Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a program aimed at created more housing in upstate communities, including in the Rochester area.
Hochul on Thursday said the state will award a total of $40 million to 18 nonprofits and local governments for this program. It focuses on helping support the rehabilitation of up to 600 vacant, currently uninhabitable apartments so that they can be developed into safe and affordable housing.
In a statement, Hochul said that “Everyone deserves a safe place to call home, and with the Vacant Rental Improvement Program, we’re breathing new life into dormant properties by turning them into high-quality homes for those in need.”
The program will help owners of one to five-unit residential properties or mixed-use buildings with up to five housing units, convert them into high-quality, affordable apartments.
The money is contained in the current state budget, and it would restore the vacant units and underutilized buildings into housing for low and moderate income tenants in communities across the state, outside of New York City.
In the Rochester area, that includes a $2.5 million grant for the city of Rochester to apply to up to 37 apartments, and $2 million to the Ontario County Economic Development Corporation for developing up to 30 units.
In both cases, owners of the distressed properties should contact either the city, or that Ontario County agency for more details.
The money will be granted to property owners on a case-by-case basis.
