The Oswego Renaissance Association (ORA) has launched its 2023 applications

by Contributor | February 25, 2023 2:47 pm

OSWEGO – The Oswego Renaissance Association (ORA) has launched its 2023 applications for the Renaissance Block Challenge Grant for property owners in the City of Oswego. And this time, individuals who lead the application group can receive even bigger grants than prior years.

The Block Challenge Grant is a program for City of Oswego residents that offers dollar-for-dollar matching funds for exterior home improvements, up to $1000 per property. This program requires a minimum of 5, and a maximum of 15, homes in a neighborhood with neighbors to form a group and apply together.

This is the ORAs 10^th Anniversary. To date, more than 5 million dollars of private investments has been leveraged in neighborhoods all over the City of Oswego

As a special incentive for the 10^th Year Anniversary, the ORA will award the Block leader a bit more – $1500.00 in grant funds – for 2023. The Block Leader is a volunteer that recruits other neighbors to apply with them, and is the contact person between the ORA and the block. Pre-applications can be downloaded on the ORA’s website; www.oswegonyonline.com[1].  The deadline for the Pre-Application is April 1, 2023.

To complete the pre-application, city residents first must form a group of 5-15 property owners in a neighborhood.  The group can include both homeowners and landlords. The applications are competitive. The geographically closer the homes are together and the larger the number of participants strengthen the application.

The ORA also has two other major types of grants available to City of Oswego residents. The Paint Oswego Grants offer an additional $1000 in matching funds for painting a house in historic colors selected from a pallet of more than 300 various combinations chosen by the homeowner. This grant can be awarded completely separately from the Block Challenge Grant. Awarded on a first come first serve basis, about 20 Paint Oswego Grants are available each year. There are also Neighborhood Pride Grants that target public space in a neighborhood (parks, curb gardens, etc.) and require neighbors to work together on those improvements.

For additional information on all of these grants, follow the ORA on Facebook,  visit the website at www.OswegoNYonline.com[2] or email the ORA at [email protected][3]

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/community/the-oswego-renaissance-association-ora-has-launched-its-2023-applications/

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