The Homes and Community Renewal Connection | |
From Our HCR Family to Yours:
Celebrating a Year of Impact
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Dear Friends,
As we close out 2025, we are proud to reflect on the progress we’ve made together at New York State Homes and Community Renewal. This year we advanced our mission to create high-quality affordable housing opportunities and cultivate connected, inclusive communities where people can thrive.
From groundbreakings to grand openings, new tools, and new partnerships — HCR’s work reflects our commitment to helping families find stability, allowing seniors to age in place, providing services for those who need support, and building stronger communities across the state.
We invite you to watch the video below to see HCR highlights of 2025. As we embark on 2026, we’ll continue building on this progress and working to bring Governor Hochul’s vision of a more affordable and more inclusive New York to life.
Happy New Year!
| | 2025 Development Highlights | | |
Golden Hill Apartments: From Vacant Jail to Vibrant Community
Golden Hill Apartments opens 164 affordable units in Kingston, transforming the former Ulster County Jail site into a vibrant, multi-generational community. The all-electric development features rooftop solar panels and energy recovery systems, serving families, seniors, and households in need of support services.
“Golden Hill Apartments is a bold reimagining of what was once a vacant jail into a vibrant, modern, multi-generational community that lifts up families, seniors, and those who've faced homelessness."
-Governor Hochul
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Starhill Phase I Expands Supportive Housing in Morris Heights
Starhill Phase I opened 326 supportive homes in Morris Heights, including 200 supportive apartments for adults experiencing homelessness. This new development strengthens the Bronx by providing stable housing with access to services and transit, helping residents rebuild their lives with dignity.
“Starhill is a testament to what we can achieve when we prioritize affordable housing and supportive services for New Yorkers in need."
-Governor Hochul
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70 New Affordable Apartments at Riley Brook in Hamburg
Riley Brook Apartments offers 70 affordable apartments in the town of Hamburg, Erie County. The development provides modern, accessible housing for families near schools, recreation, shopping, and public transit.
“As a former Hamburg Town Board Member, it is so exciting to bring housing that families can afford to the community where my dedication to serving New Yorkers began."
-Governor Hochul
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Bedford Green House II Opens in Fordham Heights
Bedford Green House II delivered 116 affordable apartments to the Fordham Heights neighborhood in the Bronx, including 70 homes with supportive services for households experiencing homelessness. The multi-generational development also includes 55 senior apartments and a community medical clinic.
“Bedford Green House II is the latest example of how Governor Hochul remains laser focused on tackling New York City’s housing crisis."
-Commissioner Visnauskas
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Affordable Homes Take Shape at
One Carleton Green in Islip
One Carleton Green is transforming former industrial lots in the town of Islip, Suffolk County, into 96 modern, affordable apartments. The development will also provide on-site supportive services and is conveniently located near public transportation.
“One Carleton Green is emblematic of HCR’s goals – revitalizing communities, while creating affordable, safe housing located near where people work."
-Commissioner Visnauskas
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Affordable Housing and SUNY Space Transform Glens Falls
The city of Glens Falls is welcoming South Street Apartments, a 70-unit development that will offer affordable, supportive housing in the heart of downtown. The building will also include a satellite location for SUNY Adirondack, creating a hub for both residents and the local community.
“With the addition of a SUNY space within the building, we’re also prioritizing education and job training by making it more accessible to those who live in and around the city."
-Governor Hochul
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150 New Affordable Homes Open at Pan-American Square in Buffalo
Buffalo’s westside is now home to Pan-American Square Apartments, a $93 million development featuring three new buildings and 150 affordable units. More than half of the apartments are supportive single-room occupancy units, and several are reserved for seniors, offering on-site services to help residents live independently and thrive.
“As the revitalization of Buffalo continues, we thank our many state and local partners for making this project a reality, and we look forward to our continued work in communities across Western New York."
-Commissioner Visnauskas
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East Adams Phase I Breaks Ground in the city of Syracuse
Construction is underway on East Adams Phase I, a $102 million development that will deliver 132 energy-efficient, mixed-income homes in Syracuse. The project replaces the outdated McKinney Manor public housing complex and is part of the broader East Adams Neighborhood Transformation Plan, reconnecting the community ahead of the I-81 viaduct removal.
“Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are committed to reinvesting in places that were too often overlooked, and ensuring that communities benefit directly from this historic moment of change."
-Commissioner Visnauskas
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2025: A Year of Building Stronger Pro-Housing Communities
HCR is ending 2025 with nearly 400 communities across the state certified under the Pro-Housing Communities Program, one of the most innovative housing initiatives that Governor Hochul has championed.
The Pro-Housing Communities Program incentivizes local governments to take action to support housing growth and address the housing shortage throughout the state. The FY25 and FY26 Enacted Budgets strengthened the program — which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding — by adding additional funding resources for communities, including for infrastructure projects that will enable more housing.
Tech Assistance Grants
In addition, this year certified municipalities were eligible to apply for technical assistance grants to help them undertake pro-housing related activities necessary to increase housing supply. Certified PHCs could apply for up to $250,000 from this $5M fund to help in their efforts to create master plans, conduct market studies and zoning analyses, streamline building permits, and similar activities that enhance the community’s ability to cultivate a pro-housing environment.
PHC Housing Supply Fund
In December, Governor Hochul announced awards under the $100 million Pro-Housing Supply Fund to provide certified Pro-Housing Communities with financing for essential infrastructure projects needed to faciliate new housing developments. Read the release here.
New Dashboard
And this year HCR launched an enhanced Pro-Housing Communities dashboard, which now includes the PHC Zoning Map. This interactive tool displays zoning at a statewide scale which can help us better understand housing potential and establish a baseline of existing zoning.
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