EPIP Spotlight: St. Anthony's Church Being Transformed into Affordable Housing

A long-vacant, National Register-listed building in Syracuse is on its way to being put back into active use thanks to Home Leasing LLC.  St. Anthony’s church complex, which includes a school and convent building, will be turned into affordable housing with an emphasis on providing space for the elderly. The League was excited to support this project in 2019 with a loan from our Endangered Properties Intervention Program (EPIP).

The EPIP loan was earmarked for roof stabilization, before Home Leasing purchased the building, a necessary first step to reduce deterioration before further renovations could begin. Beyond the financial support, the EPIP loan also demonstrated to other funders that there was tangible support for the project, which helped make the case that this project is important. In addition to support from the League, Home Leasing is taking advantage of Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, a Supportive Housing Opportunity Loan, and a loan from the City of Syracuse (the building’s former owner).

Community development and affordable housing have long been priorities for Home Leasing. Tackling vacancy by repurposing historic buildings is a big part of what they do (the League honored another Home Leasing project in 2019, Eastman Gardens in Rochester, with an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award). The St. Anthony’s complex is in the lowest income neighborhood in Syracuse, occupying a very prominent space in the community. Their goal in reviving this community anchor, beyond the direct benefit of providing affordable housing, is to invest in this neighborhood and hopefully encourage other new development that will benefit its residents as well.

Home Leasing is currently operating on a 15-month construction schedule for this project, with an expected opening date in March 2021. To learn more about them and their work, visit homeleasing.net.