"Affordable Housing Standards and Guidelines for Lighthouse Landing."
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Sleepy Hollow as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-15-2022 by L.L. No. 3-2022; amended in its entirety 2-25-2025 by L.L. No. 2-2025]
A.
The purpose and intent is to provide affordable housing for those people meeting the income threshold and to provide for local Preferences relating to:
B.
Related findings:
(1)
To aid emergency preparedness, and quality of life, the Village of Sleepy Hollow wishes to retain and expand its fire and ambulance volunteer base and to have said members reside in reasonable proximity to its municipal offices and operations.
(2)
To aid emergency preparedness, and quality of life, the Village of Sleepy Hollow wishes to retain and expand its employee base and to have said members reside in reasonable proximity to its municipal offices and operations.
(3)
To aid in quality of life, the Village of Sleepy Hollow wishes to allow seniors to reside in affordable housing.
(4)
To aid in quality of life, and reduce traffic, the Village of Sleepy Hollow wishes to allow individuals who work in Sleepy Hollow to reside in the Village.
(5)
To aid in quality of life, and reduce traffic, the Village of Sleepy Hollow wishes to allow the senior citizen parents of its residents to reside in the Village.
This article seeks to implement local standards and guidelines for affordable housing regarding rental dwelling units available in the Lighthouse Landing River Front Development (see approving Resolution #06/66/2011, 20). This article is exclusive to said development, as such, it shall not be construed as being applicable to the broader municipality or to any other local law.
[Amended 7-8-2025 by L.L. No. 5-2025]
For purposes of this article, and unless otherwise stated, or unless the context otherwise requires, the terms in this article shall have the meanings as noted in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
A rental unit that is affordable to a household whose income does not exceed 100% of AMI and for which the annual housing cost of the unit, defined as rent plus any tenant paid utilities, does not exceed 30% of 100% AMI.
The application form available from the Third-Party Administrator allowing individuals to apply for an AHU pursuant to the Affordable Housing Standards and Guidelines enacted herein.
The annual median household income, adjusted for family size, calculated and published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Westchester County, New York.
A person who has been employed for at least one year in the Village and whose place of employment is physically located within municipal bounds of the Village of Sleepy Hollow. A physical address is required as proof that someone works in Sleepy Hollow, post office boxes, or other similar types of parcel services are not considered a physical address within municipal bounds.
The requirements to renew a leases that was entered into after April 1, 2025.
Village of Sleepy Hollow emergency service volunteers (fire/ambulance); Village of Sleepy Hollow employees; senior citizens who currently live in Sleepy Hollow; individuals who work in Sleepy Hollow; and senior citizen parents of Sleepy Hollow residents are preferred classes of individuals who are to receive additional consideration when submitting an AHU Application.
Persons who are 62 or older and who have children who own or rent a dwelling unit within the Village of Sleepy Hollow for at least one year prior to application.
Persons who are 62 or older residing in Sleepy Hollow for at least a year prior to application.
A third-party entity, or a local nonprofit agency, designated by the Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees by resolution of the Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees.
Persons who at the time of application are volunteer fire or ambulance workers with the Village of Sleepy Hollow and have accrued 50 Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) points for the current or prior year.
Persons who at the time of application are permanent full- or part-time workers with the Village of Sleepy Hollow.
[Amended 7-8-2025 by L.L. No. 5-2025]
The hierarchy of priority is established by the Village's finding that Village of Sleepy Hollow emergency service volunteers (fire/ambulance) should receive first preference; that Village of Sleepy Hollow employees should receive second preference; that senior citizens who currently live in Sleepy Hollow should receive third preference; that individuals who work in Sleepy Hollow should receive fourth preference; and, that senior citizen parents of Sleepy Hollow Residents should receive fifth preference.
A.
To pre-qualify applicants, an AHU Application form shall be created by the Third-Party Administrator subject to the reasonable approval of the Mayor. The AHU Application should provide for verification of individuals meeting a priority or preference enumerated herein. The Third-Party Administrator and the Mayor shall have the authority to adopt, renew or update a pre-qualification affordable housing unit application form under this section.
B.
AHUs shall be marketed to ensure outreach to racially and ethnically diverse households, taking into account the priorities established by the Village as contained in this § 105-5.
C.
Incomplete applications may be rejected and/or returned.
A third-party administrator shall review all AHU applications. The third-party administrator shall ensure compliance with related income thresholds and may require any related proof necessary to the implementation of this article.
A.
The Third-Party Administrator shall administer the requirements of this article or shall work with a local non-profit agency to administer the requirements of this section.
B.
The Third-Party Administrator will be responsible for monitoring the affordable AHU units during the units' periods of affordability and for monitoring compliance with the affirmative marketing responsibilities of Lighthouse Landing River Front Development and the creating and renewal of the AHUs.
C.
The Third-Party Administrator is to be appointed by the Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees and may be amended or replaced by simple resolution.
The AHUs under the provisions of this article shall be rented to qualifying income-eligible households. The Third-Party Administrator shall ensure compliance.
AHUs under the provisions of this article shall be rented to households who, as per the determination of the designated Third-Party Administrator of this program, do not exceed 100% of AMI for the County of Westchester. The Third-Party Administrator of this program shall have authority to verify compliance with this article and enforce related lease provisions.
[Amended 7-8-2025 by L.L. No. 5-2025]
A.
Applicants who were placed in an AHU prior to the effective date of April 1, 2025, and who subsequently do not meet the affirmative marketing and income thresholds, shall not be dispossessed of their AHU rental units if they no longer meet those related requirements.
B.
Applicants residing in an AHU prior to the effective date herein shall be offered renewals at an amount not to increase more than $200 per month per annum or 10% per year (whichever is greater) as compared to their annual lease amount as of the effective date of this article.
C.
Notwithstanding the above, rents for Applicants residing in an AHU prior to the effective date herein shall not exceed 80% of AMI.
D.
Applicants who were placed in an AHU after the effective date shall comply with the following Lease Renewal Requirements.
Applicants for AHUs shall, if eligible and if selected for occupancy, sign leases for a term of no more than two years. As long as a resident remains eligible and has complied with the terms of the lease, said resident shall be offered renewal leases for a term of no more than two years each. Renewal of a lease shall be subject to the provisions of applicable local law. If no such provisions are applicable and if a resident's annual gross income should subsequently exceed the maximum allowed as defined in this article, then:
A.
Option (a): Said resident may complete their current lease term and shall be offered a nonrestricted rental unit, if available. If no such dwelling unit shall be available at said time, the resident may be allowed to sign an additional one-year lease for the AHU unit they occupy but shall not be offered a renewal of the lease beyond the expiration of said term; or
B.
Option (b): Said resident shall pay the greater of: (1) the rent amount payable under the provisions of this article; or (2) 30% of the resident's monthly adjusted household income, provided that the increased rent may not exceed the market rent in that development for units with the same number of bedrooms; or
C.
Option (c): Said resident shall pay the greater of: (1) the rent amount payable under the provisions of this article; or (2) 30% of the resident's monthly adjusted household income, provided that the increased rent may not exceed the market rent in that development for units with the same number of bedrooms for a term of not more than one year.
The invalidity of any word, section, clause, paragraph, sentence, part, or provision of this article shall not affect the validity of any part of this article which can be given effect without such invalid part or parts.
This article shall take effect immediately upon filing in the Office of the Secretary of State.