County helps secure $3.5 million in state funds

State funding for four affordable housing developments in the towns of Gates, Irondequoit, Clarkson, and the City of Rochester has been secured with help from efforts by Monroe County officials. The $3.5 million in state grants, low interest loans, and tax credits will support efforts by private developers to construct affordable rental housing for seniors, the developmentally disabled, families, and homeless women with children.

The projects that will receive state funding include:

•St. Andrews Apartments, a Providence Housing development for the developmentally disabled in Gates (receiving $890,670 in state assistance and $100,000 in county HOME funding);

•A senior development in the Town of Irondequoit being developed by Rural Housing Opportunities (receiving $2,268,885 in state assistance and $400,000 in county HOME funding);

•Seldon Square II, apartments for families in the Town of Clarkson (receiving $289,234 in state assistance and $520,000 in County HOME funding);

•Apartments on Portland Avenue in the City of Rochester and the Town of Irondequoit that will provide housing for formerly homeless women with children (receiving $55,926 in state assistance and $50,000 in County HOME funding).

Monroe County will use the federal money it receives from the Home Investment Partnership (HOME) program to support these projects. The County is obligated to spend federal grant and HOME program funding on affordable housing opportunities and cannot use the funds for other purposes. Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle said that the county will provide $200,000 in county HOME funding in support of an effort by Lifetime Assistance to develop apartments in the Town of Greece for the developmentally disabled.