The Syracuse agency tasked with dealing with the city’s housing crisis is hoping to get funds into the hands of some homeowners by this fall. But lawmakers must first approve the funding, and are asking questions about the program.
City councilors approved spending $2.5 million to help launch the Syracuse Housing Strategy Corporation in 2023. Michelle Sczpanski, deputy commissioner of neighborhood development, said they’re asking lawmakers to begin transferring the funds, so it can begin helping homeowners in certain neighborhoods fix up their homes.
“We would be looking to try to open a first round of homeowner block challenge programming in the fall,” Sczpanski said during a meeting of the Common Council’s Neighborhood Preservation Committee Monday. “I think that, again, timing is of the essence there because it’s something that’s very kind of weather-dependent exterior programming. The idea for that is to really kind of get some quick wins.”…