NEW YORK STATE RURAL ADVOCATES

NYS Rural Advocates has written an open letter,  november-5 2008 to the Governor asking for consideration in planning his budget to keep the RPC and NPC program in the budget.  We hate to see the fiscal crisis borne by those that least are able to shoulder these  burdens!  Please remember to contact the Governor and ask people in your community to make their voices heard!  We are in for some tough times.

Drastic budget cuts to next years budget are now being propsed and everything is on the table. Yet, the Governor does not intend to balance the budget on the backs of New York’s neediest.  We must act today. TODAY write/fax the Governor and explain why a cut to the Preservation Program IS a cut to New York’s lowest income residents. What happens if RPCs and NPCs cut or eliminate services? It’s up to you to explain how it impacts your community and why the Preservation Company should survive the budget cuts

A new dynamic in New York State as Dems win control of the Senate and all three leaders will represent downstate. January 1 a new Senate Majority Leader will be chosen.  New strategies to consider to get our voice heard for the need for affordable housing through out New York

NYS DHCR and NYS Department of Agriculture announced  that  two million dollars have been added to the Farmworker Housing Loan Program for no interest loans up to $100,000. Tenants may be year round farm workers as well as seasonal workers.

The DHCR Commissioner presented testimony on the  Impact of Affordable Housing Development to DOB last Wednesday.  Clearly, housing leadership in New YorkState is committed to increasing the number of affordable housing units, as the need grows during this economic downturn.  The economic benefits of State subsidized housing and community development are clearly supported in this thoughtful  presentation.

Michelle Singletary’s column in Sunday’s Washington Post has a plain language explanation about how the HUD foreclosure mitigation program works.  Rural Advocates want to hear from you about your rural needs. Are you seeing vacancies as a result of foreclosure?

A group of Rural Advocates and NYS Rural Housing Coalition members met with DHCR’s Gary Hallock, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Community Development and staff to discuss rural development issues and how we can partner to deliver even more affordable housing. Continue reading →

The Governor has announced changes in the HEAP program as well as other initiatives.  See Patterson’s Press Release

If you haven’t seen  NLIHC Memo to Members you might be interested in the following analysis of the impact of the bailout on the National trust fund on the bailout:

“First, the contributions that Fannie and Freddie are to make to fund the National Housing Trust Fund are based on their volume of new business,not profits. Their share of the mortgage business is going up and will continue to do so. However, the second thing to know is that these contributions can be suspended by the regulator if he or she considers them to be detrimental to the financial health of the GSEs. Third, on the other hand, because of the diversion of the funding for the National Housing Trust Fund to backstop the new foreclosure prevention program,the National Housing Trust Fund will not receive any funding until FY10 at the earliest. Hopefully, the actions taken now will restore confidence in the GSEs, so that contributions to the National Housing Trust Fund will be possible by then.”

Today, The NY Times weighs in with

budget-bulletin-vol-11-number-39-1

NRHC Budget Bulletin