Program Overview:
This program is designed to support the City of Rochester’s (City) response to housing issues
related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide assistance to eligible landlords
with vacant units to undertake maintenance and minor repairs to enable quick occupancy by a
Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) individual or household. Tenant incomes must be at or below
60% of Area Median Income (AMI) at the time of signing a lease or rental agreement.
Landlords will make eligible improvements to vacant rental units to facilitate quick occupancy of
the unit to an LMI individual or household. The landlord will be reimbursed for eligible
maintenance and repair expenses once proof of occupancy of the unit by an LMI individual or
family is provided by the landlord.
This program is funded by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with special funding authorized under
the CARES Act.
Total allocated funding: $300,000
Typical grant award: $2,000
Expected # of grants: 150
Grant term ends September 30, 2022
Applicant Eligibility
Residential Rental property owners in the city of Rochester are eligible for this program if they:
- Own a vacant rental unit
- Are current on all tax payments with the City of Rochester and Monroe County for all of
- their properties
- Are not in mortgage foreclosure for any of their properties
- Are in good standing with code enforcement on all of their properties
- Are not on the Federal Excluded Parties Entity List
To qualify for reimbursement following the rehab of the unit, the unit must be rented to a tenant
that meets HUD income guidelines of a maximum of 60% of Area Median Income (AMI). Income
guidelines are scaled by household size and updated annually based on the latest available
data. Landlords are advised to collect the income verification documentation required for
reimbursement when screening potential tenants.
