Ulster County Plus One ADU Home Program

How it works

Ulster County’s Plus One ADU Home Program provides funding to help low- and moderate-income property owners construct or rehabilitate code-compliant accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The page explains that ADUs are additional units on residential properties and may be either attached to the primary residence, such as a basement apartment, or detached, such as a garage conversion or cottage.

The program is part of the county’s broader housing strategy. The page says it is intended to expand workforce and affordable housing, support historically disadvantaged communities, and encourage ADU development in areas with existing water and sewer infrastructure.

What the money covers

The grant can be used for the construction or rehabilitation of a code-compliant ADU. The page also notes that homeowners should think through utility hookups, zoning, setbacks, site work, construction and design fees, permits, drawings, architects, contractors, material costs, contingency budgeting, and ongoing maintenance when planning a project.

Amounts and affordability terms

• The current program page says grants of up to $112,500.
• A prior county announcement described an earlier round with grants up to $125,000.
• In exchange for the grant, the homeowner must rent the ADU at an affordable rate for a minimum of 10 years.
• The page says affordable rents are tied to households earning up to 80% of Ulster County AMI and at or below Fair Market Rent, whichever is less.
• If the homeowner targets a lower income bracket, such as 60% AMI or below, that is referenced as part of the scoring process.

How to apply

The page directs applicants to the RUPCO application materials. It says Round 2 applications opened September 17, 2024 and closed November 18, 2024, and that projects submitted on or before October 14, 2024 were prioritized if they were shovel-ready, meaning planning/building permits were prepared or already submitted.

Timing and program status

The page says Round 1 resulted in 14 households being awarded grants. The “Key Dates” section shows Applications Open – First Come, First Serve on 2025-08-19, but the same page also describes earlier rounds and does not clearly state a current open application window in the narrative text. The page last updated on 2026-04-13.