Jefferson County Housing Programs

North Country HOME Consortium

Since 1994, Jefferson County has been the lead County for the federal HOME (Home Investment Partnership) program on behalf of the North Country HOME Consortium, comprised of 111 municipalities in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. Awards are made on an annual basis, as funds are available, to housing agencies to enable those agencies to provide assistance to low- and moderate- income families, primarily for the rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes. The North Country HOME Consortium has provided $34.7 million to assist over 2,008 housing units. For more information on the North Country HOME Consortium contact JCHGP@jeffersoncountyny.gov.

HOME Consortium Resources:

• HOME-ARP Allocation Plan (amended December 23, 2025)
• CPD 21-10
• Citizen Participation Plan (updated March 30, 2021)
• 2025 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report
• 2026 Consolidated Plan (DRAFT)

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Program

The Jefferson County Planning & Community Development Department administers the County's CDBG housing program. Staff undertakes program planning, application development, administration, and reporting requirements. Through the NYS Office of Community Renewal, Jefferson County applies annually for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation funds for qualifying low to moderate income home owners. The County works with a consultant to administer the program and with Neighbors of Watertown to process the applications and work with the contractors.

The County has received $13,000,000 and assisted 396 residential units since 2005. The County currently has open awards from the 2023-2025 funding rounds. Interested individuals should contact Neighbors of Watertown to determine eligibility and availability of funds.