Input meeting set for Syracuse residents first in line for housing strategy benefits

Housing strategy public hearing — Ben Lockwood, president and CEO of Housing Visions (standing at microphone), speaks at a public hearing Tuesday, July 30, on Syracuse's new housing strategy.Tim Knauss

Syracuse, N.Y. — A public input meeting is set this week for residents in neighborhoods where the city plans to offer financial assistance to homeowners looking to make upgrades.

A meeting Wednesday comes in response to Syracuse Common Councilor Rasheada Caldwell’s move last week to block a vote supporting Mayor Ben Walsh proposed housing strategy. Caldwell said more outreach was needed for residents on the city’s East Side.

A meeting to provide an overview of the plan and gather feedback will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at Soule Branch Library, 101 Springfield Road.

The Syracuse Housing Strategy was released in April, more than a year after a housing industry consultant hired by the city released a study on the local market. The study found that Syracuse faces a duel crisis of low-quality housing stock that needs investment and a population that can’t afford to pay rent on upgraded properties. The strategic plan to tackle this problem was to target initial investment in middle-income neighborhoods where residents typically can’t access public support that’s available to more distressed areas.

Two areas first in line for targeted investment are the Salt Springs neighborhood on the East Side and Tipperary Hill on the West Side.

Walsh administration officials are hopeful the public meeting planned for this week will lead to the council approving the strategy at its next meeting in early September.

Through a newly created authority called the Syracuse Housing Strategies Corp., city officials hope to raise $25 million to use for those investments. About $7.5 million is secured so far.

More information on the housing study and strategy is available online at syracusehousingstudy.com.

City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook.