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Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that 61 municipalities in New York have been certified as pro-housing communities. Auburn is one of three in central New York — the villages of Cazenovia (Madison County) and Pulaski (Oswego County) are the others — to receive the designation. 

Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino sent a letter of intent in February — the first step in the process of becoming a pro-housing community. The Auburn City Council adopted a housing pledge, another requirement to join the program, in March. 

The pledge includes a commitment to streamline housing permits, support fair housing, address regional housing needs and adopt policies that encourage a variety of housing development projects. 

Hochul created the pro-housing community initiative by executive order in 2023. The purpose of the program is to encourage municipalities to address the housing crisis in New York. 

In Auburn, the city's leadership has said there is a low homeownership rate (46%) compared to the statewide average (54%). Low vacancy rates and high rents are also challenges.

The lack of affordable housing in Auburn and Cayuga County is driving homelessness, officials say. 

"Receiving our pro-housing designation from the state of New York is an important step forward in our efforts to address our current housing stock and as we plan for future growth," Giannettino told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. He credited Jennifer Haines, the city's director of planning and economic development, for her work in securing the certification. 

Haines, who addressed the Auburn City Council at its meeting Thursday, said the city is in a great position to receive funding now that it has received the designation. 

"We are working very hard to try and look at every resource we can to build all sorts of housing here," Haines said, adding that the city will collaborate with Cayuga County to conduct a housing market study. 

Now that Auburn is a pro-housing community, it will be able to access funding through several state programs, including Market New York and the Regional Council Capital Fund. 

The 2024-25 state budget includes a requirement that municipalities must have a pro-housing community certification to seek funding from these programs. 

"Across our state, local leaders are joining our pro-housing communities program to take a stand against New York's housing crisis and commit to building the homes New Yorkers deserve," Hochul said in a statement.