CenterState CEO Task Force Releases Policy Recommendations To Address Housing Challenges

The Memo Encourages Municipal Land Use Reform,  Pro-Housing Advocacy, And More 

 

SYRACUSE, NY – CenterState CEO’s Housing Task Force released a policy memo that addresses the region’s urgent need for housing and presents solutions that can be implemented within current conditions. CenterState CEO convened the Task Force, made up of housing stakeholders from different sectors, to take a first step in tackling a challenge critical to future economic success. 

Following years of population loss and a subsequent decrease in housing production, Central New York now expects to accommodate more than 75,000 new residents by 2055. This comes at a time of sharp declines in affordability and skyrocketing homelessness. To address the pressing need for diverse and affordable housing in Central New York, a multi-faceted approach is required. To create a more equitable and sustainable future, it is imperative for public and private sector leaders to act collaboratively now, embracing bold leadership and inclusive planning that brings all stakeholders to the table. 

“We have worked and earned this growth and must create housing that supports it. We are not the first community to experience rapid economic growth, and this memo reflects the lessons learned from those places,” said CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson. “Every city, town and village in Central New York will benefit from our evolution from stagnation to growth, and therefore, we all share the burden of delivering real solutions in the form of more, and more affordable, places to live.” 

The following key strategies aim to encourage municipalities, financial institutions, community stakeholders, and all current and future residents of CNY, to support policies and programs that drive equitable housing growth:   

 

1. Encourage Municipalities to Opt-in to State Housing Programs  

• Promote the Governor's Pro-Housing Community Program: Engage local governments in discussions about the benefits of this program to support multifamily and mixed-use development, while unlocking $650 million in state spending programs.  
• Promote the Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program: Inform municipalities and developers about the incentives available through this program to create affordable housing for the workforce. 

 

2. Address Critical Funding Gaps for Multi-unit Development 

• Encourage Financial Institutions to Increase Lending: Work with banks and credit unions to offer more favorable lending terms for multi-unit and missing middle housing projects, emphasizing the growing market demand. 

• Create New Equity Investment Vehicles: Develop investment funds or public-private partnerships that provide equity and debt financing for high-priority housing projects, particularly those that meet critical affordability and sustainability goals. 

 

3. Reform Land Use 

• Encourage Municipalities to Plan for Long-term Growth: Support comprehensive planning efforts that align with future population growth and housing demand, ensuring flexibility for multi-unit developments. 

• Streamline Regulatory Processes and Approvals: Simplify the permitting process to reduce delays and costs for developers, allowing projects to proceed more efficiently. 

• Update Design Standards: Encourage local governments to adopt design standards that support missing middle housing, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and smaller lot sizes to increase housing diversity and affordability. 

  

4. Provide New and Additional Funding to Target Homelessness  

• Increased Eviction Prevention Funding: Advocate for more resources to prevent evictions, reducing the risk of homelessness. 

• Greater Access to Housing Assistance Vouchers: Support policies that increase the availability of vouchers to help low-income households secure stable housing. 

• Increased Funding for Continuum of Care Services: Lobby for additional funding to expand services that support the homeless, providing a more comprehensive safety net. 

 

5. Encourage Pro-Housing Advocacy with a Focus on Local Municipalities 

• Engage Community Stakeholders, neighborhood associations, and local governments in advocating for pro-housing policies. Emphasize the importance of diverse and affordable housing for regional economic growth and social equity. 

• Promote Housing Growth to Local Officials and Elected Representatives: Emphasize to local officials and elected representatives the benefits of housing growth, including economic development, job creation, and improved community vitality. Encourage them to be active advocates for policies that support housing development, stressing the positive impact on quality of life and social equity. 

• Tell local leaders: Yes - In My Backyard – new housing projects need community-wide support to advance. 

Read the full policy memo.

The CenterState CEO Housing Task Force was co-chaired by Andy Breuer, president of Hueber-Breuer Construction Co., and Jo Anne Gagliano, president of Environmental Design Research.

“The focus here will need to be on municipalities, whether that be the city of Syracuse or some of our surrounding suburban municipalities. It was encouraging, maybe reinforcing is the word, to know that there are some uniform challenges and that maybe by being advocates for the region, we can help to support the challenges within those individual communities,” said Andy Breuer.

"We can't get overwhelmed. This is really important. We've got to walk through this, look at existing examples. Working with what we have, try to think about development in areas where we already have the infrastructure. We can repair existing housing stock or we can infill to try to keep those costs as low as possible and not move out beyond our suburban areas. We don't want to expand that footprint. We want to keep it inward and make sure that people have the opportunity to be connected to everything, including the recreation that we have in a beautiful place that we live in. And our hope is that if we keep the advocacy moving along, we keep this group of people together, and also have our community informed, we can overcome these challenges," said Jo Anne Gagliano.

Listen to co-chairs Andy Breuer and Jo Anne Gagliano talk more about the memo on Talk CNY.

Committee members include Steven L. Aiello (Cor Development Company), Atom Avery (Avery Rentals), Michael Brunner (Bank of America), Nan Eaton (United Way of Central New York), Lou Fournier (Sutton Companies), Mary Gohl-Thompson (Home Builders and Remodelers of Central New York), Kyle Grant (Kylecroft Development), Kate Johnson (Cor Development Company), Ben Lockwood (Housing Visions), Neekia McCoy (Empower Federal Credit Union), Ron Millback (Millback Custom Homes), Nancy Quigg (Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors), Jonathan Sandgarten (M&T Bank), Michelle Sczpanski (City of Syracuse), Eli Smith (E. Smith Contracting), Meghan Tidd (VIP Companies), and Katelyn Wright (Greater Syracuse Land Bank).