New York Opens $62 Million to Improve Affordable Housing
State funding targets home repairs, accessibility, first-time buyers, veterans, seniors and lower-income households.
New York is making more than $62 million in New York housing assistance available to local governments and nonprofit organizations for programs designed to keep homes safe, improve accessibility and expand opportunities for affordable homeownership. The funding includes help for older adults, veterans, people with disabilities and low- and moderate-income households.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the funding Aug. 10 through annual programs administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, or HCR.
The money can support everything from emergency home repairs and wheelchair-accessibility improvements to down-payment assistance and replacement of deteriorated manufactured homes.
For Central New York communities, the announcement is important because municipalities and nonprofit housing organizations can compete for resources that can eventually reach residents through locally administered programs.
Where the $62 Million Will Go
The state identified eight major funding categories.
NYS HOME — $20 Million
The largest allocation is $20 million through NYS HOME.
The program can support:
- Acquisition or rehabilitation of single-family housing
- Down-payment assistance
- Replacement of deteriorated mobile and manufactured homes
- Rental assistance for qualifying households
Households receiving certain HOME assistance generally must have incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income, while tenant-based rental assistance is targeted to households at or below 60% of Area Median Income.
HOME Homebuyer Development — $10 Million
Another $10 million will support substantial rehabilitation or construction of small groups of homes that can later be sold to eligible buyers.
Projects funded through the program can include up to four single-unit homes.
That approach is aimed not only at helping buyers but also at adding usable homes to communities where aging or vacant properties can reduce the available housing supply.
$9.5 Million Targets Accessibility
Three programs specifically address the needs of New Yorkers with disabilities.
They include:
- Access to Home — $5 million
Helps make residences accessible for people with disabilities. - Access to Home for Heroes — $3 million
Supports accessibility improvements for veterans with disabilities. - Access to Home for Medicaid Members — $1.5 million
Provides assistance for accessibility work for qualifying Medicaid members with disabilities.
Examples of accessibility improvements under these types of programs can include modifications that allow residents to remain safely in their homes rather than moving into institutional settings. HCR describes Access to Home as a program that assists property owners in making residences accessible for low- and moderate-income people with disabilities.
Hochul said the broader effort is intended to help New Yorkers “remain safely in their homes and live in the neighborhoods of their choice.”
Senior Home Repairs Receive $4 Million
New York is also making $4 million available through the RESTORE program.
RESTORE — Residential Emergency Services to Offer Repairs to the Elderly — provides money for emergency repairs in homes owned by older residents.
Funding can address serious conditions or code violations that threaten a resident’s health or safety.
That can be especially significant in communities with older housing stock, where seniors living on fixed incomes may struggle to afford an unexpected major repair.
A failed heating system, damaged roof, unsafe electrical system or similar emergency can turn a manageable home into an unsafe one quickly.
Programs such as RESTORE are intended to help prevent that outcome.
Manufactured Homeowners Could Get Replacement Assistance
Another $4 million is allocated to the Mobile and Manufactured Home Replacement Program.
The program helps eligible homeowners replace deteriorated mobile or manufactured homes located on land they own.
Replacement housing may include:
- New manufactured homes
- Modular homes
- Site-built homes
HCR says the program works through municipalities and nonprofit organizations and is intended to replace substandard units with newer, more energy-efficient housing.
$15 Million Available Through Community Development Block Grants
The announcement also includes $15 million through New York’s Community Development Block Grant program, commonly known as CDBG.
Local programs may use the housing portion of the funding to renovate owner-occupied single-family homes or install and replace residential infrastructure serving low- and moderate-income households.
CDBG is a federal funding source administered in New York through HCR’s Office of Community Renewal.
The broader program can support housing rehabilitation as well as drinking-water systems, sewer projects, community facilities, economic development and other eligible community improvements.
State CDBG eligibility rules generally cover qualifying cities, towns and villages with populations under 50,000 and counties with area populations below 200,000. Federal rules also require at least 70% of state CDBG funding to benefit low- and moderate-income people.
Who Actually Applies for the Money?
One important distinction may prevent confusion among homeowners.
This announcement is primarily a funding opportunity for eligible local governments and nonprofit organizations — not a statewide program in which every homeowner applies directly to the Governor’s Office for a grant.
HCR’s Office of Community Renewal provides funding to municipal governments and nonprofit organizations that then operate qualifying local programs.
That means homeowners and prospective buyers should watch for programs offered by their:
- City, town or county government
- Local housing agency
- Community development organization
- Qualified nonprofit housing organization
Organizations applying for several of these programs use HCR’s Community Development Online Application System, or CDOL. The state lists Access to Home, Access to Home for Medicaid, Access to Home for Veterans, CDBG Housing, Mobile and Manufactured Home Replacement, HOME and RESTORE among the programs supported through that application system.
Why the Funding Matters
The $62 million round is part of New York’s broader $25 billion, five-year housing plan, which has a goal of creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across the state.
According to the Governor’s Office, nearly 86,000 affordable homes had been created or preserved toward that goal as of Aug. 10. The plan also calls for 10,000 supportive housing units and electrification improvements for another 50,000 homes.
The FY 2027 state budget also includes $250 million in capital funding intended to accelerate construction of additional affordable housing.
Still, state funding announcements do not automatically solve local housing shortages.
Communities must develop viable projects, complete applications and administer programs effectively. Housing construction costs, available contractors, property values and local housing inventories can also influence how far public dollars ultimately stretch.
That is why the next stage matters as much as the announcement itself.
What Central New York Communities Should Watch
For Utica, Rome and surrounding Mohawk Valley communities, the key question is whether eligible governments and nonprofit organizations pursue these funds and develop programs residents can actually use.
Potential benefits could include assistance for:
- Seniors trying to remain in longtime homes
- Veterans who need accessibility modifications
- Residents with disabilities
- Lower-income homeowners facing major repairs
- Families seeking first-time homeownership
- Owners of deteriorated manufactured homes
The state announcement does not identify specific awards for Utica, Rome or Oneida County in this funding round. Applications have opened, and awards would come later following the state’s application and review process.
Residents should therefore distinguish between funding being available and funding already being awarded locally.
How Organizations Can Learn More
New York State Homes and Community Renewal directs applicants to its Office of Community Renewal for program information.
Most of the housing programs are administered through HCR’s Community Development Online system. Organizations that are not already registered must complete the state’s registration process before obtaining CDOL access.
HCR also provides technical assistance for CDBG applicants and publishes guidance on eligible activities, application procedures, scoring, environmental review and project readiness.
No single universal deadline for all eight programs was stated in the Aug. 10 Governor’s Office announcement. Applicants should therefore confirm deadlines and requirements for the specific program they intend to pursue through HCR.
The Bottom Line
New York’s latest $62 million housing assistance initiative offers communities several ways to address one of the state’s most persistent challenges: keeping existing homes livable while making affordable housing and homeownership more accessible.
The funding reaches beyond new construction.
It can repair an older resident’s home, modify a house for a person with a disability, help a veteran live more independently, replace an unsafe manufactured home or help a first-time buyer reach the closing table.
But the money will have the greatest local impact where municipalities and nonprofit organizations act on the opportunity.
Central New York residents should watch their local governments and housing agencies for announcements about programs created or expanded through this funding — and community organizations should review the available HCR programs now to determine whether they qualify to apply.
Sources
Reporting was verified using the New York State Governor’s Office announcement dated Aug. 10, 2026, and current program information published by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, including the Office of Community Renewal, Community Development Online and New York State CDBG program materials.
