RENTERS FEEL THE SQUEEZE

Justice Marbury

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY NETWORK

Tenants face rising rents, few affordable stores in downtown core

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, rent prices in the United States have spiked due to various factors, including inflation, tenant demand, expired rent freezes, barriers to homeownership and more.

• If you want to rent a place in Rochester without stretching your budget, you’d need to make about $50,000 a year, according to Apartments.com.

• However, U.S. Census data shows the average person in the city makes around $46,000 – meaning many renters are likely spending more than they can afford.

According to Zillow, Rochester’s average rent has increased by $105 per month compared to last year. In 2025, the average rent is expected to reach $1,500 per month.

Some residents feel they’ll be priced out as downtown Rochester grows.

“By the time next year comes, I won’t be able to afford to live here,” said Richelle Dickerson, a resident of the Sibley Building in downtown Rochester and first chair of the Resident Council. “They talk about affordable living – not down here. It’s not affordable at all.”

As part of the city’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, officials hope to reverse some of the neighborhood’s vacancies and deterioration caused by the pandemic. That includes restoring the Four Corners area and making infrastructure improvements such as Main Street streetscape projects, the new Austin Steward Plaza, and the Aqueduct District street overhaul.

The city’s revitalization guidebook discusses affordable housing downtown, especially in the context of workforce housing and the broader challenges posed by rising housing costs.

Two new developments are in the works to address the issue. Alta Vista at St. Joseph’s Park will add 76 income-restricted units, including 14 for homeless residents. Center City Courtyard will create 164 apartments, with 95 reserved for vulnerable populations like veterans and formerly incarcerated individuals.

“We’ve reached over 10,000 people living downtown,” Mayor Malik Evans said during the groundbreaking for Center City Courtyard. “But a lot of people don’t know that because when they see affordable housing, they don’t see that it’s going to look like this. But we have changed the paradigm, so when you see affordable housing downtown, it looks like any other housing. It looks like the house I want to live in, and the house you want to live in. That’s what this project does.”

Another concern for downtown residents is the lack of nearby retail options – and the high cost of the ones that remain.

According to the revitalization guidebook, the city hopes to combat retail challenges downtown by supporting mixed-use developments with groundfloor retail, offering grants for small business upgrades, and prioritizing a diverse mix of neighborhood-serving shops. Efforts also focus on filling vacant storefronts with viable, locally rooted businesses to boost foot traffic and meet community needs.

Dollar General closed its DGX location in Rochester’s Sibley Building on April 25. Community members and store employees worry the closure will hurt downtown’s vitality. The biggest impact is expected on older residents, especially those living in the Sibley Building and nearby 55-and-older housing.

After the DGX closure, Thomas Snedden noted the area’s lack of affordable shopping options. “Everything around here is so expensive,” Snedden said. “The stores are outrageously priced, and that’s all that’s around here.”

While the city envisions everyday people living downtown in its revitalization plans, residents like Dickerson are feeling the strain now.

“They raise our rent, so you damn near can’t afford it anymore,” she said. “They’re doing nothing to make it make sense for our rent being as high as it is.”

– As a Rochester native, Justice Marbury entered the world of journalism to create work where voices like hers were heard – the voices of minority communities. Marbury covers small businesses, neighborhood concerns, and the interesting people who live in Rochester’s 19th Ward. As the 19th Ward reporter, she has helped implement community outreach ideas by asking what people in various communities want to read about themselves in addition to regular news. Contact her on Instagram @justice_marbury and by email at jmarbury@gannett.com.