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Record of Proceedings

SURA Board Meeting – September 8, 2025: Approves $1.25M for Home Headquarters and $2.5M Transfer

Public MeetingsMonday, September 8, 2025
BodySyracuse, New York
SessionPublic Meetings
DateMonday, September 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Transcript — Verbatim
5:45

I'll note that all board members are present, that being Council President Hudson and Commissioner Canazaro.

5:51

And looking at the packet, we don't have the proof of notice in the packet, but uh it does exist.

5:58

That is my oversight.

6:00

I'm sorry about that.

6:00

That's okay.

6:01

It is posted on the website and uh downstairs.

6:05

All the matters.

6:06

Uh thank you, Meg.

6:07

And uh we'll move right into new business.

6:09

Looks like we have three items, so Meg, I'll turn it over to you to introduce them.

6:14

Um actually I'm gonna then further turn it over to Michelle for um to discuss uh resolution number 3472 and 3473 as they are companion pieces.

6:24

Good afternoon, everyone.

6:25

Um Michelle Sabinski, Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Development, uh resolution 3472 and 3473 uh are companion pieces uh pursuant to uh the transfer of funds to SURA um and entering into agreement with home headquarters uh for funds that were authorized in the city city's 2526 uh general operating budget.

6:46

Um so uh there's legislation pending with the common council uh to authorize this transfer, so it's just um SURA looking to memorialize kind of the resolution that they would be used for the purposes outlined.

6:58

Um so of the 1.25 million uh that was included for home headquarters allocation, we're looking to um break it out so that 500,000 uh of those dollars is supporting the UCIP program, so urgent care uh program, low interest loans, um particularly looking to prioritize those dollars in the neighborhoods where the housing strategy is prioritizing work first, so Tip Hill Far West Side and Salt Springs.

7:24

Um idea there being that there's existing urgent care resources within CDBG that can kind of cover the whole city, but we want to be able to make sure that we compare some kind of dedicated resources for income qualified individuals in the housing strategy areas as well.

7:39

Uh and then the remaining 750,000 would be going to support uh single family town home development of the 25 uh town homes.

7:47

I think that uh the way that it's broken out here on the agenda, it appears that bullet number one and three are disparate items, they are the same thing.

7:55

Sorry.

7:56

And all of that goes towards the you said 25.

7:59

This has 27 uh town homes.

8:02

Yep, 27 townhomes.

8:04

27 town homes.

8:05

Uh that is part of the Circus Developmental Center project with um partnership between home headquarters and Albany's group, correct?

8:13

Yep.

8:14

Okay.

8:15

Well this money was already approved.

8:18

No, council has pending legislation to authorize it.

8:22

It was in the city budget, yes.

8:24

Yep.

8:28

Any other questions?

8:32

Uh no.

8:35

All right.

8:36

So um just make sure I go.

8:42

So just to be clear, first resolution is authorizing SURA to accept funding in the amount of 1.25 million from the city, and then the second resolution is transferring those funds uh through an agreement with home headquarters, right?

8:59

So which will we should act on need to act on separately?

9:03

So um for the first resolution authorizing the Sura to accept funding in the amount not to exceed 1.25 million from the city to execute a related agreement with the city of Syracuse as necessary.

9:16

I will entertain a motion.

9:18

So moved second.

9:24

Not many options here.

9:27

Um any further discussion.

9:29

All in favor?

9:30

Aye.

9:31

Opposed, carried.

9:33

Okay, second companion resolution, number 3473 authorizing SURA to enter into an agreement with home headquarters for an amount not to exceed 1.25 million.

9:44

Uh and I will entertain a motion to approve that resolution.

9:47

So moved.

9:50

Any further discussion?

9:52

All in favor.

9:53

Aye.

9:54

Aye.

9:54

Opposed, carried.

9:56

Okay, next up we have resolution number 3474.

10:01

And uh turn it back to Meg or Michelle.

10:04

This is me.

10:05

Okay.

10:06

Yes.

10:06

Thank you, Mayor.

10:07

So this is just kind of a housekeeping item.

10:09

Um at the last meeting in August, we um this board approved an agency agreement for between Surah and the Housing Strategies Corporation for that $2.5 million.

10:22

At the time it wasn't um clear how the money would be distributed, um, but the money will be was transferred to the housing strategies corporations to enable them to implement the um their block challenge grant program.

10:37

So this is just um kind of covering that to make sure this board approves that the money is transferred to the housing strategies corporation to implement that program okay because it just the agency agreement was approved, not the transfer of the funds prior.

10:54

I see.

10:54

So that was an oversight.

10:55

Okay, understood.

10:57

Okay, so again, uh going back to Council President Hudson's earlier question.

11:02

This 2.5 million comes out of the fiscal year 2625.

11:08

That was 2425.

11:10

Yes, which was already approved by the common council and this board.

11:12

Got it for SURA to accept it from the city to Surah.

11:17

Understood.

11:17

And so then this is SURA to the Housing Strategies Corporation.

11:21

Well, that's not I'm I'm bear with me here because I'm back.

11:25

Is this your first meeting back?

11:26

Yes, welcome back.

11:27

Thank you.

11:27

Thank you.

11:28

So this is not the 7.5.

11:31

This is not any of that, correct?

11:35

This is 2.5 of the 7.5, so the city's portion of those dollars.

11:41

That's what I thought.

11:42

Okay.

11:42

So the city's first investment into yeah, going back to the previous budget.

11:47

That's what I thought.

11:47

It's coming coming back to me too.

11:49

Yes.

11:49

So which was allocated in the 2425.

