Governor Patterson has proposed cuts to affordable housing programs.  His budget cuts must be approved by the Senate and the Assembly.   Are there any comments you have to offer  as the Senate and Assembly prepare their budgets?  Do you have a question for the New York State Senate or New York State Assembly  Housing Chair?  Discussion for the DHCR Commissioner?  Plan to attend the NYS Rural Advocates Meeting in Albany, March 9 and10! Click on the agenda on the top of this page for more information

Join the NYS Rural Advocates on March 9th and 10th in Albany to inform  State  leadership about the housing needs of your community. Governor Patterson has cut the RPC and NPC Program. Can you weather this cut? The DHCR is cutting back on the Rural Rental Assistance Program. Can your tenants pay more rent? Continue reading →

Info about the stimulus package as well as information on a pledge by the new HUD Secretary to fund a national housing trust fund can be found in the 2-13 issue of the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Memo to Members http://www.nlihc.org/pubs/issue.cfm

Additionally, the National Rural Housing Coalition notes that  Rural Homeownership Loans will be increased by $1 billion, Guaranteed Homeownership loans by $10.4 billion, Rural Water and Sewer loans by $2.8 billion grants by $963 billion and Rural Business Enterprise Grants by $20 million, rural community facilities by $1.5 billion

EPA

Local clean and drinking water infrastructure improvements –+ $6 billion

CDFI Fund

Financial and Technical Assistance –+$100 million

New Markets Tax Credits — + $3 billion

Details on how the funds can be used to support very low income persons are found here  http://www.nyscaaonline.org/FirstPageNewsArticles/2009/ConfEconRecoveryChart21709.pdf

We have been given the following estimates

• $5 billion nationwide for the Weatherization Assistance Program to help make the homes of low income households more energy efficient. DHCR will receive and administer about $404 million of this total;

• $2.25 billion nationally for the HOME and Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs. These funds will help fill financing gaps caused by the economic downturn and get stalled housing development projects moving.  In New York, DHCR will receive approximately $245 million;

• $1 billion nationwide for the Community Development Block Grant program for community and economic development projects including housing and services for those hit hard by tough economic times. This will mean $13 million for DHCR-administered funding for New York State, and approximately $90 million that will be distributed directly to local municipalities in the State;

• $2 billion nationally for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to redevelop abandoned and foreclosed homes.  This will mean about $49 million for New York — $27 million to our sister agency, NYHomes, and (assuming the prior distribution formula remains in place) $22 million to six direct grantees;

• $1.5 billion nation-wide for homeless prevention activities. Using the Emergency Shelter Grant formula, this will bring a total of $142 million for the state and local governments. New York State’s program, which is administered by the Office of Temporary Disabilities and Assistance (OTDA) will receive approximately $29.8 million;

• The stimulus bill also includes $4 billion for much-needed capital repairs to public housing across the nation, and $2 billion for the country’s Section 8 project-based rental assistance program, with $250 million of that amount going toward energy retrofitting and green housing. These funds will be administered by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and will greatly benefit both public and assisted housing in New York State.

The Governor has proposed reducing  funding for Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs for the individual 2008-09 contracts by 25 percent of remaining payments. (2008-09 Savings: $2 million; 2009-10 Savings: $2 million) The legislature must agree to this, as they did in August when the program suffered its first cut. So this cut being considered is the second cut to existing contracts. Contact your legislator TODAY- ask them to STAND UP against the cuts when considered this week for passage! Ask them to contact their leaders and tell them NOT  to agree to  cut the essential affordable housing delivery network!

You can provide testimony and inform Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means on why housing is an essential part of the New York State Budget.  Budget hearings will be held on January 29, 2009 in Hearing Room C of the Legislative Office Building.   To testify  in Albany, contact Clinton Freeman, 518-455-5491 and limit your remarks to 10 minutes. Bring 40 copies to Albany. If you cannot travel to Albany you may send 10 copies of your remarks to: A. Herman D. Farrell, Rm 923 LOB, Albany, NY 12248 within 5 days of the hearing

Community Services Block Grant: $1 billion for grants to local communities to support employment, food, housing, and healthcare efforts serving those hardest hit by the recession. Community action agencies have seen dramatic increases in requests for their assistance due to rising unemployment, housing foreclosures, and high food and fuel prices.

Community Development Block Grants: $1 billion for community and economic development projects including housing and services for those hit hard by tough economic times. Continue reading →

Attacking the Housing Crisis

·        Public Housing Capital Fund: $5 billion for building repair and modernization, including critical safety repairs.  Every dollar of Capital Fund expenditures produces $2.12 in economic return.  $4 billion of the funds will be distributed to public housing authorities through the existing formula and $1 billion will be awarded through a competitive process for projects that improve energy efficiency.

·        HOME Investment Partnerships: $1.5 billion to help local communities build and rehabilitate low-income housing using green technologies.  Thousands of ready-to-go housing projects have been stalled by the credit crunch.  Funds are distributed by formula. Continue reading →

• RPCs and NPCs are a nationally recognized model with a strong record of putting  housing dollars to work

• RPCs and NPCs are in the forefront of the battle to stem the tide of foreclosures

• RPCs and NPCs leverage over $25 in state, federal and private resources for every dollar provided through the Preservation Program

• RPCs and NPCs are governed by local boards of directors and are responsive and accountable to their communities