New Homeowner Sheona Williams with Home HeadQuarters Latoya Allen at Ribbon Cutting
Syracuse, N.Y. – Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Home HeadQuarters, Inc. celebrated the completion and sale of two new homes as a result of the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative (RNI) on June 17th. The site of the two newly-constructed single-family homes is located at 200 and 202 Shuart Avenue (on the corner of Pattison and Shuart Avenues) in the city’s Lincoln Hill neighborhood. “Click” on link to see full map Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative: Single-Family New Construction 2021
“When you can bring new homeowners into a neighborhood, it’s always a great day in the city of Syracuse,” said Kerry Quaglia, Home HeadQuarters CEO. “We’re excited to finish the next set of homes and welcome more new homeowner to the city’s Southside.”
Home HeadQuarters is a partner on the first phase of RNI and is scheduled to build 17 new homes this year, seven of which are currently under construction or complete in the city’s South, West and Near North Side neighborhoods. The second phase of RNI will continue with owner-occupied housing and will add two-family properties that will be constructed by Housing Visions Unlimited. The work on those rental units is expected to begin late next year.
The two homes on Shuart Avenue are part of a strategic process where data informs where infill construction in the city is possible and houses can be built in clusters. On this project, the two houses were built simultaneously and next to each other.
“The Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative is building a stronger and better Syracuse by providing quality and affordable housing options to revitalize our neighborhoods,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “These two newly constructed homes are going to families who have worked hard to get to the point of homeownership and we anticipate many more residents following in their footsteps. I’d like to thank all of our important partners who have helped us reach this initial milestone including Home HeadQuarters, Inc., our Department of Neighborhood and Business Development team, Geddes Federal Savings & Loan and our funding partners at the state and federal level. The best is yet to come.”
RNI plans to create about 200 new homes in the city, primarily on vacant lots where derelict properties have been removed. The first phase of the project is focusing on single-family homes. Phase II of RNI will continue owner-occupied housing and will add two-family properties to be built by Housing Visions Unlimited. That work is expected to start late next year.
Both new Shuart Avenue houses feature open floor plans, master bathrooms, hardwoods and tile flooring, and high efficiency furnaces that are central air ready. The houses are super-insulated providing for low operating and maintenance costs. Construction costs are estimated at $280,000 with the price to the homebuyer at $155,000.
One of the new homebuyers, Sheona Williams, is a nursing aide at Crouse Hospital and is the first in her immediate family to become a homeowner. The mother of two who has lived in public housing for seven years, decided that she wanted something better for her children and enrolled in Home HeadQuarters’ HomeBuyer Education Course and worked on her credit for the last two years.
