Multi-Phase Project Will Replace Aging Mitchell-Lama Buildings, Create More Than 100 Homes Near Cobbs Hill Park
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a new $48 million, 40-unit affordable housing development for seniors in Rochester. The building is the first phase of a three-phase project to replace the aging Cobbs Hill Village, a Mitchell-Lama development originally built in 1957. In the past five years, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has created or preserved more than 6,800 affordable homes throughout Monroe County, including more than 3,700 in Rochester. The new Cobbs Hill Village continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
“New York is committed to creating affordable housing for seniors in communities and neighborhoods across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This first phase of Cobbs Hill Village helps replace an aging development and allows these 40 senior households to live independently and enjoy all the benefits a modern home can provide.”
The next two phases of the Cobbs Hill Village development will include the new construction of an additional 40-unit building to replace 40 existing apartments, as well as the new construction of 24 garden-style townhomes to replace 20 existing units over the next two years.
All of the new 104 homes will continue to be Mitchell-Lama units affordable to senior households aged 55 and older whose incomes are at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income. The Mitchell-Lama Program was created for the development of affordable housing, both rental and cooperatively owned, for moderate-income New Yorkers. As part of an agreement between the City of Rochester and the project’s developer Rochester Management, Inc., existing residents will pay the same rent as they did before the project for the duration of their tenancy at Cobbs Hill Village. Existing residents will be relocated to the new apartments before the existing buildings are demolished.
Residents will have amenities to help them age in place, including patios or decks in each unit, elevators, fitness rooms, computer labs, gathering spaces and proximity to Cobbs Hill Park, promoting community connectivity and health. Each unit may be easily adapted to accommodate any changes in mobility as the resident ages.
The buildings have high-efficiency heating, low-flow plumbing, and ENERGY STAR® appliances which will provide climate-friendly, healthy, energy-efficient homes for residents. They are designed to achieve New York State Energy and Research Development Authority New Construction – Housing Program standards.
The entire Cobbs Hill Village project is supported by a $42 million loan from HCR’s Housing Finance Agency’s Mitchell-Lama Loan Program and $101,000 from NYSERDA’s New Construction – Housing Program. It will continue to benefit from a full real estate tax abatement as a senior Mitchell-Lama complex owned by Plymouth Gardens, an Article II housing company. The project developer is Rochester Management, which provided a sponsor loan of $3.8 million. The Community Preservation Corporation also provided a construction loan of $3.9 million.
Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives for Upstate communities, new incentives and relief from certain State-imposed restrictions to create more housing in New York City, a $500 million capital fund to build up to 15,000 new homes on State-owned property, an additional $600 million in funding to support a variety of housing developments statewide, and new protections for renters and homeowners. In addition, as part of the FY23 Enacted Budget, the Governor announced a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 45,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.
The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro Housing Certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. To date, more than 160 communities have been certified, and more than 330 including the City of Rochester.
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “The Cobbs Hill Village project is preserving a vital Mitchell Lama development and ensuring current and future residents have an affordable, safe, and sustainable place to call home and age in place. We are excited to continue our work alongside our partners to complete the final two phases of this development which will ultimately bring more than 100 homes to this neighborhood.”
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Cobbs Hill Village in Rochester models how 55+ living can be affordable, clean and comfortable through buildings that include clean energy and energy efficient features. NYSERDA’s support of this project creates living spaces for residents that allow them to benefit from more control over their energy use and sustainable features that improve resiliency to weather events and our changing climate.”
Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said, “I want to thank Gov. Kathy Hochul, Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas of New York Homes and Community Renewal, and the team at Plymouth Gardens and Rochester Management for making this investment in our city. We are creating a safe, equitable and prosperous community for everyone and it is great to have partners like Governor Hochul.”
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “The completion of Phase 1 of the Cobbs Hill Village project marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to providing more affordable, quality housing for seniors. This new 40-unit building offers a safe and welcoming place to call home and strengthens the fabric of our community by ensuring that our elders can age in place with dignity and security. I thank Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rochester Management Inc., New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and all our partners, including the state Mitchell-Lama Housing Fund, the Community Preservation Corp., and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, for their invaluable support in making this vision a reality. This is just the beginning of a brighter future for Cobbs Hill Village and the residents who will thrive here.”
Community Preservation Corporation Vice President and Mortgage Officer Miriam Zinter said, “Our seniors deserve to age in place with grace and dignity, and I am excited to see the residents of Cobbs Hill have the opportunity to move into their beautiful, affordable new homes. The transformation that is happening here will help to continue the revitalization of the community and deliver a new resource of affordable housing that will serve the Cobbs Hill community for years to come. It’s been a pleasure working with our partners at Rochester Management, NYS HCR, and NYSERDA, and I look forward to seeing the completion of the final two phases.”
About the Mitchell-Lama Program
The Mitchell-Lama Program provides housing across New York State that is affordable to the middle class. It was created by the Limited Profit Housing Act in 1955, which was championed by Manhattan State Senator MacNeil Mitchell and former Brooklyn Assemblyman Alfred Lama. Mitchell-Lama developments are privately owned and managed.