Three local communities will receive a combined $743,000 in state funding to help boost housing production, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week.
The grants, awarded through the state’s Pro-Housing Communities Program, will support planning and zoning efforts in Geneva, Owasco and Ithaca aimed at increasing housing supply.
Geneva secures $250,000
The City of Geneva received $250,000, the maximum award available, through the technical assistance program.
The funding can be used for efforts such as zoning analysis, housing needs assessments, streamlining building permits, evaluating publicly owned land for development, and preparing requests for proposals for new housing projects.
Geneva is one of more than 400 municipalities statewide certified as a Pro-Housing Community. Certified communities have access to up to $750 million in discretionary state funding and are eligible for technical assistance grants of up to $250,000.
Owasco awarded $250,000
The Town of Owasco in Cayuga County also received $250,000.
Like Geneva, Owasco can use the funds to hire planning, engineering or other professional services to support housing growth strategies. Eligible activities include conducting market studies, updating master plans and analyzing zoning to remove barriers to development.
Ithaca receives $243,000
The Town of Ithaca in Tompkins County was awarded $243,000.
State officials said the funding is intended to help communities streamline permitting, prepare development proposals and identify opportunities for new housing construction.
In total, the state awarded $5 million in technical assistance grants to certified Pro-Housing Communities across New York.
Hochul created the Pro-Housing Community Program in 2023 to encourage municipalities to adopt policies that support housing growth. Since its launch, more than 550 communities have submitted letters of intent to join the program, and over 400 have been certified.
According to the governor’s office, the program has helped unlock funding that supports up to 20,000 additional homes statewide.
“The Pro-Housing Communities Program is a true partnership between the State and localities that tackles the housing shortage,” Hochul said in a statement announcing the awards.
The grants to Geneva, Owasco and Ithaca are aimed at giving local officials the tools and expertise needed to move housing projects forward and address affordability challenges in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions.
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