Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced the award of $10.7 million to two affordable housing developments in the Mohawk Valley that will create or preserve 123 affordable homes in Utica and the Village of Herkimer.
The funding is part of $175.4 million the state is awarding to build or preserve more than 2,185 affordable apartments and revitalize communities across New York’s 10 regions.
The awards in the Mohawk Valley address the state’s housing goal of preserving public housing and includes the construction of a new Head Start daycare center in the Village of Herkimer, and the removal of blight and construction of new affordable and supportive housing by the Kelberman Center in the City of Utica.
Nearly $5.2 million will be used to fund the demolition of the vacant Sunset School and construction of a new four-story building with 60 apartments in Utica. The new homes, which will include 12 apartments set aside for people in need of supportive services, will be affordable to households with incomes below 62 percent of the area median income. The development will include an on-site service office for The Kelberman Center to provide after school, evening and weekend events for the community.
Further, $5.6 million will fund the substantial rehabilitation of Eastern Garden, a mixed-use public housing development with 48 affordable apartments and the construction of a new building with 15 apartments for a total of 63 apartments in the Village of Herkimer. The apartments will be affordable to households with incomes below 50 percent of the area median income. The project also includes creating a new Head Start classroom on another Herkimer Housing Authority property, allowing an existing community building to revert to use by the residents.
“These critical investments will strengthen communities in every corner of the state by creating and preserving affordable homes for families, veterans, seniors and some of our most vulnerable neighbors,” Gov. Cuomo stated. “By strategically revitalizing neighborhoods throughout New York, we can breathe new life into these communities, making them more vibrant places to live for generations to come.”
