The County of Sullivan, due to its population, is not a federally designated entitlement county. Therefore, the County and all of its municipalities are eligible for federal funding under the New York State Small Cities Community Development Block grant program. This annual grant program is available in the spring of the year and is extremely competitive across the entire state. The County and the municipalities are also eligible to seek funding through the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, both of which are competitive statewide programs.
The County and individual municipalities may have funding for low to moderate income families in the form of grants to rehabilitate their existing homes, provide assistance for new homeowners and assistance for landlords in the rehabilitation of rental units.
Individual programs may vary in program design. Typically, the programs offer deferred loans and grants for addressing code issues, structural concerns, handicap accessibility, insulation and upgrading systems to increase energy efficiency and assist owners in reducing their heating bills.
There are organizations in the county such as the Office for the Aging and CACHE that may provide assistance with heating bills and weatherization activities. Additionally, the Cornell Cooperative Extension offers Homebuyer Education Classes and Savers Clubs for First Time Homebuyers. The Rural Sullivan County Housing Opportunities often has rehabilitation funds for existing homeowners.