Cayuga County is receiving $100,000 in federal funding to conduct a countywide housing market study, thanks to support from U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
The funding comes through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) and is part of a larger $11.3 million package supporting 18 projects across Upstate New York. The goal: help rural communities invest in critical needs like housing, infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
The Cayuga County project will evaluate current housing stock, identify gaps, and guide future investment strategies. Leaders say the study will help pinpoint opportunities to support workforce housing and community development — two growing challenges in the region.
This type of data-driven planning is expected to support long-term growth by informing partnerships, funding decisions, and new development projects across the county.
Senator Schumer said the NBRC grants are vital for small towns and rural counties like Cayuga that need federal resources to plan and build smarter.
“These federal investments will help spur economic development, create new jobs, strengthen our infrastructure, and boost quality of life across the region,” Schumer said.
Gillibrand added that the funding will “make a real difference for working families” by expanding access to housing, education, and health services.
The NBRC — a federal-state partnership launched in 2008 — focuses on economic revitalization in northern counties of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Cayuga is one of 30 New York counties eligible for NBRC support.
This latest round of NBRC funding builds on the commission’s expanded mission, which now includes housing, childcare, workforce training, and addiction services. Schumer and Gillibrand led efforts to reauthorize and boost funding for the commission last year.
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