“New York’s downtowns are at the heart of our communities, bringing people together, supporting local businesses and creating opportunities for growth,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward, we’re helping communities turn their ideas into more welcoming, accessible and economically vibrant downtowns. This new round of funding will build on that progress, giving more communities the resources to strengthen their local economies and create places where people want to live, work and visit.”

In the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, the “Pro-Housing Community” designation became a requirement for cities, towns and villages to access state discretionary programs, including DRI and NY Forward. Certified localities have exclusive access to up to $750 million in state funding. To date, more than 460 municipalities across the state have become Pro-Housing certified.

Downtown Revitalization Initiative

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was launched in 2016 to accelerate and bolster the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all 10 regions of the state, helping them serve as centers of activity and catalysts for increased local investment. Led by the Department of State (DOS), DRI communities benefit from partnerships and coordinated technical assistance provided by the Department of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR), Empire State Development (ESD) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). To date, DRI has awarded a total of $1 billion to 101 communities over its first nine rounds.

NY Forward

First announced as part of the 2022 budget, the NY Forward program supports a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller and rural communities, with a focus on hamlets and villages. NY Forward is designed to serve smaller communities and support local economies that often have a feel and charm distinct from those of larger metropolitan urban centers funded through DRI. To date, NY Forward has awarded a total of $340 million to 77 communities over four rounds.

As with DRI, DOS and an assigned consultant will work with NY Forward communities through a planning and technical assistance process to develop a slate of readily implementable projects. NY Forward differs, however, by providing one-to-one technical assistance from consultants to help communities develop their full applications and throughout the implementation process.

NY Forward offers two $4.5 million awards for each region. Recognizing the unique scale and density of New York City neighborhoods and Long Island, New York City NY Forward funding is being combined with NYC DRI funding to permit one $20 million DRI award. Long Island NY Forward funding will instead include two DRI awards totaling $20 million.