The New York State Rural Advocates Legislative Conference will be held Monday-Tuesday March 5-6th, 2012.

The ROI to the State’s Preservation Program Dollars is enormous as shown in the State’s own reports.  In addition to this return, the work done by these programs supports families and improves communities. Loss of the Preservation Program funds will negatively impact the productivity of these companies because they work so efficiently on very tight margins.  In return for a savings of 12 million dollars in the 2012-13 budget, the State will lose (based on last year’s figures) $3,988,153,029 (three billion, nine hundred eighty-eight million, one hundred and fifty three thousand and twenty-nine dollars) in economic activity

See this useful summary based on HCR reporting compiled by one of our members.

.2009-11 annual report NPC summary for pr 2012 edited-1

Preservation Program Directors are encouraged to use the media to let their community know how many jobs will be lost and dollars lost to their home towns by the defunding of their community based housing non profit.  The question needs to be asked, WHO will apply for the State and Federal community housing programs for Main Street and CDBG?  What will be lost to the community?

News outlets need to know!!

Governor Cuomo specifically defunded the rural and neighborhood preservation program in his budget as presented today.

Savings have been achieved! His budget states:

“Eliminate Funding for the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs. To achieve savings, the Executive Budget recommends eliminating funding for the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) and the Rural Preservation Program (RPP).

(2012-13 Value: $12 million; 2013-14 Value: $12 million)”

The capital budget numbers can be found here around page 223

Housing advocates are urged to register to testify on the importance of funding the State’s affordable housing programs including preservation before the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee at their Joint Legislative Hearing on the 2012- 2013 Executive Budget proposal. The Governor releases his budget next Tuesday.

The Housing Hearings will take place on Monday, February 13 in Hearing Room B at the Empire State Plaza at 12:00 PM and will continue through the afternoon. Contact Clinton Freeman, Jr. 518-455-5491 to get on the list of presenters and come with 40 copies of your testimony.  Presentations are limited to 10 minutes.  Written testimony is also accepted if you cannot make the trip; contact the office of Mr. Freeman for details.

A new Foreclosure Relief Unit was announced in the Governor’s State of the State address. This will be housed in the Department of Financial Services.  It is expected  that the existing State partnership with trained non profits providing counseling and mortgage foreclosure mitigation services will continue but details have not yet been provided.

The New-York-State-Legislative-Session-Calendar has been released. Use this as a guide to plan your visits to your legislators at home and in Albany every month.  If you haven’t touched based with them about the State Housing Awards (either good news or bad) please remember to do so soon.  Please don’t wait until the Advocates Legislative Conference, March 5-6th in Albany to start talking about the importance of housing in rural NY. By the time we get there, we hope to see our Housing Programs Produce Jobs!_flyer in every legislators office!

Now that housing announcements have finally been made, it’s a great time to let your legislators know about the economic impact this will have on your community. Please get the message out!  See this article in the local Binghamton paper for a great response!

Legislators return to Albany this week and the Governor is considering a tax increase on the “rich”. The Governor is promising a State budget with a modest 2% growth in spending, yet a 4% increase in health care and education.  Meanwhile, all expect that  housing award announcements will finally be made the end of this week.  Please speak out – funded or not- these delays have had their impact!

NYS Rural Advocates held their annual meeting in Cooperstown, NY on November 9 and 10.  During that meeting it was acknowledged that the preservation program is all about JOBS. The non profits funded are community economic and housing professionals, responding to community needs and are accountable to the community where they work.  The funding supports housing and community building which is the message of the Governor’s Economic Regional Councils across the State.  Full funding for the  Preservation Program is essential as are flexible housing and community programs that are size and scale appropriate to save small communities.

Rural Advocates welcome new board members Stephanie Lane and Jerry Willard.