SYRACUSE, NY — Mayoral candidate Sharon Owens today released her “Thriving Neighborhoods” policy agenda, a bold and comprehensive vision to improve the quality of life across all Syracuse neighborhoods. The plan emphasizes investment in affordable housing, vacant property revitalization, and public infrastructure improvements, ensuring that every resident feels the impact of a stronger, more vibrant city. Owens was joined by State Senator of the 48th District Rachel May, who formally announced her endorsement of Sharon Owens for Syracuse Mayor.

“Every neighborhood deserves investment by expanding affordable housing, tackling vacant properties, and improving parks and public infrastructure. Syracuse neighborhoods thrive when we understand the health of your neighborhood strengthens the vitality of mine,” said Owens. “This plan reflects a commitment to equitable growth, safe homes, and walkable, connected communities for all Syracusans.”

Sen. May said, “I really admire Sharon’s positive, people-centered vision for a city built around thriving and healthy neighborhoods. Our whole region - the whole state, actually - is in a housing crisis, and Sharon will use every tool in the toolbox to help more people make a good home here in Syracuse. I’ve watched her dive into the details, whether it’s financing tools, design options, planning and zoning, street safety, code enforcement, eviction protections, accessibility, or park improvements. She asks good questions and truly listens to the answers. And she brings to every issue and every interaction a genuine passion for this city and its people. As we shift from being a city built for high-speed through traffic to one designed for human beings, I believe Sharon will bring the vision and experience to make Syracuse the kind of home we all want to live in, which is why I endorse her for Mayor.”

The Thriving Neighborhoods plan is rooted in findings from the Syracuse Housing Study, which identifies two critical challenges facing the city: the affordability gap—the difference between housing costs and what households can pay—and the market gap—the cost of building or repairing homes relative to potential returns. Owens’s solutions aim to address both.

Key Proposals Include:

• Building 1,000 New Housing Units: Utilizing every available City tool to create mixed-income and mixed-use housing by the end of Owens’s first term.

• Strengthening Code Enforcement: Expanding the capacity of the Division of Code Enforcement to address substandard housing and hold landlords accountable.

• Supporting the Syracuse Housing Strategy: Guiding neighborhood development with a data-informed, community-centered approach.

• Combatting Lead Hazards: Working in collaboration with Onondaga County to eliminate interior lead toxins and continuing the lead pipe replacement program.

• Prioritizing Vacant Properties: Identifying structures for immediate restoration or demolition to remove blight and reinvigorate communities.

• Investing in Infrastructure: Committing to accessible, walkable, and bikeable streets and sidewalks citywide.

• Revitalizing Parks and Green Spaces: Ensuring inclusive access to beautiful, functional green spaces for people of all ages and abilities.

• Cracking Down on Illegal Activity: Pursuing legal actions against businesses engaged in unlawful or harmful practices.

Owens’s “Thriving Neighborhoods” agenda promises a city where opportunity is not limited by ZIP code and where strong, resilient communities can flourish together.