Meeting Transcript

For the city of Syracuse for the program year 51. I am Michael Collins. I'm commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development. I'm joined by Tanya Eastman, who is the director of neighborhood grants. And on behalf of Mayor Sharon F. Owens, we are here to go through the report in accordance with Title 24 of the Federal Regulations 24 CFR, Part 91, all jurisdictions receiving any of the federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development listed below must complete a consolidated annual performance and evaluation report known as a CAPER within 90 days from the close of the program year. We receive funding for the community development block grant, the home investment partnership grant, the emergency solutions grant, and our housing opportunities for person with AIDS funding is uh delegated to the state. The city allocates funds from each program annually to support services that address community development, housing, and human service needs identified in our five-year consolidated plan. And uh that consolidated plan runs from 2025 to 2029. So this is the summary of uh the program year 51 accomplishments, May 1 through April of 2025 to April 30, 2026. Uh there are printed copies here, and the report is available on the department's web page of the city website. So if you go to uh SYR.gov and head to the neighborhood and business development uh section. That uh the re uh draft report is there, and it will be uh after this meeting. We have until the end of uh the month to be able to submit it to HUD uh with the reports that are run along with it. Uh so we'll touch quickly on some highlights. Um the um grants team along with Tanya Eastman, uh Renee Schwaniere is the home program administrator, Sue McMahon is the emergency solutions grant program administrator, uh uh, and Michelle Sapansky is the deputy commissioner during this program year. Uh Sophie Fisher, uh, who has moved on uh was the program uh administrator for the community development block grant. Um our strategic priorities were within the five-year plan are to promote and preserve safe affordable and stable housing, uh, to promote affordable home ownership, create new affordable housing, prevent and address homelessness, provide quality housing resources and public services, improve neighborhood stability, build wealth and promote economic inclusion, improve neighborhood vibrancy. Uh appreciate you joining. I'm glad you could find a seat. Um we have uh within the community uh development block grant, uh we specifically uh for program 50 year 51 uh program year focused on home improvement direct assistance, eviction prevention and landlord tenant counseling, reducing barriers to fair housing, homeownership, promotion and retention, uh, youth receiving academic social and cultural enrichment through structured summer and after school programs, reduction of residential and commercial quarter vacancy and removal blading influences, and individuals uh participating in human services, social cultural enrichment within neighborhood-based community centers. For the emergency solutions grant, uh we served uh 369 unique individuals through the street outreach programming that is funded, and the rapid rehousing program served 64 individuals. Uh homeless prevention work uh critically important to minimize the need for the street outreach uh so that people are able to stay in their homes, 254 individuals reserved. Uh for the home investment partnership, for which uh the focus areas were rehabilitation and new construction of single family homes, homeownership promotion, rehabilitation and new construction of uh both two-family uh or monthly rental, multi-unit rentals, and property demolition again to address that play. That work happened across the city, but largely within the neighborhood stabilization uh or neighborhood revitalizations service areas uh that make up a significant portion of the northwest and south sides of the city. Um they're all listed within the uh uh within the budget um to call out a few. Uh certainly we have uh CNY Fair Housing in my father's kitchen, home headquarters, Syracuse Northeast Community Center, Rescue Mission, YWCA, uh, volunteer lawyers, and plenty of others. If there are any questions, um with considering all of the possible speakers today, we'd like to be able to limit that to three minutes. But uh, if there are anybody, uh if there is anybody that would like to make comment, now would be the time to do so. In case there are some stragglers coming in who may have some questions. In the meantime, uh, enjoy this moment of silence. Considering the absence of additional speakers or any speakers, we will call this meeting closed. Thank you very much.