City of Rochester
News Release
City Awarded State Grant to Reduce “Zombie Properties”
(Friday, July 19, 2019) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren announced today that the City has been awarded a $500,000 state grant with funds secured by New York State Attorney General Letitia James to reduce vacant and abandoned properties, also known as “Zombie Properties.”
“So-called zombie homes harm our neighborhoods and the people who live in them and this funding will go a long way toward restoring these types of properties to productive use, leading to more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities,” Mayor Warren said. “I would like to thank Attorney General James for continuing to stand up for Upstate New York and for all of Rochester’s residents.”
“Far too many communities throughout New York continue to be blighted by zombie homes,” Attorney General James said. “These abandoned houses significantly decrease property values and threaten the safety of surrounding neighborhoods. Zombies 2.0 will be a key resource for cities and towns across the state to combat this nuisance and make communities whole.”
The funds were secured as a result of a 2018 settlement related to mortgage fraud and are administered through the Local Initiatives Support Corporation LISC (LISC).The grant is part of “Zombies 2.0,” a statewide program awarding municipalities with funding to address housing vacancy and blight.
The LISC grant promotes the activities of the New York State Housing Stabilization Fund, which enables the work of municipalities to support Housing Quality Improvement and Enforcement Programs. Additionally, the grant will assist with the development of efficient and effective means of collaborating with state agencies to ensure compliance with the new Zombie Law, which requires the mortgagees or servicing agents of vacant and abandoned properties to inspect, secure and maintain them. The grant will be in effect for a two year period.
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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.