Governor Hochul Announces $20 Million to Make the Dream of Homeownership a Reality for Nearly 70 Families

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the third round of awards for her innovative MOVE-IN NY program. More than $20 million was awarded to create 68 new affordable homes in the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The City of Buffalo was awarded $12 million for 40 homes and Niagara Falls Neighborhood Housing Services was awarded nearly $8.5 million for 28 homes.

"For too many families, homeownership is out of reach, which is why I created the MOVE-IN NY program," Governor Hochul said. "MOVE-IN NY cuts the cost of housing production and brings these much-needed homes to market quickly and affordably. I'm proud that this program, which is only a year old, will help families across the state realize their dream and set down roots in New York State."

The MOVE-IN NY program, administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), harnesses the benefits of prefabricated homes to quickly build more affordable starter homes in communities throughout New York. The factory-built homes used in the MOVE-IN NY program can be constructed quickly and economically, and at a large scale. Referred to as "CrossMods," these homes resemble traditionally constructed homes and can be integrated in all types of housing markets including urban, suburban and rural communities.

The MOVE-IN NY funding, which is awarded to municipalities, land banks, and non-profits through a competitive process, will be used to purchase and site prefabricated CrossMod homes. Once sited, the homes will be sold for less than the cost of construction to low- and moderate-income homebuyers.

CrossMods are built to the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Code and meet design guidelines approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which enables homebuyers to access conventional mortgages.

Throughout New York, smaller, more affordable homes - often referred to as "starter homes"- have become increasingly scarce, preventing young individuals and families from becoming first-time homeowners and older New Yorkers from downsizing. In recent years, construction costs, materials and interest rates have skyrocketed, making the typical cost to construct a small, single-family home in New York upwards of $450,000 or more.

Additionally, Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the first series of state actions to cut red tape and improve government service delivery through her EXPRESS NY initiative. These actions include reducing barriers for prefabricated housing moves by eliminating a $25,000 bonding requirement for the transportation of manufactured homes between 14 and 16 feet wide, making it easier and more affordable to deliver prefabricated homes throughout New York.

The initial two rounds of MOVE-IN NY awards provided $40 million for 128 new homes- 72 homes in Onondaga and Erie Counties, and 56 new homes in Cayuga, Erie, Montgomery, Schenectady and Suffolk Counties.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "New York is leading the way on expanding homeownership opportunities in regions across the state. Our latest $20 million investment will help nearly 70 families and individuals in Buffalo and Niagara Falls buy homes they can call their own. Thank you to our partners in the City of Buffalo and Niagara Falls Neighborhood Housing Services for sharing our commitment to building homes that more New Yorkers can afford."

In December 2025, Governor Hochul signed the Land-Home Property Act into law, further supporting the creation of affordable homeownership opportunities through manufactured housing. The law creates a formal statutory procedure for classifying a manufactured home as real property. The new law takes effect at the end of this year and will allow manufactured homeowners to convert their title from personal property to real property, which helps eliminate barriers to financing and improves access to traditional mortgages.

MOVE-IN NY is funded by $50 million that Governor Hochul secured in the FY 2025-26 Enacted State Budget. The Governor secured an additional $100 million in the FY 2026-2027 Enacted Budget to support further expansion of the MOVE-IN NY program as well as the continued exploration of innovative emerging factory-built and modular construction technologies. This investment will help New York build new affordable homes more quickly and economically throughout the state and remain a leader in using innovative approaches to homebuilding.

MOVE-IN NY complements HCR's work to advance affordable homeownership, including its Affordable Homeownership Opportunity Program, Affordable Homeownership Development Program, Block by Block, HOME Homebuyer Initiative, and its State of New York Mortgage Agency's suite of homebuyer mortgage programs.

Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino said, "This funding to build 28 new homes in Niagara Falls continues the momentum of our efforts to develop new housing in the city, including plans for up to 175 units for university students to boost local vibrancy and 32 market-rate apartments at the former Jenns Department store. The city is grateful for Governor Hochul's leadership in recognizing the critical need to build more housing not only in Niagara Falls but across the State."

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said, "For too many families, the dream of owning a home feels increasingly out of reach. The MOVE-IN NY program is helping create quality, affordable homes that families can actually afford to buy, while transforming vacant land into new opportunities for neighborhood growth. These 40 homes will help more Buffalo residents achieve homeownership and build generational wealth right here in our city. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued partnership in addressing."

Clay Simmons, CEO of Niagara Falls Neighborhood Housing Services said, "We are excited for this opportunity to build 28 new homes in the City of Niagara Falls. This investment will transform vacant lots into homeownership opportunities, strengthen neighborhoods, and support continued development across the city. We are grateful to Governor Hochul, Mayor Restaino, the City Council, Planning Department, Niagara Falls Urban Renewal Agency, and the boards and staff of NYS Homes and Community Renewal for their support in our efforts to provide homes for working families."

Governor Hochul's Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York's housing crisis and making the State more affordable and livable for all New Yorkers. Since FY2023, the Governor has worked to increase housing supply to make housing more affordable by launching a $25 billion five-year comprehensive Housing Plan, enacted the most significant housing deal in decades and implemented new protections for renters and homeowners. Under Governor Hochul's leadership, HCR has created new programs that jumpstart development of affordable and mixed-income homes - for both renters and homebuyers. These include the Pro-Housing Community Program, which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. More than 420 communities throughout the state have been certified Pro-Housing, including the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

Governor Hochul's "Let Them Build" agenda will speed up housing and infrastructure development while lowering costs through a series of landmark reforms. Common-sense changes to New York's Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) in the FY2027 Enacted Budget as well as executive actions will expedite critical categories of projects that have been consistently found to not have significant environmental impacts, but for too long have been caught up in red tape and subject to lengthy delays.

The enacted FY2027 Budget completes the Governor's current five-year 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 82,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved to date. The Budget also invests $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes. The enacted FY2027 budget also further reinforces critical protections for tenants and homeowners.