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New O-CHIP program aims to fill in housing gaps for Onondaga County

Ellen Abbott
/
WRVO

Anticipated population growth fueled by the Micron, and a shortage of housing has spurred Onondaga County to get in the housing business. A new program called O-CHIP, aims to offer help to private sector and nonprofit developers across the county.

The county has put aside $10 million from its savings account to help developers get their projects past the finish line. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said awards will fill the gaps for all kinds of projects, from single family homes to mixed use developments.

"We think this is going to help get a lot of those projects that are sitting there idle, over the goal line, but also incentivize new projects to really grow our housing stock."

Awards can range from $5,000 per unit up to $250,000 per project. A regionally significant project can receive up to $750,000.

McMahon said there are two goals for distribution of a $10 million pot of money.

“Priority one, macro level — more units, plain and simple," McMahon said. "We need more units to stabilize market conditions. Priority two, we want to identify projects that need the help. In addition to that really look at adaptive reuse, affordable, brownfield, condominium type development, center-driven development.”

Kerry Quaglia of Home HeadQuarters, a nonprofit housing development group in Syracuse, said this will fill the gaps when state and federal funds are slow in coming for a project.

"In the past we sort of wring our hands to fill the gap," Quaglia said. "What I'm really excited about with this program [is, it's a] local program, going to have local decision makers, you won’t have to go to Albany, you won’t have to go to Washington, go right to the county seat here and get an answer."

Officials estimate population growth of 125,000 in Onondaga County in the coming years, as Micron begins work on a mega complex of computer chip plants in Syracuse’s northern suburbs. McMahon also said there is simply a shortage of housing in the county that has been driving up prices.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.