Handouts are being prepared. Please note the links above to RPC talking points and Legislative Agenda talking points, etc. The meeting agenda for the 23rd is as follows:
NYS Rural Advocates Annual Legislative Conference
February 23- Feb 24, 2010, Albany, NY
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Holiday Inn Express Albany Downtown, First Capital Meeting Room
On Feb 3, 2010, Blair Sebastian, Executive Director of the Rural Housing Coalition and Nancy Berkowitz, Rural Advocates, presented NYS RHC and RA Budget Testimony_02_03_2010 before the Senate Fiance and Assembly Ways and Means Committee. View the video: hearing coverage
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer on January 25, 2010 called on the Administration and Congress to target its upcoming “Cash for Caulkers” program to communities that have older, less efficient energy housing stock, to maximize the program’s bang for the buck. Schumer said that such a move would benefit all taxpayers, and would benefit the Hudson Valley because of its many older homes. Schumer will also ask the Administration to send the funding directly to localities, bypassing federal and state middlemen that could slow down the funds’ delivery. Early reports show that the average homeowner could save up to $500 per year or more on their utility bills, and that homeowners may be eligible to receive up to $12,000 in rebates for weatherizing their homes
How do we continue a sustainable model for the future? Our community demands that we stay relevant, that our core values still resonate, but even a no growth budget results in a loss of purchasing power. Are there different tools we can use to bring our services to our community?
The proposed Executive Budget calls for funding Rural Rental Assistance at $14.8 million. That’s about one million short of what would be required to fully fund all current and extended contracts. While some project based Section 8 will help reduce this gap somewhat, what methods are proposed to implement these cuts?
The Governor’s proposed budget released today funds RPCs at $ 3.539 million. The budget document calls this a $1.147 million dollar cut but that is based on the amount left after November’s Deficit Reduction cuts. $3.539 is a cut of $2,231,700 from the level of last year’s enacted budget. That looks more like a cut of nearly 40% by our calculations
The Governor proposes to save us all some money through consolidation. “NYHOMES and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal will remain separate entities, but will be consolidated under a single management structure that is expected to achieve synergies in areas such as administration, asset management and grant making, producing annual savings of $3.5 million.” What impact might that have on upstate housing programs?
The Governor’s Budget will be released next Tuesday and is expected to be within his proposed inflation spending cap, include drastic cuts and yet I believe I read that it may exceed the budget of last year by about 2%. Stay tuned
Please note that we have rescheduled our legislative days so more people can attend! Our meeting is now scheduled for Tuesday 2/23 and Wednesday 2/24 in Albany. We will kick off our meeting at 10 at the Holiday Inn Express Downtown and shuttle up to the Housing Rally in Hearing Room A. A block has been set aside for an over night so that you can attend the reception on Tuesday night at the Sign of the Tree and be available for additional appointments on Wednesday. Registration materials will be available soon.
Across the board cuts were made to the programs funded under “Aid to Localities” in the Deficit Reduction Bill in order to preserve school aid and health care appropriations. The Governor originally proposed a ten percent across the board cut along with mid year school aid and health care cuts. The legislature countered with a DRP bill containing a 12.5% cut to undisbursed aid to localities funds
The question of WHEN you will receive payments… has yet to be answered.
877-210-5351 is the toll free number for the congressional switchboard. Ask to be connected to the housing staffer for your representative’s and senators’ offices.
Tell them you want their support for at least $1 billion National Housing Trust Fund. A $1 billion investment in the NHTF at $100,000 per unit of housing will create 15,100 construction jobs and 3,800 jobs in ongoing operations. Also, the NHTF will support local economies as low income families can afford to spend more money on goods and services when they are not spending half or more of their income on housing.
NEW YORK STATE RURAL ADVOCATES 