11:53

See, I remembered.

11:56

Okay, great.

11:57

All right.

11:58

So I will entertain a motion.

12:01

So moved.

12:03

Second.

12:03

Any further discussion?

12:05

All in favor?

12:06

Aye.

12:07

Aye.

12:07

Opposed?

12:08

Carried.

12:09

All right.

12:09

Any other items up for discussion?

12:12

I have nothing further.

12:14

Good.

12:15

Entertain a motion to adjourn.

12:17

So moved.

12:18

Second.

12:19

All in favor?

12:20

Aye.

12:20

Aye.

12:21

Opposed.

12:21

Meeting is adjourned.

12:22

Thanks, everybody.

12:23

Thank you.

12:24

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████54%
Procedural██████████████████████████████████████46%
Summary of Proceedings

SURA Board Meeting – September 8, 2025

The Syracuse Urban Renewal Agency (SURA) board convened on September 8, 2025, at 5:26 PM with all members present (Council President Hudson and Commissioner Canazaro). The board considered three resolutions related to housing funding allocations, including companion pieces and a housekeeping item. No public comments were received. All resolutions were approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

  • Resolutions 3472 & 3473 (Companion Pieces): Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Development Michelle Sabinski introduced these resolutions authorizing SURA to accept $1.25 million from the City of Syracuse and then transfer those funds via an agreement with Home Headquarters. The funds were already included in the city’s 2025-26 general operating budget. Specifically, $500,000 would support the Urgent Care Improvement Program (UCIP) for low‑interest loans, prioritized in the housing strategy areas of Tipperary Hill, Far West Side, and Salt Springs. The remaining $750,000 would support the development of 27 townhomes as part of the Circus Developmental Center project, a partnership between Home Headquarters and Albany's group. The board discussed that this money had been budgeted but required separate SURA authorization.
  • Resolution 3474: Sabinski explained this was a “housekeeping” item to formally authorize the transfer of $2.5 million from SURA to the Housing Strategies Corporation. At the previous August meeting, the board had approved an agency agreement for the funds but had not explicitly approved the transfer of dollars. The $2.5 million is the city’s portion from the fiscal year 2024-25 budget (part of a larger $7.5 million allocation) and will enable the Housing Strategies Corporation to implement its Block Challenge Grant program.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution 3472: Motion to authorize SURA to accept funding not to exceed $1.25 million from the City of Syracuse and execute a related agreement. Approved unanimously (voice vote: all ayes).
  • Resolution 3473: Motion to authorize SURA to enter into an agreement with Home Headquarters for an amount not to exceed $1.25 million. Approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 3474: Motion to approve the transfer of $2.5 million from SURA to the Housing Strategies Corporation. Approved unanimously.
  • No further business was discussed; the meeting adjourned by unanimous consent.

Meeting Transcript

I'll note that all board members are present, that being Council President Hudson and Commissioner Canazaro. And looking at the packet, we don't have the proof of notice in the packet, but uh it does exist. That is my oversight. I'm sorry about that. That's okay. It is posted on the website and uh downstairs. All the matters. Uh thank you, Meg. And uh we'll move right into new business. Looks like we have three items, so Meg, I'll turn it over to you to introduce them. Um actually I'm gonna then further turn it over to Michelle for um to discuss uh resolution number 3472 and 3473 as they are companion pieces. Good afternoon, everyone. Um Michelle Sabinski, Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Development, uh resolution 3472 and 3473 uh are companion pieces uh pursuant to uh the transfer of funds to SURA um and entering into agreement with home headquarters uh for funds that were authorized in the city city's 2526 uh general operating budget. Um so uh there's legislation pending with the common council uh to authorize this transfer, so it's just um SURA looking to memorialize kind of the resolution that they would be used for the purposes outlined. Um so of the 1.25 million uh that was included for home headquarters allocation, we're looking to um break it out so that 500,000 uh of those dollars is supporting the UCIP program, so urgent care uh program, low interest loans, um particularly looking to prioritize those dollars in the neighborhoods where the housing strategy is prioritizing work first, so Tip Hill Far West Side and Salt Springs. Um idea there being that there's existing urgent care resources within CDBG that can kind of cover the whole city, but we want to be able to make sure that we compare some kind of dedicated resources for income qualified individuals in the housing strategy areas as well. Uh and then the remaining 750,000 would be going to support uh single family town home development of the 25 uh town homes. I think that uh the way that it's broken out here on the agenda, it appears that bullet number one and three are disparate items, they are the same thing. Sorry. And all of that goes towards the you said 25. This has 27 uh town homes. Yep, 27 townhomes. 27 town homes. Uh that is part of the Circus Developmental Center project with um partnership between home headquarters and Albany's group, correct? Yep. Okay. Well this money was already approved. No, council has pending legislation to authorize it. It was in the city budget, yes. Yep. Any other questions? Uh no. All right. So um just make sure I go. So just to be clear, first resolution is authorizing SURA to accept funding in the amount of 1.25 million from the city, and then the second resolution is transferring those funds uh through an agreement with home headquarters, right? So which will we should act on need to act on separately? So um for the first resolution authorizing the Sura to accept funding in the amount not to exceed 1.25 million from the city to execute a related agreement with the city of Syracuse as necessary. I will entertain a motion. So moved second. Not many options here. Um any further discussion. All in favor? Aye. Opposed, carried. Okay, second companion resolution, number 3473 authorizing SURA to enter into an agreement with home headquarters for an amount not to exceed 1.25 million. Uh and I will entertain a motion to approve that resolution. So moved. Any further discussion? All in favor. Aye.

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