The Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission is receiving a $1,763,222 capital funding grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.
The non-profit will use the money to revitalize the former YMCA building, in Niagara Falls. The Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission is using the Portage Road building as a shelter for men and social programs.
The building will receive handicap access and upgrades to the interior and exterior of the building to allow for modern and up-to-date low income housing for people who qualify.
“Emergency shelter which currently can be almost up to 50 people, we should be able to nearly double that. So we could have over a hundred people that we are helping at a time,” Interim Executive Director of Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission, Tom McLaughlin said.
With the assistance of M&T Bank, the grant is part of the FHLBNY affordable housing initiative program.
“This is a city that makes its living in the tourism industry and I think if people were to come here and see poor people living on the street, because they had no where to go that harms economic development to The City of Niagara Falls,” Niagara Falls Mayor, Paul Dyster said.
Renovations are expected to be completed by 2018.
