ULSTER COUNTY OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER
Ulster County Emergency Housing Snapshot
Released April 2025
comptroller.ulstercountyny.gov
Ulster County has been experiencing a housing crisis as a result of many factors which include: a lack of
housing development over the last 25 years,1 the explosion of the short-term rental market,2 more people
moving into the area during and after COVID, 3 the purchase of several large rental housing complexes by
new owners,
6
4
a subsequent increase in rent,5 and the closure of three area boarding houses that provided
150 beds. The result of these changes is a dire need for both permanent and emergency housing.
Emergency Housing Need Grows
The County contracts with Family of Woodstock to operate two emergency shelters: Darmstadt Shelter for
individuals and Family Inn for families. In addition, the County works with area hotels to rent rooms for
emergency housing needs. A review of more recent data provided by the Department of Social Services
shows a sharp increase in emergency housing needs in Ulster County.
By 2024, Ulster County residents spent a staggering 129,170 nights in emergency housing, an increase of
149% from the 51,781 nights recorded in 2020.
Source: Data aggregated by Ulster County Department of Social Services. Source: Data aggregated by Ulster County Department of Social Services.
This increase in the number of nights of emergency housing has driven up costs significantly. Ulster
County’s emergency housing costs have skyrocketed from $3.8 million in 2020 to $13.3 million in 2024,
marking a 248% increase in just five years.
In 2024, the number of hotels who take emergency housing clients decreased to 24 from 38 in the prior
year, while the quantity of nights grew. With limited rooms available, Ulster County has had to work with
hotels outside of Ulster County to meet the nightly demand. These distant placements in Newburgh,
Poughkeepsie, and Monticello create additional burdens on families.
The cost per night in 2020 was $73.65, and it has
steadily increased each year to $102.86 by 2024. It
is important to note that these increases occurred
during a period of substantial inflation. The
combination of additional nights needed for
emergency housing and the increase in price over $ $
the five-year period explains the increased costs.
Emergency housing in Ulster County is funded
primarily through three programs: Safety Net,
Family Assistance, and Emergency Assistance for
Adults. The data reveals a clear rise in Safety Net
and Family Assistance.
1
Emergency Housing Expenditures
Ulster County’s “local share” of the costs of emergency housing has stayed at roughly 50% and in fact
even declined in 2024 to 48.7%, but as overall costs of the program have increased, so has the burden
on local taxpayers. The amount and type of state and federal support is very case specific based on
certain qualifying criteria discussed in our 2021 Emergency Housing Snapshot. Department of Social
Services staff make a determination of program eligibility for each client for each night of emergency
housing. County funds are used when a client is not eligible for state or federal funding streams.
The selection of hotels and the rates per night are negotiated by the Department of Social Services.
Individual hotel vendors do not enter into contracts with the County for these services, which means that
vendors paid more than $50,000 per year are paid without legislative approval. These payments are
made through the Welfare Management System and are not approved by the Comptroller’s Office.
The County’s general ledger chart of accounts is not currently set up in a way that the expenditures and
revenues for emergency housing can be easily determined by the Comptroller’s office without the
assistance of DSS staff. We recommend that DSS work with the Budget Department to separate the
emergency housing portion of the revenues and expenditures from other expenditures for budgeting and
analysis purposes.
Homelessness Trends: Point-in-Time Count Data
To get a better perspective on how
homelessness has changed in Ulster
County, we reviewed population data
from the annual Point-in-Time (PIT)
Count, a survey sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). This count,
overseen by the Ulster County
Continuum of Care, takes a snapshot of
sheltered and unsheltered people
experiencing homelessness on a single
night in January.
Over the last decade, the PIT Count
shows that the overall number of
homeless people in Ulster County has
increased 81% since 2014. The number
of homeless adults has increased 88%, *In 2021, an in person survey was not conducted to mitigate the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission, so the total
homeless counts reported for this year may be missing data.
while the number of homeless children Source: data aggregated by the Comptroller’s Office from 2014-2024 HUD Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance
has grown by 65%. Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations available at https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/coc-
dashboard-reports/?filter_Year=&filter_Scope=CoC&filter_State=NY&filter_CoC=NY-608&program=CoC&group=DASH
2
The PIT Count also tracks mental health and
substance use among the homeless population. The
number of severely mentally ill homeless adults has
risen by 228%, while the number of homeless adults
struggling with chronic substance use disorders has
jumped by 210%. It is important to recognize that
people can identify in both categories. These numbers
are self-reported by homeless individuals and a person
may be both severely mentally ill and have a chronic
substance use disorder.
