UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Community leaders celebrated the construction of seven new single family houses Monday where Utica's Lincoln School once stood.

The Utica Municipal Housing Authority and their non-profit affiliate, Rebuild Mohawk Valley, are building the project in order to provide affordable housing to first-time, low or moderate income home buyers.

"These homes are homes that will be owned by people who previously relied on government subsidies for housing, food stamps, medicaid. Now they've become self sufficient," says Dr. Taras J. Herbowy, Executive Director of the UMHA and President of RMV. "And they're going to have mortgages and contribute to the tax base in the community which they live."

With a construction loan from Bank of Utica and partnership with Utica Schools, developers and city leaders say the project represents the cooperation between public and private sectors working together to better West Utica.

"When I say that we're in this together, we are in this together, because there's no one entity that can do it alone," says Utica Mayor David Roefaro.

Students from Utica Municipal Housing Authority's construction management program will be building the porches and garages of the new homes.

Developers expect to hold an open house of the project in the Spring.