RUPCO Opens Applications for Vacant Rental Improvement Program

KINGSTON, N.Y. - April 1, 2025 - PRLog -- RUPCO is accepting applications for the Vacant Rental Improvement Program (VRP), which will support the rehabilitation of 80 vacant and uninhabitable rental units across Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester, and Sullivan counties. This funding, awarded through New York State's VRP initiative, will transform these properties into safe, high-quality, and affordable homes for low- and moderate-income tenants.

"At RUPCO, we are committed to expanding access to affordable housing and strengthening communities," said Faith Moore, Senior VP of Housing Programs and Solutions at RUPCO. "With applications open, we are eager to work with property owners to bring much-needed housing units back online, ensuring they meet the highest standards of safety and quality while remaining affordable for decades to come."

The Vacant Rental Improvement Program provides responsible landlords with grants of up to $75,000 per unit for repairs; in exchange for funding, property owners must agree to rent to tenants at low-moderate income levels and keep rents affordable for up to 10 years. Eligible improvements include:

• Health and safety upgrades
• Correction of code violations
• Accessibility modifications
• Environmental remediation
• General repairs to restore properties to habitable conditions

Interested landlords can apply for funding. To learn more about the Vacant Rental Improvement Program and how to apply, visit www.rupco.org/vrp

The VRP, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul as part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at assisting small-scale landlords in revitalizing vacant properties to address the state's housing crisis. The program targets the rehabilitation of up to 600 vacant apartments statewide, focusing on communities outside New York City.

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About RUPCO
RUPCO creates homes, supports people, and improves communities across a broad spectrum of community development solutions, including housing, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization in the Hudson Valley. RUPCO creates and maintains quality, sustainable housing and rental opportunities, inspires understanding and acceptance of affordable housing initiatives, and champions pathways to opportunity. For more information, visit www.rupco.org

About NYSHCR
New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR) preserves housing affordability and works with private, public, and nonprofit partners to create inclusive, safe, "green," and resilient places to live in New York State. HCR is charged with carrying out the Governor's $1 billion HOUSE NY plan, leveraging New York's federal and state community development resources, and creating affordable housing opportunities statewide. HCR programs provide financing to create and preserve multifamily housing; improve housing conditions, ensure accessibility, and save energy; provide bonding authority and other resources to facilitate local public improvements and job creation; and help thousands of low- and moderate-income New Yorkers purchase a home. NYS HCR also funds services for low-to-middle-income households, and vulnerable populations including veterans, seniors, homeless families, individuals with HIV/AIDS, and at-risk youth.