SYRACUSE, NY - In Central New York, affordable housing often means substandard housing. And state and federal programs designed to help homeowners and landlords pay for renovations and improvements often don't apply to the region's largely scattered, often rural residents. Those were two of the recurring complaints officials from the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal heard during five recent focus groups in the region.
DHCR staff sat with local municipal officials, social services providers, advocates and housing developers to talk about Central New York's housing needs. The findings are compiled into a report, the first of its kind, which will be released today to help state and federal officials better target housing grants and aid.
Among the report's key findings:
• Low-income renters often settle for substandard housing because they can't afford first and last months' rent, as well as a security deposit. Property owners say low rents keep them from making needed repairs.
• While rents typically increase annually, the state's welfare allowance for housing has stagnated. In Onondaga County, rents have grown by almost 16 percent, but the shelter allowance has remained flat. In Madison County, the allowance for a family of four is just under $300 a month.
• In Syracuse, there's a need for homes with three or more bedrooms to accommodate large immigrant families.
• Residents in Cayuga and Madison counties want new houses and apartment complexes built, while Oswego County residents generally prefer refurbishing existing homes and units. Rehabilitation of a single deteriorating house can cost as much as $150,000.
• The city of Auburn needs multifamily housing, but some residents oppose new construction because they worry about increased population density. Residents in Madison and Onondaga counties shared similar concerns.
• Foreclosures are on the rise in Oswego County, more so than in any other part of Central New York. More than 10 percent of the foreclosed loans were subprime or second loans.
• Cortland County is experiencing a shortage of housing for low- and moderate-income people and families because of competition from SUNY Cortland's 7,500 students, half of whom live off campus.
• Mixed-use developments planned for downtown Syracuse should include affordable units and not be targeted only toward young professionals, empty nesters and suburbanites.
• All of Central New York needs more affordable and accessible housing for seniors and the disabled.
• Homelessness is on the rise in Onondaga and Oswego counties.
• Both homeowners and owners of rental properties need funding for housing projects. Agencies and nonprofit groups that administer community development grants say they can't keep up with demand, have long waiting lists and limited staffs.
"Participants throughout the region expressed their dissatisfaction with several of DHCR's existing programs as they believe the programs are not meeting the needs of rural Upstate communities," according to the report.
DHCR Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen said her staff will consider all of the input from Central New York, and from similar meetings held statewide, as the agency shapes its programs for next year.
"Rather than us sitting in Albany thinking we are all-knowing, we know there are people who know those communities better than we do," she said. "It's very much intended to be a locally driven process, a state agency listening to people saying what they need."
Source: syracuse.com