State Funding will Help Create Affordable Housing Opportunities in Rochester

ALBANY, NY (10/31/2007)(readMedia)-- Deborah VanAmerongen, commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal (DHCR), today announced $4.46 Million in grants and loans for the construction of new affordable housing, including more than $1 Million to rehabilitate Marketview Rental in the City of Rochester.

The rehabilitation of Marketview Rental's two adjacent three-story buildings will provide eight apartments for low-income families, along with expanded office space for Marketview Heights Association, which provides housing-related services to the community.

VanAmerongen said this project represents the type of collaborative effort it takes to make a difference in communities. "Governor Spitzer has made it very clear from his first day in office that reviving the upstate economy and improving affordable housing opportunities across the state are two of his top priorities. The DHCR will continue working with our local partners to help Rochester and other communities address their housing needs."

Governor Eliot Spitzer said, "Marketview Rental will address a need for housing in Rochester and also serve as home to an organization that helps make affordable housing available for residents and the entire community. Mixed-use rehabilitation projects like these are a key to revitalizing upstate cities."

The $1.1 Million Marketview Rental rehabilitation project is also receiving $80,000 from the City of Rochester HOME program. Other partners include Marketview Heights Association, a DHCR-funded Neighborhood Preservation Company which will serve as developer of the project and continue to own and manage the buildings. David Galbo is the architect, Allied Builders is the general contractor, and Oxford Consulting is the housing consultant.

The funding was approved today by the State's Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC), a public benefit corporation which is chaired by Commissioner VanAmerongen and receives staff and administrative support from DHCR. The HTFC was created in 1985 to help meet the critical need for decent, affordable housing opportunities in New York State.

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