Under Westchester County's Fair and Affordable Housing settlement implementation and local zoning, many municipalities offer density bonuses to developers who include affordable units, often 10 to 25 percent of total units, in multifamily projects.
Westchester's 2009 federal housing settlement and follow-on county Model Ordinance encouraged each municipality to adopt fair-and-affordable-housing zoning. Most cities and villages now allow additional units, height, or floor area when developers commit to affordable units at defined AMI tiers, typically 60 to 80 percent. Bonuses are codified in each local zoning chapter and reviewed by the planning board. The county Department of Planning maintains the Affordable AFFH unit registry and enforces affordability deed restrictions for 50 years.
Failing to maintain promised affordable units or violating deed restrictions can result in suit by the county or HUD-monitor enforcement. Variance violations are enforced by the local building department through stop-work orders and fines.
See how Yonkers's density bonus law rules stack up against other locations.
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