Seneca County selects CZB as housing consultant, commits ARPA seed funding for 7‑unit pilot

Seneca County’s Economic Development, Tourism and Housing committee recommended selecting CZB as the consultant to prepare a comprehensive county housing strategy and approved committing seed money from the Seneca County Housing Trust Fund (ARPA) to a small pilot project.

Planning staff said nine firms responded to the county’s RFP and three reached the interview stage; the planning department recommended CZB, a national housing‑planning firm, for the consultant contract. The consultant role will support a countywide housing strategy and related implementation steps.

Separately, the committee discussed dedicating trust‑fund ARPA money to seed a seven‑unit affordable housing project on two land‑bank sites in the village of Ovid and the Hamlet of Willard. Staff said the housing trust fund will provide capital as seed funding and that Seneca Housing will manage the properties. The application process will include a third‑party feasibility review and pro forma analysis before funds are released.

Melissa Nesbitt of Seneca Housing said the organization will manage the properties and ensure compliance with legal and program requirements; she described an expectation that two‑bedroom units would house typical family sizes and that Seneca Housing uses an established occupancy standard. Committee members noted the pilot is small compared with county need and described the proposal as capacity building to improve competitiveness for state housing grants.

Committee members expressed support for the consultant selection and the trust‑fund seed approach; the board recorded the approvals and flagged additional work on the broader strategy and future grant applications.