DHCR Announces the Availability of $6.4 Million in NY Main Street Funds

ALBANY, NY (09/10/2008)(readMedia)-- The 2008-2009 State Budget included historic increases in funding for New York's housing and community development programs. As a result, $6.4 million is now available under the New York Main Street 2008 Fall Funding Round to help build and preserve affordable housing and revitalize communities across the state.

To access the Request for Proposals, go to www.nysdhcr.gov. Applications must be submitted on or before 5:00 p.m., EST on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008.

For the first time, municipalities may apply for NY Main St. funding. Applicants must be a unit of general local government or an organization incorporated under the NYS Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, which includes community-based organizations, business improvement districts, and other similar entities that have been providing relevant service to the community for at least one year prior to application.

Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen said, "With the new resources that Governor Paterson and the Legislature included in this year's budget, we can make a great program like NY Main Street even better and more effective at revitalizing downtown communities and increasing access to affordable housing for people who need it most."

The New York Main Street Program (NYMS) is administered by the Office of Community Renewal (OCR) under the direction of the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC). HTFC contracts with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) to administer the Corporation's activities and manage its affairs. NYMS provides funds to stimulate reinvestment in properties located within mixed-use commercial districts located in urban, small town, and rural areas of New York State. Since its inception in 2004, NYMS has awarded over $42 million dollars in more than 150 communities across the State.