A Path Forward for Housing in Syracuse
From Study to Strategy
The Syracuse Housing Study is the foundation for work now underway to create the Syracuse Housing Strategy.
The Draft Syracuse Housing Strategy is now available for review. The strategy calls for "additive new work" that builds on major initiatives currently underway, including the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative, the East Adams neighborhood redevelopment, and the Community Grid Vision Plan, as well as major programs like the Syracuse Land Bank and Downtown revitalization efforts.
Join us for the April Open House!
The City of Syracuse is hosting an open house to introduce the Syracuse Housing Strategy, a multi-year framework for improving housing conditions in the City of Syracuse. The open house is an opportunity to learn about the analysis and strategy work of the project. Attendees can get updates on existing housing conditions and market challenges and provide feedback on the strategy.
The Syracuse Housing Strategy is based on community input and the findings of the Syracuse Housing Study, a comprehensive analysis of the Syracuse housing market completed in mid-2023. The study revealed that nearly every housing challenge that exists in Syracuse is tied to having either a market or affordability gap, meaning there is a large gap between the cost to create and maintain housing and the level of willingness (market gap) or ability (affordability gap) to pay for housing in Syracuse
No presentations; Arrive and depart at your convenience.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Northeast Community Center
716 Hawley Ave, Syracuse, NY
A Two Part Effort to Identify and Develop Responsive Housing Strategies for Syracuse
Housing has been, and continues to be, a critical issue in Syracuse that has broad economic, quality of life, health, and fiscal impacts. To better understand these impacts and how best to move forward, a two-part effort was initiated in 2022 and will continue into 2024.
PART 1
The Syracuse Housing Study
The creation of a citywide housing strategy for Syracuse began with the Syracuse Housing Study.
Sep 2022 - Jun 2023
The Study began in late 2022 and was completed and delivered to the Syracuse Common Council in June 2023.
The work focused on analyzing the Syracuse housing market. There were many important findings in this analysis but two stand out above the rest:
One is that much of the housing in Syracuse has been neglected for decades. Consequently, property values have stagnated (even accounting for recent price escalations) and the cost of catching up on deferred maintenance and improvements generally exceeds what properties are worth. This puts a great fiscal strain on City government, making it difficult to operate and provide for a high quality of life for residents. This represents a market gap.
The other is that despite significant degradation, housing is still too expensive for many, making it very difficult for low-income households to succeed. This represents an affordability gap.
PART 2
The Syracuse Housing Strategy
The development of strategies to address housing market challenges and opportunities in Syracuse is now underway!
Aug 2023 - May 2024
The second part of the process has now begun; it is the development of the strategy the City needs to respond to these twin problems of low quality on one hand and low affordability for many on the other.
The work is scheduled to be completed in May of 2024. Throughout the process, the community will have opportunities to weigh in and provide feedback to help shape the strategies. Learn how you can get involved and add your voice to the conversation.
The work is being led by the consulting firm czb, which is the same firm that developed the Syracuse Housing Study.
THE PROCESS
A project Steering Committee will guide the strategy development process, which will be based on the findings of the 2023 Syracuse Housing Study. Working with czb, the committee will create a series of draft strategies for public comment. Drafts will be periodically released to the public for review as they are developed.
There will be at least three public open houses where analysis and draft strategy work will be shared and where the public can both provide advice and guidance on housing issues and ask questions.
Learn how you can get involved
The Syracuse community is invited to add their voice to the conversation throughout the process. Join us at an open house or reach out to us with questions or to share your perspective.