Senator Sean Ryan Announces Rollout Of Upstate Rental Improvement Program

BUFFALO – Today, July 26, 2024, New York State Senator Sean Ryan announced that a program he proposed in January to create safe and affordable rental units by rehabilitating dormant units is now rolling out across Upstate New York. Shortly after unveiling the plan, Senator Ryan successfully pushed to get $40 million included in the state budget to establish the statewide pilot program for communities outside of New York City.

New York State’s new Vacant Rental Improvement Program is designed to invest in the rehabilitation of vacant and uninhabitable rental units across Upstate New York in order to create high-quality, affordable rental units for low- and moderate-income households. In an effort to help small landlords and add units to the rental market, Senator Ryan proposed this program as part of The City of Good Neighborhoods, a comprehensive plan to address the shortage of high-quality, affordable housing in Buffalo. The new program is focused on supporting small, local, and responsible property owners with grants funded by the state and administered by local not-for-profit organizations.

The New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has announced that the application process for the first phase of the program is now open. Not-for-profit organizations interested in administering the Vacant Rental Improvement Program in their communities can apply online until Thursday, Oct. 3 at hcr.ny.gov/v-rip. To be eligible, an organization must be incorporated under the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law and have at least one year of experience providing relevant services to the community. Successful applicants must present plans to identify a sufficient number of property owners with eligible vacant units who would benefit from the program and deliver a high-volume rehabilitation program in a short period of time.

HCR will host the first part of a two-part application training webinar for not-for-profit applicants on Wednesday, July 31. The presentation will provide an overview of the program, detailing eligible activities, the application process, key grant agreement terms, and strategies for a successful application. The application process for property owners who are interested in applying for funding will take place at a later date. More details about landlord eligibility and application process will be available after HCR has chosen the groups to administer the grants.

Senator Sean Ryan said, “I encourage any not-for-profit organization who may be interested in participating in this program to join the webinar on July 31 and learn more about how they can help bring more affordable rental housing to their community.

Seeing this program being rolled out just six months after I first shared my vision for it is proof that New York is serious about addressing our state’s housing affordability crisis. Thank you to the Office of Homes and Community Renewal for their hard work to get this program up and running so quickly.

Meaningfully addressing the shortage of safe and affordable housing in Buffalo and throughout the state is going to require a wide variety of interventions. But make no mistake – this is a problem we can solve if we remain focused and open to creative new ideas to address the issue.”