Source: data aggregated by the Comptroller’s Office from 2014-2024 HUD Continuum of Care
Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations available at
https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/coc-dashboard-reports/?
filter_Year=&filter_Scope=CoC&filter_State=NY&filter_CoC=NY-608&program=CoC&group=DASH
Addressing the Housing Crisis: County Initiatives and Programs
Ulster County has recognized the severity of the housing crisis and has undertaken a number of initiatives
to address the issue.
Local Law No. 3 of 2023: In 2023, Ulster County formally recognized housing as a County purpose.
Although the County was undertaking housing support prior to this local law, since 2023, the work has
expanded greatly. This change created the statutory support needed to justify using County funds for
housing projects and programs.
Housing Smart Communities Initiative: This program provides guidance and support to local
communities, encouraging them to adopt both short and long-term actions to develop and secure
affordable housing for all residents.
Housing Action Fund: In 2023, the County formally assigned $15 million of previously unassigned
General fund balance to support the construction, development and redevelopment of affordable
housing. $2 million of funding was awarded to five projects in 2024. Another $1 million funding
opportunity was announced by the County Executive in February of 2025.
New Program Support: The County has begun funding new programs such as eviction prevention,
and housing support to find permanent housing for those in emergency, and housing homeowner
assistance to upgrade rental units.
Continued Program Support: The County continues to provide support for the Continuum of Care
activities which monitor homelessness and prepare HUD required reports.
Plus One ADU Home Program: The County has partnered with RUPCO and New York State to
provide funds to assist Ulster County low-moderate income property owners with grants of up to
$125,000 to construct or rehab code-compliant accessory dwelling units (ADU).
The Comptroller’s Office is aggregating program and financial information on all of the County’s current
housing projects and programs that will be issued in a separate report this year.
Conclusion
Due to a variety of factors, Ulster County is experiencing a housing crisis with limited inventory available
for permanent housing and a substantial increase in homeless individuals and families. More homeless
individuals and families has resulted in more nights of emergency housing and more nights of emergency
housing placement have resulted in greater costs. The County has undertaken a number of initiatives to
address this growing need but it will take time for these programs and projects to have impact on the
overall availability of permanent housing in Ulster County.
[1] Pattern for Progress. Ulster County Housing Action Plan. (February 2022). https://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default/files/documents/planning/2021_uc_hap.pdf
[2] Office of the Ulster County Comptroller. (2022, July). Short-Term Rental Snapshot. https://comptroller.ulstercountyny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Short-Term-Rental-Snapshot.pdf
[3] US Census Bureau. Ulster County Quick Facts, Population Estimates 2024. Accessed March 24, 2025 from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ulstercountynewyork/PST045223
[4] Daily Freeman. New owners of Kingston, Esopus apartment complexes pledge long-term commitment. (July 21, 2021).
Office of the Ulster County Comptroller. (2021, May). Ulster County Housing Crisis Presentation. p.7. https://comptroller.ulstercountyny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gallagher-Housing-Justice.pdf
Hudson Valley One. Kingston’s redeveloped “factories” go for almost $10 million. (November 2, 2019).
Office of the Ulster County Comptroller. (2021, May). Ulster County Housing Crisis Presentation. p.7. https://comptroller.ulstercountyny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gallagher-Housing-Justice.pdf
Daily Freeman. Sale completed for five apartment complexes owned by Steve Aaron. (March 14, 2022).
Office of the Ulster County Comptroller. (2021, May). Ulster County Housing Crisis Presentation. p.7. https://comptroller.ulstercountyny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gallagher-Housing-Justice.pdf
[5] Ulster County Planning Department. 2023 Ulster County Rental Housing Survey.
https://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default/files/documents/planning/2023_Rental_Survey_Report.pdf
[6] Spectrum News. Sale of Kingston Group Home May Displace Dozens of Adults With Disabilities. (March 29, 2021).
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/news/2021/03/29/sale-of-kingston-group-home-may-displace-dozens-
Daily Freeman. Fire in Kingston Boarding House Displaces 37 Residents. (July 21, 2021).
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2020/11/19/fire-in-kingston-boarding-house-displaces-37-residents/
Daily Freeman. Kingston Boarding House Piles Up Over $70K in Code Violations, Remains Open Despite Closure Order, Mayor Says. (June 6, 2024).
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2024/06/06/kingston-boarding-house-piles-up-over-70k-in-code-violations-remains-open-despite-closure-order-mayor-says/
