ALBANY — The capital city is among 10 municipalities across the state to receive grant funding for “innovative programs” related to housing and code enforcement.

State Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday announced more than $8 million in grant awards to cities including Albany, Rochester, Binghamton and Syracuse. The grants are part of the Cities for Responsible Investment and Strategic Enforcement (Cities RISE) program, which aims to creatively address blighted, vacant or poorly maintained properties through the use of housing and community data from state agencies.

Albany and Elmira each will receive $1 million to implement code enforcement programs with an emphasis on making code enforcement more “effective, efficient and equitable.” Grant awards for the 10 cities range from $546,000 to $1 million.

“In the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis, New Yorkers are continuing to struggle to find and maintain quality affordable housing options,” James said in a news release. “Cities RISE provides a thoughtful approach to how municipalities revitalize its communities, and ensures that housing issues are addressed. My office will continue to proudly use the funds secured from settlements with banks to combat New York’s housing crisis.”

The program was launched in 2017 to help New York families and communities rebuild from the housing crisis, and provided 16 municipalities a two-year subscription to a data platform that integrated and analyzed data - from code enforcement records to fire and police data - to help better inform decisions on addressing blighted properties.

Ten of those municipalities have been selected for the additional funding in the second phase, which required cities to develop strategic housing or code enforcement programs through the data they were able to collect in the first phase.

For Albany, the funding will help provide resources and education to improve landlord/tenant relationships, assist elderly homeowners with estate planning and create opportunities for residents to become homeowners if they are willing to maintain vacant properties, Mayor Kathy Sheehan said.

“This revitalization initiative goes (along) with one of the primary goals of my administration, creating a city where every neighborhood works," Sheehan said. “We are eager to put the analysis, technical support and training received during the first two phases of Cities RISE to work in transforming Albany neighborhoods. ”

In Rochester, Mayor Lovely Warren said the funding will go to creating a property manager licensing program, among other uses.

“Thanks to Attorney General James and the Cities RISE program, Rochester will remain a leader in ensuring quality, affordable housing for our residents," Warren said in the release. “These vital dollars will help prevent evictions, provide for emergency repairs and help create a property manager licensing program.”

Enterprise Community Partners, a national community development intermediary that specializes in affordable housing, is overseeing the initiative.