Capital Improvements Grants for Pro-Housing Communities

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Objective

Support projects in pro-housing communities to foster economic development not only by being a catalyst to the increase in availability and access to housing, but also by stimulating community development and neighborhood growth through the elimination and redevelopment of blighted structures. 

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Overview

Grant funding is available through the State‘s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative, which helps drive regional and local economic development across New York State in cooperation with 10 Regional Economic Development Councils (“Regional Councils”). The Capital Improvement Grants for Pro-Housing Communities Program has up to $40 million of capital grant funding available to support projects that will lead to the increase of available housing and blight removal by investing in infrastructure improvements, site development, and placemaking investments within a pro-housing certified community*. 

Only Minimum grant requests of $100,000 or more will be reviewed.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to their ESD Regional Office to discuss their project prior to submitting an application.

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Eligibility

Eligible Applicants include:

  • Certified pro-housing cities, towns, and villages;
    • Cities, towns, and villages must be certified by HCR as a pro-housing community prior to submitting a Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) to the Capital Improvement Grants for Pro-Housing Communities Program OR
    • Must apply to HCR to be a certified pro-housing community by July 31st, 2024 and approved for certification prior to award announcements.
    • No awards will be made to municipalities that are not a pro-housing certified community at the time of award
  • Not-for-profit corporations** and counties whose projects are located within a certified pro-housing community
    • Not-for-profits and county applicants cannot be certified as a pro-housing community by HCR, however projects will be considered for funding if the applicant’s proposed project is located within a community that is either already certified by HCR as a pro-housing community or the community that the project is located in submits their application to HCR by July 31st, 2024 and is approved for certification prior to award announcements.

*If awarded funding, prior to ESD Directors’ approval and execution of a contract with ESD, a not-for-profit corporation must be registered and up-to-date with filings with the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau and the New York State Office of the State Comptroller’s VendRep System and must be prequalified in the New York Statewide Financial System (SFS). 

Funds may be used for:

  • Acquisition of land, buildings, machinery and/or equipment;
  • Demolition and environmental remediation;
  • New construction, renovation or leasehold improvements;
  • Acquisition of furniture and fixtures;
  • Other costs / expenditures deemed eligible by ESD.