Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced the launch of SYRneighborhoods, a Syracuse Housing Strategies Corporation (SHSC) initiative to strengthen Syracuse neighborhoods and create housing opportunities for current and future residents. Under the initiative, the SHSC opened its first round of programming as part of the City’s Syracuse Housing Strategy work to improve housing conditions in the Tipperary Hill – Far Westside and Salt Springs neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Block Challenge Program (BCP) provides matching grants to teams of neighbors who complete exterior home improvement projects that increase the curb appeal of their homes. Households are eligible for a 50% match up to $2,500 per participant for exterior projects such as façade improvements, structural improvements, and landscaping.
“We are excited to open programming for residents in the Salt Springs and Tipperary Hill neighborhoods so they can begin to fix up their homes and improve city neighborhoods together,” said Mayor Walsh. “The Block Challenge Program strengthens neighborhood pride and identity, encouraging neighbors on each block to work together on home improvement projects that are visible from the street. It’s a great way to get a project off your to do list now while building momentum for future home improvements down the road. I appreciate the SHSC, the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, and the Common Council for working on this effort to create more connected, vibrant, and collaborative city neighborhoods.”
Applications to apply for the program are now open. Participants must own or occupy a residential property in the Tipperary Hill – Far Westside and Salt Springs neighborhoods and apply as part of a team comprised of three or more neighbors. Types of projects participants may wish to pursue include, but are not limited to, new house numbers, painting or installing a front door, exterior lighting, new windows or shutters, repainting a porch, installing new front steps, a new walkway, or flower boxes or planters. For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit syr.gov/bcp.
The Syracuse Housing Strategies Corporation (SHSC) will host an informational webinar as well as four in-person meetings for interested participants. The informational webinar will be on Tuesday, August 26 from 12 to 1 p.m. The webinar will be recorded and made available online after the event for those who are unable to attend in person.
Informational meetings will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27 at the Burnet Park Rink Warming Room and Thursday, August 28 in James Commons at Lemoyne College. Open houses will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10 at Soule Branch Library and Thursday, September 11 at the Burnet Park Rink Warming Room. For more information, visit syr.gov/syr-neighborhoods or contact the SHSC at SHSC@syr.gov or 315-448-8621.
Additional SYRneighborhoods programming is planned to launch in 2026 and will be focused on providing grants and low-interest financing to homeowners in the Tipperary Hill – Far Westside and Salt Springs neighborhoods for major home repairs that increase the market value of their property.
About the Syracuse Housing Strategies Corporation
The City of Syracuse formed the SHSC to enable a protected, flexible source of capital to create and preserve safe, affordable, and attractive housing opportunities for current and future residents. SHSC supports recommendations of the Syracuse Housing Strategy to address housing challenges in the city. SYRneighborhoods and the Neighborhood Block Challenge Program are an outcome of these efforts and have been informed by a robust series of community engagement to help identify resident priorities around neighborhood housing investment and growth.