Vacant Rental Program

Vacant Rental Program is sponsored by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Grants to complete rehabilitation projects in smaller-scale buildings that turn vacant and unusable housing units and buildings into quality rental units that are attainable for low- and moderate-income renter households.

Vacant Rental Program - VRP | Homes and Community Renewal Vacant Rental Program - VRP Vacant Rental Program - VRP Please check back soon for new program updates. How to Participate as a Property Owner Awards have been made to not-for-profits and municipalities that will serve as local administrators and make funding available to eligible participants in the area they serve.

Interested property owners should review the list below to determine if your area is served by a local administrator and contact the appropriate provider for information on how to apply.

The Vacant Rental Program (“VRP”) is a grant program funded by the State of New York and administered by the Housing Trust Fund Corporation’s (HTFC) Office of Community Renewal (OCR), to support repairs and rehabilitation of vacant rental units and other vacant spaces to increase the supply of critically needed apartments for low- and moderate-income renters outside of New York City.

The program aims to help owners of rental properties bring vacant units and spaces in small-scale properties back into productive use to create safe, quality, and affordable long-term rental units. Organizations incorporated under the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law that have been providing relevant services to the community for at least one year prior to application.

Partnerships between municipalities and not-for-profit organizations are encouraged to bolster administrative capacity. HCR may accept applications from municipalities with justification related to experience and administrative capacity. All areas of the State outside of New York City are eligible.

An eligible participant must meet the following criteria: Ownership: must be the legal owner of one of the following: 1-5 unit residential property Mixed-use building with up to five (5) housing units Other buildings that will be converted to one of the above Compliance Period: A 10-year Regulatory Period will be required during which the owner must be willing to execute an agreement and rental covenant on assisted units that will subject units to rent limits and other requirements.

Funding may be used to improve and rehabilitate vacant housing units and other vacant spaces, including commercial spaces, that are currently uninhabitable or unmarketable into safe, quality, and affordable rental units.

These repairs and improvements may include health and safety improvements, correction of code violations and/or updating spaces to meet residential standards, accessibility modifications, environmental remediation, and other repairs determined by the local program administrator as necessary to rehabilitate vacant units.

Local Program Administrators The Vacant Rental Program is available through Local Program Administrators across the state that run locally serving grant programs for property owners. Information on these administrators and their programs is provided below. Please note that not all programs may be actively accepting applications and programs may have unique funding priorities and selection criteria.

Map of Service Areas and Providers An interactive map of VRP Local Program Administrator service areas is available by clicking the link below. Interested property owners should identify the provider serving their area and contact the appropriate administrator using the contact information provided.

Map: VRP Local Administrator Service Areas List of Service Providers Please click below to download the full list of VRP Local Program Administrators.

List: NYS Vacant Rental Program Local Program Administrators General Grant Administration Administrative Plan - VRP VRP Program Manual Rent Limit Worksheet - VRP Media and Promotion Guidance Instructions for Writing Monitoring Plan Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form Template – VRP Responsible Owner Exception Form Application Decision Form Template File Maintenance Program File Checklist Project File Checklist Project File Checklist Instructions Participant Forms LPA – Property Owner Template Agreement Template Property Owner Application Example Owner-Contractor Agreement Template – VRP Responsible Owner Attestation Form Template – VRP Owner Annual Compliance Certification Form Property Owner FAQ's Project Bidding and M/WBE Contractor Bid Solicitation Plan MWBE & EEO Template Policy Statement Bid Solicitation Log Good Faith Efforts Guide Certificate of Good Faith Efforts Affirmation of Income Payment to MBE/WBE, or SDVOB Template Bidder Certification – VRP Contractor Solicitation Log Commitment and Disbursement of VRP Funds Authorized Signature Form for Disbursement Requests Disbursement Instructions Declaration of Interest in Property Declaration of Interest Template Instructions for Declaration of Interest Declaration Filing Fee Exemption Instructions for Completing Filing Fee Exemption Environmental Review Human Remains Discovery & Unanticipated Discoveries Protocols SHPO Electronic Project Submission Guide Environmental Checklist Guide Environmental Checklist Historic Preservation Exemption Worksheet Flood Zone Substantial Improvement Worksheet - VRP Scroll back to the top of the page