NEW YORK STATE RURAL ADVOCATES

ALL Preservation Companies should try to be in Albany on Tuesday, March 1 at 12:00 PM to present testimony on the RPC/ NPC Program. Reserve your slot by faxing the  public hearing notice  for the March 1, 2011 hearing

1. The Executive’s legislative proposal gives extensive authority over the operation of the program to the Commissioner of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) without express guidelines and limitations. Does the Executive have a plan regarding how these programs would operate in the future? What results are anticipated to follow the delegation of this discretion to the DHCR?
2. Are there ways to improve the oversight and review of the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Companies? Could the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Coalitions play a role in facilitating oversight and communication?
3. Are the different areas and population groups of the State served equitably? If not, what areas of the State or populations are not being served or are underserved?
4. What methods exist to provide incentives to Neighborhood and Rural preservation companies to provide new services in underserved areas? Are there incentives that would lead the companies to streamline their operations, to merge or to otherwise change their composition to more effectively meet their goals?
5. Could current policies be modified to make the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs more effective and efficient? If so, what policy changes would allow for these improvements to be made and what, if any, would such policy changes cause