State Awards $3M to WNY NonProfits for Housing Projects
Monday, June 8, 2015, 6:21am BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST By Tracey Drury
Half a dozen nonprofit groups in Western New York will receive $3 million in state funding to help create more low- and moderate-income housing units.
The funds are part of an $11 million allocation announced this week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo through 61 awards to enable nonprofits and municipalities to create more than 1,000 new units of housing.
Awards came through New York State Homes and Community Renewal in support of new homeownership and housing rehabilitation. The bulk of the grant awards were made through the Affordable Homeownership Development Program administered by the agency’s Affordable Housing Corporation. A total of $7.4 million in funds will leverage more than $16.5 million in public and private subsidy for 439 homes.
Grants awarded in Western New York included: Allegany County Community Opportunities & Rural Development Corp., $750,000 for 50 units; Heart of the City Neighborhoods Inc., $765,000 for 20 units in Buffalo; Town of Amherst, $300,000 for 25 units; Center City Neighborhood Development Corp., $300,000 for 30 units in Niagara Falls; City of North Tonawanda, $400,000 for 15 units; Niagara Community Action Program Inc., $110,000 for 22 units in Niagara County.
Another $1.35 million was awarded statewide through the Access to Home program for 119 accessibility projects. Locally, Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corp. received $150,000 for 12 projects countywide; while People Inc. received $150,000 for 11 projects across Erie and Niagara counties.
The state also awarded $975,000 through the Access to Home for High-Cost Medicaid Recipients Program to support projects at 87 units; and $1.3 million through the Residential Emergency Services to Offer Repairs to the Elderly (RESTORE), enough to help 384 seniors.
Three grants were awarded in Western New York through RESTORE: $50,000 apiece to Allegany County Community Opportunity and Rural Development, Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corp. and Niagara Community Action Program. Each will provide grants to 10-12 senior homeowners for emergency repairs.