COMPASS LOGINOur Mission
We are dedicated to the revitalization and growth of neighborhoods—helping communities become places where people want to live, work, and thrive.
About Us
For over 45 years, we have been helping communities.
Our Vision
We envision communities across Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Fulton, Montgomery, and Otsego counties that thrive by encouraging homeownership with educated, financially responsible and empowered individuals, to create safe, stable, and prosperous neighborhoods.
Our Story
The HomeOwnershipCenter (HOC) began in 1979, focusing on revitalizing Utica’s Cornhill neighborhood. Over time, our mission grew from supporting a single neighborhood to strengthening entire communities across six counties.
Since then, HOC and our partners have invested more than $200 million into housing and neighborhood revitalization efforts. Our work is guided by a strong commitment to resident leadership—more than half of our Board of Directors are resident leaders, ensuring that the voices of the community shape our mission.
What We Do
To build strong, resilient neighborhoods, we provide programs and services that address:
Homeownership support: home buyer education classes, financial coaching, foreclosure prevention, and down payment and closing cost assistance
Neighborhood investment: home improvement and rehabilitation grants
HOC is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). We are also a chartered NeighborWorks® Organization, part of a national network created to strengthen affordable housing and community revitalization.
These designations reflect our long-standing commitment to providing professional, trusted, and effective services to the communities we serve.