Making Housing Safe, Affordable & Accessible

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Request for Applications is open for more than $62 million in funding through annual programs administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). The funding is available to local governments and not-for-profit organizations that provide individuals and families, including older adults and veterans, financial support to make accessibility upgrades, complete emergency repairs and replace manufactured homes. The Request for Applications also includes programs that support the rehabilitation of homes so they can be sold to low- and moderate-income buyers, rental assistance and down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. The funding supports the Governor’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan that is on track to create and preserve 100,000 affordable homes.

“Every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to call home and this $62 million investment will help seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and working families make critical repairs, improve accessibility and put homeownership within reach,” Governor Hochul said. “By working with our local partners, we are strengthening communities across the state and helping more New Yorkers remain safely in their homes and live in the neighborhoods of their choice.”

Applications are open for the following programs:

NYS HOME – $20 million: Provides funding that can be used to acquire and/or rehabilitate single-family housing, provide down payment assistance and replace dilapidated mobile and manufactured homes. The program assists households with incomes at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income, as well as providing tenant-based rental assistance to households with incomes at or below 60 percent of Area Median Income.
HOME Homebuyer Development – $10 million: Provides funding to support the substantial rehabilitation or new construction of up to four single-unit homes that are then sold to eligible buyers.
Access to Home – $5 million: Provides financial assistance to make homes accessible for persons with disabilities so that they can live safely in their residences or return to live in their residences instead of in an institutional setting.
Access to Home for Heroes – $3 million: Provides financial assistance to make homes accessible for veterans with disabilities.
Access to Home for Medicaid Members – $1.5 million: Provides financial assistance to make residential units accessible for Medicaid members with disabilities.
Mobile and Manufactured Home Replacement – $4 million: Provides funding that helps homeowners replace dilapidated mobile or manufactured homes that are on land owned by the homeowner with a new manufactured, modular or site-built home.
RESTORE – $4 million: Provides financial resources to assist older adults make emergency repairs and address code violations that pose a threat to their health and safety or affect the livability of the home.
Community Development Block Grant program –$15 million: Provides financial resources to create and operate a local program to renovate owner-occupied single-family homes, or to replace or install new residential housing infrastructure benefiting low- and moderate-income households. Applications are also available for: community planning, economic development and imminent threat projects through the Community Development Block Grant program are also available.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Providing funding that allows individuals and families to stay in their own homes — or be able to rent or purchase their first home - is a vital part of the Governor’s five-year $25 billion Housing Plan that is continuing to address the housing crisis across New York. Thank you to the local governments and not-for-profits who are HCR’s partners in making homes safe, accessible and affordable for all.”

Senator Charles Schumer said, “Every New Yorker deserves access to safe, affordable housing. I’m proud to deliver millions in federal funding for programs that help develop and preserve affordable housing for families, seniors, veterans and more. I will always continue to fight for resources that help New York communities build safe and affordable housing options.”

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said, “Preservation of our affordable housing stock and the availability of homeowner assistance programs are critical tools in overcoming the affordable housing crisis. Through investments made by the Governor and the Legislature in our recent state budget, these programs will help municipalities and non-profit organizations around the state invest in down payment assistance programs, make mobility improvements to the homes of aging New Yorkers, veterans and people with disabilities and make other emergency repairs. Today's announcement of more than $62 million being invested in these programs will help to strengthen communities and keep people in their homes as we continue our work to create and preserve affordable housing opportunities for all.”

Information on each program can be found at Office of Community Renewal | Homes and Community Renewal.

The application portal, the Community Development Online Application System, for most programs can be found at Community Development Online | Homes and Community Renewal.

For guidance on all CDBG programs, go to Community Development Block Grant | Homes and Community Renewal.

Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and livable for all New Yorkers. Since FY23, the Governor has worked to increase housing supply to make housing more affordable by launching a $25 billion five-year comprehensive Housing Plan, enacted the most significant housing deal in decades and implemented new protections for renters and homeowners. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, HCR has created new programs that jumpstart development of affordable and mixed-income homes for both renters and homebuyers. These include the Pro-Housing Community Program, which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. There are currently 450 certified Pro-Housing communities throughout the state and more in progress.

Governor Hochul’s “Let Them Build” agenda will speed up housing and infrastructure development while lowering costs through a series of landmark reforms. Common-sense changes to New York’s Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) in the FY 2027 Enacted Budget as well as executive actions will expedite critical categories of projects that have been consistently found to not have significant environmental impacts, but for too long have been caught up in red tape and subject to lengthy delays.

The enacted FY27 Budget completes the Governor’s current five-year Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. Close to 86,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved to date. The Budget also invests $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes. The enacted FY27 budget also further reinforces critical protections for tenants and homeowners.

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