Technical Assistance to Grow Pro-Housing Communities

The Technical Assistance to Grow Pro-Housing Communities (TAG-PHC) program is a targeted funding initiative administered by the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) to support municipalities certified under the state’s Pro-Housing Community Program. Established by Executive Order 30 in July 2023 and bolstered by the 2024-2025 New York State Budget, this initiative seeks to empower local governments—specifically cities, towns, and villages outside of New York City—with the resources necessary to pursue pro-housing strategies. These strategies include revising zoning policies, streamlining permitting, and initiating pre-development planning activities aimed at facilitating increased housing supply. Up to $5 million in total funding is available through this Request for Applications (RFA), with individual municipalities eligible to request up to $250,000. In select cases, larger awards may be considered. The grant funds are designated for technical assistance projects that must be competitively procured from qualified firms such as architectural, engineering, or urban planning consultants. Projects should aim to support future housing or mixed-use development by improving operational efficiency, conducting market analyses, identifying developable sites, or producing strategic planning documents. To be eligible, applicants must be Pro-Housing Community certified and located outside New York City. Eligible activities include zoning analysis, permitting improvements, property development evaluations, housing needs assessments, and traffic or environmental impact studies. All activities must be non-capital in nature and fall within a 12-month period from the date of contract execution. Awardees will operate on a reimbursement basis and must not initiate projects before the grant agreement is fully executed and the environmental review is complete. Applications must be submitted via email to prohousing@hcr.ny.gov by October 29, 2025, with the subject line “Pro-Housing Communities Technical Assistance.” Applicants must include a signed certification form from the Housing and Community Renewal (HCR) website, and all submissions will become property of HTFC. Evaluation criteria include clarity of the proposed project, relevance to housing growth, feasibility within 12 months, budget justification, and applicant capacity. Grant recipients must adhere to state contracting and procurement rules, including minority- and women-owned business (M/WBE) and service-disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB) outreach, as well as environmental review under SEQRA. Funds will only be disbursed as reimbursement for incurred costs, and grantees are expected to remain compliant with all New York State regulations throughout the life of the grant. The program is designed to accelerate local housing development by removing policy and planning barriers, enabling municipalities to act on their housing growth commitments.

Ensure project is clearly linked to housing growth and can be completed in 12 months; confirm eligibility and certification before applying; initiate procurement planning early to meet grant timelines.