Construction has wrapped up on an affordable housing project in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. The complex features 123 “critically needed affordable housing” units, including 70 supportive housing units.

Work on Canal Commons was originally expected to finish in November 2023, and tenants were selected randomly through a lottery held that month. The complex, valued at $1,400,000, is a re-developed 19th-century manufacturing facility that had been vacant for more than a decade.

“Our investment will help breathe new life into a historic property and deliver new opportunities for lower-income and homeless households who are looking for access to a safe, modern home that includes access to tools and services that will help them thrive,” Hochul said in a press release.

Canal Commons houses one studio, 81 one-bedroom and 41 two-bedroom apartments. A handful of units are accessible for tenants with disabilities — including seven wheelchair-accessible apartments and three units tailored for hearing- or visually-impaired residents.

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How was Canal Commons built?

The complex’s 70 supportive housing units are funded by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, and will offer tenants care and services — including financial management, education and employment counseling, and life skills coaching — through the East House Corporation.

“Canal Commons will provide households experiencing homelessness with long-term housing stability and access to critical on-site support services that will help them address the underlying conditions that may have contributed to their housing insecurity,” said New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara Guinn.

Units were available only to residents earning less than 60% of Area Median Income, or roughly $57,000 for a four-person household. One-bedroom apartments go for $700 to $800 monthly, while two-bedroom units are $820 to $940 per month.

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State funding was key for Rochester housing complex

Co-developed by the East House Corporation and MM Development Advisors, Inc., the project received state funding through the Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Homes and Community Renewal subsidies, Homeless Housing Assistance Program, and the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.

Roughly $15.5 million in equity will come from Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits secured by the state’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Programs like the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program can encourage county-state partnerships to move the needle on Hochul’s affordable housing plan, said New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons.

“New York has a fantastic inventory of historic properties, but many of them are vacant or underutilized,” Simons said. “Finding ways to bring these anchor buildings back online in ways that address the needs of people today is a great investment in our communities.”

— Christina Chkarboul is a summer intern at the Democrat and Chronicle and a student journalist at USC, where she focuses on Earth science, global studies and journalism. Contact her at cchkarboul@gannett.com with story tips related to code enforcement, housing and renters.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 123-unit affordable housing complex completed in Rochester