernon West Metro-North station, expected to add roughly 229 apartments.

QWest Towers is being built near the Mount Vernon West Metro-North station. The development is expected to provide approximately 229 apartments, including studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments.

Housing is intended to serve households earning up to approximately 80% of Area Median Income, subject to the development's own eligibility requirements.

Apartments like these are normally filled through an official housing lottery or application period that opens closer to completion. Residents should watch for that official information.

Source: City of Mount Vernon (opens in a new tab)

Residents at Levister Towers reported being without hot water for more than a week — a reminder to document and report serious building-service interruptions.

Residents at Levister Towers in Mount Vernon recently reported being without hot water for more than a week.

Hot water, heat and other essential services are not optional extras. When they stop for days at a time, a written record is what makes a complaint hard to ignore.

MVUTS shares general tenant information and helps residents document and report conditions. We do not give individualized legal advice.

Source: City of Mount Vernon Code Enforcement (opens in a new tab)

Decisions of the Westchester Rent Guidelines Board can affect allowable rent increases for certain rent-stabilized apartments covered by the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA).

Some apartments in Westchester County, including buildings in Mount Vernon, are rent stabilized under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, usually called ETPA.

For those apartments, a county board called the Westchester Rent Guidelines Board votes each year on how much rent may go up on a renewal lease. The vote sets a limit — a landlord cannot simply choose any increase.

Not every apartment is covered. Coverage generally depends on the age and size of the building and whether the community has adopted ETPA. If you are unsure, the state can tell you the status of your apartment.

• HCR rent regulation information (opens in a new tab)
• HCR fact sheets for tenants (opens in a new tab)
• Westchester County government (opens in a new tab)

Source: NYS Homes and Community Renewal — Office of Rent Administration (opens in a new tab)

Housing assistance programs sometimes become available to eligible Westchester residents affected by disasters such as Hurricane Ida — but funding and application periods change.

After major storms, New York State and Westchester County have at times offered housing help to affected residents, including repair or rebuilding programs, buyouts and rental assistance. Hurricane Ida recovery programs are one example.

These programs are not permanent. Eligibility rules, funding and application windows change, and a program that helped a neighbor in the past may be closed today.

MVUTS can help you check whether a program is currently open and what documents it asks for.

• Westchester County government (opens in a new tab)
• NYS Homes and Community Renewal (opens in a new tab)

Source: NYS Homes and Community Renewal (opens in a new tab)