SILVER CREEK — More assistance from New York State is coming to the Village of Silver Creek.

As part of New York State’s recent Community Development Block Grant funding distribution – surpassing $33 million statewide – the Village of Silver Creek was among the 54 recipients of funds to upgrade facilities for primarily low- and moderate-income residents.

A $500,000 grant was awarded to the Village of Silver Creek, which then contracted with Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corp (CHRIC) to oversee residential improvements of families in the village in need of assistance. This is the second time CHRIC has been contracted through the Village of Silver Creek to use state funding to provide housing updates.

Previously in 2019, CHRIC used state grant funding to provide assistance to eight Silver Creek homeowners. That previous round of renovations closed out this past September. At the time of the first round of upgrades by CHRIC in the village, 24 homeowners were on the wait list for assistance. The total grew to closer to 30 candidates as of now.

“It is a very successful program. As long as we have a list, the village will keep asking the state for more funding,” said Eileen Powers, CHRIC Director of Housing Rehab Services.

Powers said she hopes the state grant funds received this time will be able to assist 7-8 households. The process of selecting which homes to choose from the list utilizes a sliding scale in which households with the least available assets to make upgrades to their living conditions on their own are prioritized first.

Once a residence is selected, CHRIC evaluates the needs of the home and will upgrade whatever is necessary to provide a comfortable and safe place to live. None of the homes CHRIC has evaluated in Silver Creek during Powers’ tenure have ever been denied of assistance because the needs were too great to address.

Powers says the wait list in Silver Creek “should not discourage people from calling and applying.” Powers can be reached at (716) 753-4653.

Additionally, CHRIC is also assisting the Village of Celoron with a similar project to the one in Silver Creek, with a $500,000 state grant awarded, as well. Also among the $6.1 million in state funding across Western New York recently announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, the Town of Ellington will use $700,000 for a manufactured housing replacement program.

“By supporting improvements to build affordable housing, enhance public water facilities and strengthen local infrastructure, this funding will lay the groundwork for stronger, more resilient neighborhoods across New York,” Governor Hochul said in a press release announcing the state funding distribution. “These critical investments in our public infrastructure will help provide safe, stable housing and affordable amenities to New Yorkers while allowing businesses to grow and thrive.”

The federally-funded Community Development Block Grant program is administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. A total of 301 households are projected to benefit from the proposed improvements statewide.

“Through our $33 million in Community Development Block Grant awards, we can help transform communities across New York by funding projects prioritized by our partners at the local level. Importantly, these much-needed improvements will directly benefit low- and moderate-income New Yorkers and boost ongoing revitalization and resiliency efforts across the state,” Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said in the state’s announcement.

For more information on the New York State Community Development Block Grant program, visit https://hcr.ny.gov/