Governor Cuomo Announces $14 Million in Awards for Affordable Housing

Written by Long Island News & PR | 17. June 2014

Albany, NY - June 17, 2014 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 37 awards, totaling $14 million, to rehabilitate and construct low- and moderate-income housing in every region across the state. The competitive awards are made to local municipalities and not-for-profit organizations to help revitalize communities and drive local economic activity.

“Every New Yorker deserves a home that is safe and affordable, and today we are funding projects across the state that will help to make that a reality,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this round of funding, we have invested more than $1 billion, moving the Empire State closer our goal of ensuring that every New Yorker can find a place to call home. Our administration will continue to work alongside local governments and non-profit agencies to support affordable housing alternatives in every corner of the state.”

The awards assist in the costs of home improvements, the rehabilitation of existing housing, and the new construction of homes for first-time homebuyers, and are provided through the Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC). AHC, which is part of New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), supports homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families by providing grants to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations.

The awards also leverage additional public resources to maximize the community development opportunities. Some of the other subsidies include funds from the following programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, RESTORE (Residential Emergency Services to Offer Repairs to the Elderly), local HOME funds, Urban Initiative funds, and Weatherization funds.

The State’s homeownership investments in this round of AHC awards include:

Capital Region

$330,000 to the Town of Saratoga for the home improvement of approximately 12 affordable units in the Town of Saratoga (Saratoga County).
$310,000 to the Village of South Glens Falls (Saratoga County) for the rehabilitation of 12 affordable units.
$325,000 to the Village of Scotia (Schenectady County) for the rehabilitation of 12 affordable units.
$330,000 to the Village of Argyle (Washington County) for the rehabilitation of 12 affordable units.
$330,000 to the Village of Greenwich (Washington County) for the rehabilitation of 12 affordable units.

Mohawk Valley

$462,000 to Utica Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 14 affordable units in the City of Utica (Oneida County).
$288,000 to the Village of Canajoharie (Montgomery County) for the rehabilitation of 11 affordable units.
$335,000 to Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc. for the home improvement of approximately 24 affordable units in Otsego County.

Central New York

$375,000 to Cortland Housing Assistance Council, Inc. for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately 15 affordable units in Cortland County.
$280,000 to the City of Cortland for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately eight units located in the City of Cortland (Cortland County).
$188,658 to the City of Fulton (Oswego County) for the rehabilitation of 15 affordable units.
$400,000 to the City of Oswego for the home improvement of approximately 18 affordable units (Oswego County).

Finger Lakes

$315,000 to Greater Rochester Housing Partnership for the new construction of nine single-family homes for first-time homebuyers within the City of Rochester (Monroe County).
$200,000 to North East Area Development, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 25 affordable units in the City of Rochester (Monroe County).
$625,000 to Greater Rochester Housing Partnership for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately 25 affordable units in the City of Rochester (Monroe County).

Western New York

$250,000 to Southtowns Rural Preservation Company for rehabilitation of 25 affordable units in Erie County.
$300,000 to Lackawanna Housing Development Corporation for rehabilitation of 33 affordable units in City of Lackawanna (Erie County).
$450,000 to the Town of Cheektowaga (Erie County) for the rehabilitation of 30 affordable units.
$400,000 to West Side Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 15 affordable units in the City of Buffalo (Erie County).

Southern Tier

$300,000 to Better Housing for Tompkins County for the rehabilitation of 24 affordable units.
$300,000 to Arbor Housing and Development (formerly known as Steuben Churchpeople Against Poverty, Inc.) for the rehabilitation of 30 affordable units in Steuben County.
$300,000 to Near Westside Neighborhood Association, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 20 affordable units in the City of Elmira (Chemung County).
$180,000 to Tioga Opportunities for the home improvement of approximately 18 affordable units in Tioga County.

Mid-Hudson

$200,000 to Putnam County Housing Corporation for the rehabilitation of 10 affordable units.
$80,000 to Housing Action Council for the new construction of a two-family home to be located at 184 Farragut Avenue in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson (Westchester County).
$350,000 to the Rural Ulster Preservation Company for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately 15 affordable units in Ulster County.
$300,000 to the Center for Urban Rehabilitation & Empowerment for the home improvement of approximately 12 units in Westchester County.

Long Island

$640,000 to Community Housing Innovations, Inc. for the acquisition and rehabilitation of 16 affordable units on scattered sites in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
$1 million to Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 60 affordable units on scattered sites in in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
$200,000 to the Town of Hempstead for the new construction of five two-story homes to be located within Inwood (Nassau County).
$727,500 to the Long Island Housing Development Fund Company for the home improvement of approximately 20 affordable homes on scattered sites in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

New York City

$1.26 million to the Housing Partnership Development Corporation for the new construction of 36 affordable condominium units in the Borough of Brooklyn (Kings County).
$705,000 to the Housing Partnership Development Corporation for the new construction of 21 affordable homes in the Borough of Brooklyn (Kings County).

Western New York, Central New York, Southern Tier, Finger Lakes

$600,000 to Bishop Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation for the rehabilitation of 100 affordable units on scattered sites in Allegany, Cayuga, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, and Yates counties.

Western New York and Finger Lakes

$500,000 to NeighborWorks Home Resources for the home improvement of approximately 30 affordable homes on scattered sites in Cattaraugus, Erie and Wyoming Counties.

North Country

$273,000 to North Country Affordable Housing, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 13 affordable units located in Jefferson County.
$350,000 to the Neighbors of Watertown for the Jefferson County 1st Time Homebuyer Assistance Program for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately 10 affordable homes in Jefferson County.

Darryl C. Towns, Commissioner/CEO of HCR said, “These projects are priorities for the regional governments and not-for-profits, partners with the state that have a core understanding and appreciation of the specific needs of communities and neighborhoods. Some of these not-for-profits have been working closely with residents for more than 40 years and know intimately what it’s going to take to preserve homeownership and revitalize communities. Thanks to the Governor’s leadership, these awards will go a long way to help hundreds of New Yorkers make their communities stronger.”

New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) consists of all the State's major housing and community renewal agencies, including the Affordable Housing Corporation, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the Housing Finance Agency, State of New York Mortgage Agency, Housing Trust Fund Corporation and others.

HCR is in the second year of the $1 billion House New York program, which is creating thousands of new units over five years, and is the largest investment in affordable housing in at least 15 years. House New York will also preserve thousands of Mitchell-Lama units, extending affordability for 40 years. The initiative builds on the successes of unprecedented efforts to protect more than two million rent-regulated tenants, with the greatest strengthening of the state’s rent laws in 30 years, and the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit which proactively audits and investigates landlord wrongdoing.