The Peru Gazette

New Program Will Help Communities Plan, Finance and Build Housing for Working Families

Albany, March 5, 2026, News Release – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of Accelerate Workforce Housing, a multi-year, multi-partner initiative to address the critical shortage of housing for working families and individuals in the North Country region. Empire State Development (ESD) provided a $3 million grant, matched by contributions from regional funders convened by the Adirondack Community Foundation, to unlock a more than $3.5 million fund that will create a pipeline for developing new homes that support local economic and community health.

“Solving the housing crisis is a top priority for New York, and I applaud the North Country Regional Economic Development Council and its partners for their collaborative effort to unlock the essential housing needed to keep and build talent in the region,” Governor Hochul said.“This $3 million state commitment enables the Accelerate Workforce Housing project to expand access to quality, year-round homes near population centers, strengthening the North Country workforce pipeline for employees and businesses alike.”

This initiative is supported by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council’s (REDC) Housing Work Group, which has brought stakeholders together to identify public and private sector solutions to increase the supply of owner and renter occupied housing for all income levels. It also aligns with Governor Hochul’s commitment to tackling New York’s housing crisis.

The lack of available housing has become a significant barrier to attracting and retaining the workforce essential for the North Country’s vitality. The Accelerate Workforce Housing initiative specifically targets the needs of working families who earn too much to qualify for traditional housing assistance but are priced out of the current market, such as teachers, nonprofit workers, and healthcare aides. It will support housing opportunities for households with incomes between 120-200% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has invested $97.5 million to create or preserve more than 2,100 affordable homes in the North Country.

The initiative is built on a three-tiered development pipeline targeted at communities in the Adirondack region with populations of less than 10,000 seeking to add up to 20 housing units:

• Technical Assistance: The Lake Champlain – Lake George Regional Planning Board (LCLGRPB), with funding from the Adirondack Community Foundation and partners, will lead a technical assistance program for North Country municipalities that want to build more housing. The goal is to help 15 communities achieve “Pro-Housing Communities” certification from New York State and assist five more with updating local regulations to encourage housing development.

• Pre-Development: LCLGRPB will fund pre-development work, such as architectural engineering and infrastructure assessments, to advance housing projects to the “shovel-ready” stage. The goal is to have at least five communities complete the pre-development process for a total of at least 50 housing units. Projects will leverage philanthropic funding and a 1:1 municipal funding match.

• Capital for Construction: ESD awarded $3 million to the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) to establish the North Country Housing Capital Revolving Loan Fund to provide flexible financing for both nonprofit and for-profit housing developers.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Housing is the foundation of a strong regional economy and a core priority of Governor Hochul. Through the Accelerate Workforce Housing initiative, we are closing critical gaps by aligning housing supply with employer demand—creating opportunity, strengthening communities, and fueling equitable growth across the North Country.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Country’s natural environment, open spaces and outdoor recreation have driven record investments by seasonal second home owners, remote workers and short-term rental investors. The result is a significant decline in quality, middle-income housing available for the North Country’s workforce. New York State empowered the REDCs to develop strategies and actions for economic growth specific to their regions. Housing was identified as a primary goal area and is now part of the REDC’s Economic Development Strategy.

North Country Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chair James McKenna said, “The lack of workforce-aligned housing has been a barrier to recognizing our region’s full potential. By expanding quality housing options, we are stabilizing our talent pool and revitalizing the heart of our small towns. Thanks to the dedicated work of our partners and this vital state funding, we are finally building sustainable infrastructure for the North Country.”

In addition to the $3 million state grant, the Adirondack Community Foundation and Cloudsplitter Foundation convened regional funders to raise $500,000 in additional philanthropic funding for the project, which includes a keystone $250,000 matching grant from the Hearst Foundations and $250,000 from other private, family and donor-advised funds that are committed to supporting transformative ideas in the region.

For more information on the technical assistance and pre-development components of the Accelerate Workforce Housing project, please contact Kim Trombly, Adirondack Community Foundation’s Director of Community Impact, at kim@adkcommunityfoundation.org.

DANC will announce when applications are open for the North Country Housing Capital Revolving Loan Fund at a future date. Loan funds can only be applied to the capital portions of the project. The fund will be matched by 10%, or $300,000, developer cash or equity into the project.

Adirondack Community Foundation President and CEO Cali Brooks said, “This project is a model for how flexible, engaged philanthropy can address the housing challenge and unlock significant public resources. By combining resources with our foundation partners, we can scale the impact beyond what any single organization could achieve alone and make tangible progress on one of the most complex challenges facing our communities.”

Development Authority of the North Country Executive Director Carl E. Farone, Jr. said, “The cost of building in the Adirondacks and the widespread interest in many of our communities as second home locations has made housing unaffordable for many working families. The Development Authority is pleased to be able to work with regional partners and New York State to utilize its experience in administering other successful housing funds to benefit working families in northern New York.”

Lake Champlain Lake George Regional Planning Board Executive Director Beth Gilles said, “Our role is to provide communities with the technical expertise needed to navigate complex zoning, planning, and development processes. This partnership ensures a continuous pipeline of viable housing projects, empowering our small communities to build the homes their workforce desperately need.”

Hearst Foundations’ George R. Hearst III said, “The Hearst Foundations are honored to have played a catalytic seed funding role in advancing the forward-thinking vision articulated by Adirondack Community Foundation. Together we are investing in the growth and resilience of the region’s workforce through the development of affordable housing… and we believe that New York State’s generous support for this effort is a most rewarding ‘seal of approval’ for its successful implementation!”

This initiative is in addition to Governor Hochul’s record $25 billion Housing Plan that is on track to deliver 100,000 affordable homes across the state. To date, more than 78,000 affordable homes have already been created or preserved. To further encourage housing creation, the Governor is committing an additional $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes and advancing her historic ‘Let Them Build’ Agenda which promises to cut red tape and bring critically needed homes to market faster.