(WNY News Now) – MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Chautauqua County has been awarded $250,000 through New York State’s Technical Assistance to Grow Pro-Housing Communities program to help advance housing development and prepare potential projects for private investment.

The grant from New York State Homes and Community Renewal will support efforts to identify housing development sites, address zoning and regulatory barriers, complete pre-development work and connect municipalities with developers.

The initiative builds on the Chautauqua County Housing Market Assessment and Development Strategy, completed in February 2024. The assessment identified a stronger housing market as important to local communities, residents and future economic development.

County Executive Paul M. Wendel Jr. said the county’s goal is to help facilitate more than 400 new housing units across Chautauqua County over the next five years.

“This grant gives us another important tool to work with our municipalities, identify opportunities for development, and help move viable housing projects from concept to construction,” Wendel said.

The county will focus its efforts on municipalities participating in New York State’s Pro-Housing Communities Program. Work will include marketing potential development sites, analyzing local regulations, coordinating with stakeholders and engaging the private development community.

The Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth will serve as key implementation partners. CREDC will receive $165,000 of the grant as a subrecipient to lead pre-development activities, developer outreach and project management.

Mark Geise, deputy county executive for economic development and CEO of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, said housing availability is closely connected to economic growth.

The initiative will also include a developer forum designed to highlight local housing opportunities and provide developers with information about factors affecting investment in the county.

Chautauqua County is also encouraging additional cities, towns and villages to pursue certification through the state’s Pro-Housing Communities Program. Although counties cannot receive the certification, county officials said they intend to support municipalities seeking certification and help them navigate the process.

Certification can affect eligibility for certain state discretionary economic development funding programs, potentially influencing access to funding for projects within participating communities.

The Chautauqua County Legislature is expected to consider a resolution authorizing acceptance of the $250,000 award and implementation of the program during its August meeting.