Evans cites progress in affordable housing efforts

Rochester aims to create 100 new affordable homes, Mayor Malik Evans said Thursday in his update on the city’s efforts to promote homeownership and affordable housing, and increase housing supply. 

Partnering with the Rochester Land Bank Corp. on the state’s MOVE-IN NY initiative, the city began a pilot program this year to test factory-built homes, with plans to construct 15 CrossMod homes and nine manufactured homes. 

CrossMods combine the cost savings of manufactured housing with the design and financing benefits of site-built homes, according to MOVE-IN NY. The homes, which feature garages, porches, and a three-bedroom layout, are said to be move-in ready within six months of purchase. 

Both initiatives are set to launch by the end of this year, with applications for the new homes open by summer 2027.

Through the state’s program and other initiatives discussed during the news conference held in City Hall’s atrium, the city said it hopes to complete 100 new affordable homes in the coming year, built on the vacant lots that dot the city.

A similar initiative, with a special focus on reversing decades of discriminatory housing policies, was announced in 2022 as the city’s “Buy the Block” program. Since 2023, the city has been able to build 56 homes as part of that initiative. Much of that program was funded with federal dollars from American Rescue Plan Act funding, which ended last year. 

Officials also discussed the Rochester Roots project, a plan to build 15 new, energy-efficient homes in the JOSANA neighborhood, and Rehabilitate the Dream, a program that helped rehabilitate and sell 10 homes to new owner-occupants. Applications for the Rochester Roots homes will open in early 2027, while Rehabilitate the Dream homes are already available and more are expected later this year. 

Homeownership is only part of the city’s housing focus. Evans said city-supported projects have helped create more than 3,165 affordable rental housing units, including 638 supportive units, affordable housing that is paired with support services.

“That means 638 of our most vulnerable residents now have a home and the services they need to get back on track right at their doorstep,” he said. “The city has supported the creation or rehabilitation of 850 market-rate rental units because we need to provide housing options across the full spectrum of residents and incomes.”

These projects represent more than $1.5 billion in affordable housing investments and nearly $400 million in market-rate developments since 2022. 

“Healthy neighborhoods need a strong mix of homeowners and quality rental property owners,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is strong property stewardship and strong, healthy neighborhoods.”

Carol Wheeler, manager of housing, reflected on the city’s ongoing housing efforts and their connection to several of the city’s larger revitalization plans.

“Our strategies and investment (are a)  part of a larger vision that is outlined and consistent with our 2034 comprehensive plan, our five-year strategic consolidated plan, and recommendations from the housing quality task force, and more recently, even our housing market study,” said Wheeler. 

“Not only do we develop high-quality housing that is available to lower-income households, we are helping to reshape and revitalize neighborhoods by building on past and present investments,” she added.

Developments mentioned by Wheeler included the Upper Falls Square Apartments, a 150-unit development on Hudson Avenue, and Los Flamboyanes, a development in the North Clinton area. The latter, she noted, was designed to resemble Old San Juan, an homage to the neighborhood’s sizable Puerto Rican population. 

Patrick Beath, general counsel dedicated to housing issues, said his team works closely with code enforcement to ensure property owners keep their properties up to code.

“You just heard about all the new places we’re constructing, but we’ve got a lot of existing buildings, a lot of existing residences, and we want to keep them up to snuff,” he said.

The city has taken 170 units to court over ordinance violations, collected over $250,000 in fines and emergency abatement costs, and worked with mortgage lenders to pressure property owners into maintaining their buildings.

The update is a reflection of the city’s broader housing strategy, “creating more opportunities for residents to become homeowners, supporting responsible property ownership and management, and ensuring Rochester has quality housing options for renters and homeowners alike,” the city said in a statement.

“We are trying new things. We are creating more homeownership opportunities. We are rehabilitating existing homes, and we are exploring new construction methods,” Evans said. “We are bringing vacant properties back to productive use, and we are continuing to protect the quality of rental housing. This work is about our people, our neighborhoods, and Rochester’s future.” 

David Wazana is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and a member of the Oasis Project’s second cohort. 

The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to comment on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].