Attorney General James Grants $100,000 To Broome County For Affordable Housing

October 10, 2019

Attorney General James Grants $100,000 to Broome County for Affordable Housing

Funds Will Be Provided to Broome Community Land Trust

BROOME COUNTY — Attorney General Letitia James announced that Broome County received a grant of $100,000 in the second round of the “Community Land Trusts Capacity Building Initiative,” which acquires and renovates distressed properties, provides training and technical assistance to homeowners, and creates permanent affordable housing for the benefit of low- and middle-income families.

“One of my priorities is supporting and expanding opportunities for permanent, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families,” said Attorney General James. “Thanks to this innovative partnership, we can improve local housing conditions and develop innovate projects and programs for future generations of New Yorkers.”

The grant provided is a continuation of the 2017 Community Land Trust (CLT) Initiative, a program created by the Office of the New York Attorney General and Enterprise Community Partners to support the formation of six community land trusts in the state. This program also led to the creation of a CLT Learning Exchange comprised of nine community-based organizations, to address housing challenges, especially vacancy and blight, and to develop and promote new models of community ownership of affordable housing and community spaces.

“Enterprise is excited to provide this second round of funding to catalyze new Community Land Trusts and strengthen existing ones,” said Enterprise Community Partners Vice President and New York Market Leader Judi Kende. “CLTs give neighborhood residents the power to decrease displacement, ensure permanent affordability, and, most importantly, make decisions about development in their own communities. This round of funding will deepen that work by supporting even more CLTs and expanding opportunities for local stakeholders to play an active role in revitalizing and preserving communities across New York.”

Broome County currently does not current have a Community Land Trust. With these funds, Broome County plans to explore and create a CLT, focusing on the City of Binghamton. Broome County also intends to create cohorts of residents who will help develop the CLT structure, dedicated to stewarding permanently affordable housing and community assets.

“The Attorney General’s Office has been a strong supporter of municipalities as we continue focusing on the housing crisis in New York State. Broome County is excited to cooperate with community advocates who spearheaded the community land trust, including the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition," said Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. "The new community land trust funded by this grant is another step in the right direction in providing affordable housing to our residents.”

Enterprise Community Partners released a report on the impact of the first round of the Community Land Trust Initiative. Enterprise was able to leverage the initial grants into a $63 million investment for permanent affordable housing in NYC, Long Island, and Albany. The first round of the program resulted in the creation of 70 buildings or homes, 453 permanently affordable housing units, and 34 new positions or jobs.

The program also reserves $200,000 if the grantees need additional funding before the two-year program is complete.