PRESS RELEASE: ORHA Accepting Applications from Vacant Property Owners
Milford, NY March 16, 2026 – Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc. (ORHA) is accepting applications from property owners for the Otsego County Vacant Rental Program (VRP) from March 16, 2026, to April 27, 2026. The Otsego County VRP is funded by New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s New York State Vacant Rental Program. ORHA has partnered with Opportunities for Otsego to collaborate on bringing this program to the county.
Through the Otsego County VRP, ORHA will provide assistance of up to $50,000 or $75,000 per rental unit to eligible property owners seeking to rehabilitate or repair vacant spaces in Otsego County. In return, property owners will be required for ten years to rent only to households below a certain income limit, charge rent within an annual limit, offer 12-month leases, and maintain the units in good condition.
Properties will be selected through a competitive application process. ORHA will accept applications until April 27, 2026. Interested property owners can access application materials and more information about the program at otsegoruralhousing.org/vrp. Property owners may also contact ORHA to request application materials.
“Our plan is to assist at least nine (9) units, with room for more based on actual project costs,” said Bridget Stith, ORHA’s Executive Director. “We received a strong response to our owner interest survey in the fall, so I’m expecting that we’ll see a lot of applications for this program. I would strongly recommend applying during this first round. If we’re inundated with more applications for great projects than we could ever hope to fund, we’ll focus on those instead of opening to more applications down the line.”
ORHA was one of 11 non-profits and governments across the state to be given a VRP award in this latest round of funding.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Under Governor Hochul, we are using every tool we have to create and preserve affordable housing across New York. The Vacant Rental Program has provided more than $56 million to transform over 830 vacant and distressed units into safe, affordable homes. Thank you to Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc. for being our vital partner in giving individuals and families the chance to stay and thrive in their own communities.”
Proposed projects and the property owners themselves must meet certain eligibility requirements to be considered for an award. Eligible projects would rehabilitate or repair vacant spaces in Otsego County that either are already residential units or could be converted into residential units by the project. Properties must have no more than 5 residential units to be eligible. Spaces must be unoccupied, and the vacancy must be because the unit is in uninhabitable or unmarketable condition. Mobile and manufactured homes are not eligible. Property owners must meet minimum responsibility requirements, such as being current on property taxes and having no history of fair housing violations. All eligibility requirements and application scoring criteria are available on the ORHA website.
Assisted units would be subject to a 10-year regulatory period, during which owners would be required to rent only to tenants with a household income below 60% or 80% of the area median income ($54,720 or $72,950 for a family of four), charge rent within an annual maximum, offer 12-month leases, and maintain the unit in good condition. Rent limits would be calculated based on each unit’s size and utilities and would change every year. As an example, a 3-bedroom unit where all utilities would be included would currently have a maximum allowable rent of $1,897 (for a $50,000 award) or $1,422 (for a $75,000 award).
ORHA can be reached for questions about this program at (607) 286-7244 or VRP@otsegoruralhousing.org.
About the Vacant Rental Program (VRP)
The Otsego County Vacant Rental Program is a local grant program funded by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s New York Vacant Rental Program, which funds the rehabilitation of vacant properties for use as affordable long-term rental units for low- and moderate-income households. More information is available at hcr.ny.gov/vrp.
About Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc.
Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc. (ORHA) provides and preserves quality affordable housing with programs and initiatives throughout the county that address the practical realities of maintaining decent, affordable housing in a rural, low-wage area. ORHA’s programs connect those needing assistance with support, resources and funding to improve living conditions and provide an enhanced quality of life. For more information, visit www.otsegoruralhousing.org or call (607) 286-7244.