The Syracuse agency tasked with dealing with the city’s housing crisis is hoping to get funds into the hands of some homeowners by this fall. But lawmakers must first approve the funding, and are asking questions about the program.
City councilors approved spending $2.5 million to help launch the Syracuse Housing Strategy Corporation in 2023. Michelle Sczpanski, deputy commissioner of neighborhood development, said they’re is asking lawmakers to begin transferring the funds, so it can begin helping homeowners in certain neighborhoods fix up their homes.
“We would be looking to try to open a first round of homeowner block challenge programming in the fall,” Sczpanski said during a meeting of the Common Council’s Neighborhood Preservation Committee Monday. “I think that, again, timing is of the essence there because it's something that's very kind of weather dependent exterior programming. The idea for that is to really kind of get some quick wins."
The Tipperary Hill and Salt Springs neighborhoods would be first in line for the funding, going to homeowners who don’t meet the income requirements for federal funds.
Sczpanski said that up to $500,000 of the city funds would be spent on administration.
“$350,000-500,000 is staffing and all administration costs we estimate,” she said. “So legal fees, any fees that we have for kind of annual audit, stuff of that nature. The remaining, we would like to all be able to use that to direct assistance for homeowners.”
That number concerned some lawmakers, and Councilor Rasheada Caldwell wanted to see an itemized breakdown of how money will be spent.
“I think that's important to know what the money's going to be spent for and is it going to be for employment?” Caldwell asked. “Like is that a plan that you guys want to do? Like being open in front about is important."
Sczpanski said that $5 million in housing funding from the state can’t be used for administration of the program. The goal of the corporation is to carry out Mayor Ben Walsh’s Syracuse Housing Strategy, to create safer and more affordable housing.
