As many people have experienced, rents in the Rochester housing market have continued to rise since 2010, with the steepest increases occurring since 2019.
According to Lisa Lewis, chief program and operations officer of Catholic Charities Family and Community Services, median projected rent in 2026 for a one-bedroom apartment will be $1,256 (up from $1,170 in 2025), and a two-bedroom apartment will be $1,573 (increased from $1,537) in the City of Rochester.
For families in need, rising rents can pose a threat to stable housing. In those cases, Catholic Charities offers rent-assistance programs that are supported in part by proceeds from the annual Catholic Courier/Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal.
Christmas Appeal supports Project Anchor to keep people in their homes
Lewis explained that there are two rental-assistance programs offered by CCFCS.
The Eviction Diversion Program is funded by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and Legal Assistance of Western New York. Project Anchor, a CCFCS subsidy program, receives support from the Christmas Appeal.
Project Anchor helps around 300 households in Monroe County annually, offering emergency assistance for overdue rent or security deposits to prevent homelessness, Lewis said.
Christmas Appeal funds can help low-income families pay for an additional two months of rent, provide funds for moving and storage costs, and help pay for utilities or to pay down bills, according to Lewis.
Participants in Project Anchor typically pay up to 30 percent of their rent or deposit with the balance subsidized, she explained, noting that participants are assigned case managers for long-term support.
“Our goal is to address housing needs first, and … look at other resources, from benefits to employment, to really get people whole,” Lewis said.
Christmas Appeal funds help make new homes ‘homey’
Higher rents aren’t just occurring in Monroe County.
Chemung/Schuyler Catholic Charities works to support Southern Tier homeless individuals and families at risk of eviction with case management and resources.
Suzianna Fritz, director of emergency services, said advocacy with landlords and rent-assistance programs are key to Chemung/Schuyler Catholic Charities’ efforts at helping people remain in their homes. For those who are homeless, Chemung/Schuyler Catholic Charities operates a rapid rehousing program that works with area landlords to help families and individuals secure safe housing.
Fritz explained that once people are rehoused, Christmas Appeal funds go to helping them to set up their new homes with starter kits.
“It’s huge — you’ve got individuals that have been living in a motel for a year or more, and they’re finally getting a place of their own. They don’t have anything,” Fritz said.
Providing bedding and decorations for the children’s rooms is exciting for them, she said. Likewise, supplying kitchen items, cookware, even decorative kitchen towels helps to make it a home, Fritz noted.
“Anything to make it homey is exciting to them,” she said. “Kids that never had a bedroom finally get to have a bedroom. Having their very own bedding and blankets is so important to them. It makes their day. Their eyes just light up.”
The cost of rent outpacing support for Catholic Charities
Supporting homeless or at-risk families in the Finger Lakes looks similar to other areas of the Diocese of Rochester.
Frank Capozzi Jr., executive director of Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes, said in an email to the Catholic Courier that Christmas Appeal funds are used to support the agency’s Emergency Assistance Program. This program works to assess household emergencies that threaten basic needs and household stability.
Capozzi said that in the third quarter of 2025, the Emergency Assistance Program assisted 55 families, and half of those families needed rental assistance.
He observed that “rent is outpacing the amount of support we receive.”
Christmas Appeal funds are an important part of combating homelessness in the Finger Lakes, Capozzi noted.
“Funds from the Christmas Appeal are very helpful each and every year,” he said.
Tags: Catholic Charities
