Rockland County is taking bold, community‑centered steps to address one of the most urgent challenges facing counties across New York: the shortage of safe, affordable, and attainable housing. At a time when housing costs continue to rise statewide and nearly half of residents spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, counties play an increasingly crucial role in championing solutions that support residents, attract new workers, and strengthen local economies.
To confront this challenge head‑on, Rockland County is launching a multifaceted housing strategy that pairs innovative public education, strategic redevelopment, and long‑term planning. A central component of this work is the Keep Rockland Home campaign, which aims to combat persistent stigma around affordable housing. Developed in response to mounting housing pressures, the campaign seeks to shift public perception by showing what affordable housing truly represents: safe, stable, high‑quality homes for residents across every stage of life. Seniors, teachers, college graduates, first responders, essential workers, and many others rely on attainable housing to continue living and contributing to our community. Through personal storytelling and experiences from real Rocklanders, the campaign humanizes an issue that is often misunderstood and highlights the broad benefits of expanding affordable housing opportunities.
Another major milestone in the county’s housing efforts is the selection of Regan Development Company and the Rockland Housing Action Coalition to redevelop the long‑vacant Sain Building property in New City. This transformative project—now awaiting legislative approval—will turn a dormant 3.69‑acre site into a vibrant mixed‑income, high‑quality affordable housing community. Plans include affordable senior rental units, dedicated preferences for veterans, first responders, essential workers, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as homes affordable to residents earning between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). The project also incorporates meaningful community features, helping ensure the redevelopment integrates seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood while serving a wide range of residents.
Guiding this work is the county’s 2024 Housing Needs Assessment, which identified significant gaps in both affordability and availability across Rockland County. In response, the county has advanced several key policy initiatives designed to create, preserve, and diversify its housing stock. These include the Housing Action Loan Opportunity, which allocates $13.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for workforce housing creation or preservation; the Keep Rockland Home public‑education campaign aimed at informing residents and dispelling myths; and the redevelopment of key county‑owned sites, including the Sain Building, to expand housing options in strategic locations.
By pairing honest, accessible public education with strategic redevelopment and thoughtful long‑term investment, Rockland County is not only generating much‑needed housing units but also building public trust and understanding in the process. As counties across New York work to address their own housing challenges, Rockland’s initiatives offer a clear, replicable model—one that prioritizes residents, embraces data‑driven planning, and centers long‑term community health and stability.