ONTARIO COUNTY, N.Y. — Ontario County has opened a second round of funding for its Vacant Rental Program, making nearly $1 million available to help property owners rehabilitate empty residential units.
About the program
The program gives funding to eligible property owners, landlords, developers and nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate vacant and underutilized residential properties. It is administered by the Ontario County Economic Development Corporation through the states Homes and Community Renewal.
The first round of the program opened in April 2025 with $2 million available for rehabilitation projects throughout the county.
People who applied
Property owner Lisa Casper used about $50,000 from the program’s first round to renovate the apartment above her ice cream shop.
“It was definitely dated. It was a little bit darker too because everything—well with it being dated like this was wood paneling…” Casper said.
Casper applied for a grant through the county’s Vacant Rental Program in 2025 to turn the space into a livable apartment.
“I never imagined that there’d be a grant available to do anything with the building so for me it was a really exciting opportunity and I really had nothing to lose,” Casper said.
Tyler Bermon, a property owner from Gorham, also used the first round of funding to renovate two properties that had been neglected and left uninhabitable. He said the program helped him renovate two decaying properties.
Takeaways from the county
Ryan Davis, director of the Ontario County Economic Development Corporation, oversees the program. He said the county hopes to approve 12 to 14 applications to bring more affordable housing to people just starting out.
“It takes an awful lot of investment and an awful lot of time to build from ground up. This is a way to get units out there immediately and also hit a portion of the demographic that needs it the most, right? We need to start to be able to get people entered into the housing market,” Davis said.
Davis said the county learned a lot from the first round.
“Because this is the first time that Ontario County’s really dipped their toe into housing programs, so there were some lessons learned on how to do an application and what comes after it. I think our process will be more streamlined now,” Davis said.
Applying for the next round
The county is accepting applications for the second round on a rolling basis until the money runs out. Grants range from $50,000 to $75,000. Property owners are encouraged to contact the Ontario County Economic Development Corporation to discuss eligibility before applying.
The program is part of a broader effort to address housing needs by making better use of existing housing stock and supporting countywide housing stability.
To learn more and apply for the program, click here.
Ontario County property owners can apply for part of $1 million to rehab vacant rental units WHEC.com.
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