A $39 million development in Rochester's northeast neighborhood has opened with 70 affordable apartments and a clinic offering mental health and substance use services to residents and the broader community, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced.
True North Apartments spans three new buildings within a half mile of one another. Two buildings hold the apartments, while the third houses an 8,700-square-foot outpatient clinic operated by the Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency, or FLACRA. The state said the clinic can serve up to 3,000 people a year.
The housing is intended for households earning up to 80% of the area's median income. Half of the apartments — 35 units — include supportive services for people who have experienced homelessness and for residents 55 and older who need help living independently, according to the governor's announcement.
Those services, provided by DePaul and Person Centered Housing Options, include connections to medical care, transportation, financial counseling and job-readiness assistance. Eighteen apartments are adapted for people with mobility disabilities, and four are adapted for people with sensory disabilities.
Clinic open beyond the apartments
FLACRA's Wellness & Recovery Clinic is at 373 North St. in Rochester. Its services include mental health and substance use counseling, recovery groups, medication-assisted treatment and case management, according to the state. The clinic is open to the wider community, not only people living in True North.
The development replaces previously vacant sites in the Upper Falls area. DePaul, FLACRA, Person Centered Housing Options and the Rochester Interfaith Development Corporation developed the project with state and local support.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said the opening pairs new housing with a recovery and wellness clinic in the neighborhood. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said the combination of stable housing and on-site services could benefit residents with substantial needs.
The buildings are all-electric and include solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and water-conserving plumbing, the state said. They are near public transportation and neighborhood services, including a library, recreation center and senior center.
How the project was funded
The financing includes federal and state low-income housing tax credits expected to generate nearly $20 million in equity, plus $10.5 million in state Homes and Community Renewal subsidies. The state also listed $5.5 million through its Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, a $750,000 federal HOME grant through Rochester and more than $385,000 through a clean-energy initiative.
Operating support for the supportive housing comes through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative. The state described True North as part of its broader affordable housing plan, but did not provide a rent schedule or application process in the announcement.
The project's opening marks completion of the buildings and clinic, rather than a proposal for future construction. The governor's office said Homes and Community Renewal has created or preserved more than 6,500 affordable homes in Monroe County under the current administration.
Read the state's full announcement.
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