DHCR Announces $4.7 Million in Funding Awards

ALBANY, NY (05/07/2008)(readMedia)-- The State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) today announced $4.7 million in funding awards to construct 88 affordable rental units in the Town of Canandaigua and create 129 new full-time jobs in Franklin, Schoharie, and Orleans Counties.

Governor David Paterson said, “The grants and funding approved today will help to build a brighter future for working families and strengthen communities. Decent, affordable places to live, thriving businesses, quality health care, and good jobs are the backbone of a stable economy and make New York State a better place to live.”

Deborah VanAmerongen, Commissioner of DHCR said, “These awards illustrate the dual mission of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal—to ensure an ample supply of quality affordable housing and to help revitalize communities and make local economies strong.”

The new Brookside II Apartments in Canandaigua will consist of one, two, and three-bedroom units for households with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income. Total project cost is $12.7 million. More than $3 million comes from DHCR’s Homes for Working Families program, which provides financial assistance for the new construction or rehabilitation of family or senior rental projects. Other sources of funding are tax-exempt bonds, loans, and tax credits from the New York State Housing Finance Agency, as well as deferred developer fees.

p=. Community Development Block Grants Help Businesses Grow, Create Jobs

Franklin County will receive a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to assist Aspect Pak, Inc., a new company that provides specialized manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and nutraceutical industries. CDBG assistance will allow the company to purchase equipment and meet other costs begin manufacturing and create 65 new full-time jobs with employer-sponsored health care benefits over three years. 54 of the positions will be available to low and middle-income workers.

The Village of Middleburgh in Schoharie County will receive a $224,000 CDBG grant to assist Bassett Healthcare in establishing a full-time primary care clinic, which will offer family medical services to patients of all ages. CDBG assistance will allow Bassett to build the facility, purchase necessary equipment and furnishings, and meet costs associated with infrastructure and site work. 14 full-time jobs with employer-sponsored health care benefits will be created over three years. Eight of the positions will be available to low and middle-income workers.

The Town of Ridgeway in Orleans County will receive a $750,000 CDBG grant to assist Brunner International, Inc. in expansion efforts, including purchasing and acquiring machinery and equipment. Brunner manufactures brake parts for the heavy-duty truck industry. The company’s expansion will result in 50 new jobs over three years with 44 of these jobs available to low and moderate-income workers. All positions offer competitive wages, training, and company-sponsored benefits.

The awards were approved yesterday by the state Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) a public benefit corporation which is chaired by DHCR Commissioner VanAmerongen. The HTFC was created to facilitate construction of affordable housing for persons of low-income by providing loans and grants for the rehabilitation of existing housing or the construction of new housing under the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund Program.

HTFC and DHCR oversee more than a dozen state and federal programs, including the Homes for Working Families Program, the New York Main Street Program, Access to Home and the Community Development Block Grant Program.

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