NYS Secretary of State In Peekskill, Announces New Statewide Funding

PEEKSKILL, NY — New York State Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley visited Peekskill Tuesday during a tour of some of the projects funded with grants from the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward.

"Today is a big day for us at the department," he said. "This now brings our total state investment for both programs to an astounding 1.2 billion dollars."

Mosley said $200 million in funding is now available through the two signature downtown revitalization and economic development programs — $100 million each for Round 8 of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and Round 3 of the NY Forward program, which focuses on revitalizing smaller and rural downtowns.

The money will help an additional 29 downtown communities turn their visions of revitalization into a reality, in turn spurring local and regional economies and strengthening all of New York State, he said.

Together, the two programs have awarded $1 billion in funding to 124 communities across every region of the State since 2016.

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) was launched in 2016 to accelerate and bolster the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all 10 regions of the State to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for increased local investments. Led by the Department of State (DOS), DRI communities benefit from partnerships with and coordinated technical assistance provided by the Department of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR), Empire State Development (ESD) and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). The DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative "plan-then-act" strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation. For DRI Round 8, joint applications of two to three contiguous communities in the same REDC region with a single unified vision will be accepted.

To receive funding from either the DRI or NY Forward program, localities must be certified under Gov. Kathy Hochul's Pro-Housing Communities Program – an innovative policy designed to reward local governments that are working hard to address New York’s housing crisis. Localities must have at least submitted a letter of intent to become a pro-housing community prior to applying for funding through DRI or NY Forward and must be certified before receiving an award through either program.

To date, DRI has awarded a total of $800 million to 81 communities in its first seven rounds and invested in the creation of over 4,500 new housing units. It is estimated that every dollar invested in the DRI generates $3 in additional investments as the revitalization accelerates and projects are completed. This catalytic effect will continue well after DRI and NY Forward communities complete all their projects.

First announced as part of the 2022 Budget, Hochul created the NY Forward program to build on the momentum created by the DRI. The innovative program, which is funded at $100 million in this year's Enacted State Budget, supports a more equitable downtown recovery for New York's smaller and rural communities with a focus on hamlet and villages. NY Forward is meant to serve smaller communities and support local economies that often have a feel and charm that is distinct from larger, metropolitan urban centers funded through DRI. To date, NY Forward has awarded a total of $200 million to 43 communities over two rounds.

Like DRI, DOS and an assigned consultant will work with NY Forward communities through a planning and technical assistance process to develop a slate of readily implementable projects.

NY Forward differs, however, by providing one-to-one technical assistance from consultants to assist communities in developing their full applications and throughout the implementation process. NY Forward offers two $4.5 million awards for each region. Recognizing the unique scale and density of New York City neighborhoods, New York City NY Forward funding is being combined with NYC DRI funding to permit one $20 million DRI award.

Every community has a unique story to tell, Mosley said.

The similarities and differences between the DRI and NY Forward programs are further described in an educational brochure, which is available on the DRI and NY Forward websites.

Applications are now available through the State’s Consolidated Funding Application Portal. The deadline to apply is Oct. 18.