Rural Advocates Respond

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As Reported in the Daily Freeman on July 9, 2008, ” With help from six banks, a local not-for-profit housing agency will hire a counselor to help homeowners deal with threatened foreclosures.

The banks are providing nearly $23,000 for the Rural Ulster Preservation Co.’s initiative, officials announced on Tuesday.

RUPCO Executive Director Kevin O’Connor and local baking and government leaders announced the Foreclosure Prevention Program during an news conference at RUPCO’s office on John Street in Uptown Kingston.”

Housing Funds Awarded to Advocates

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Governor Paterson announced Affordable Housing Funding Awards today. State housing programs are used widely among Rural Advocates membership.  AHC awards included:

*  A $300,000 grant to the City of Ogdensburg to finance home improvements for 22 single-family homes located on scattered sites in the city.
*  A $300,000 grant to the Association for Neighborhood Rehabilitation, Inc. to finance home improvements for 25 single-family homes located on scattered sites throughout the county.
*  A $300,000 grant to the Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation to finance improvements for 35 homes in Chautauqua County.
*  A $225,000 grant for the City of Elmira’s Department of Community Development to finance home improvements for 20 homes in Chemung County.
*  A $300,000 grant to the Cuba Community Development Corporation to finance home improvements for 40 homes in Allegany County.
*  A $300,000 grant to Community Progress, Inc. to finance home improvements for 40 homes in Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties.
*  A $300,000 grant to the City of Binghamton’s Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development to finance home improvements for 30 homes in Broome County.

Additional funding awards on the Governor’s Website

Preserving affordable units

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DHCR has submitted a program bill that has been introduced in the Senate and  Assembly, A10812/S7359.

The bill amends the Housing Trust Fund to allow substantial rehabilitation,  use 10%  of funds for community facilities (and removes that limit on  acquisition)  and raises the limits per unit as explained in the  sponsor memo. It changes the statute so that buildings can be  occupied, albeit under occupied.  This may really be helpful for preservation of older rentals

FY 2009 Proposed Budget from the Whitehouse

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http://www.ruralhome.org/infoAnnouncements_2009budgetproposed.php

The Housing Assistance Council has the latest Executive  federal budget posted on their website, above.

Some lobbying on “the hill” this winter may be in order!

Proposed Housing Opportunity Fund

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Details on the Executive Proposal for additional housing money through a newly created  Housing Opportunity Fund
were released this week.

Testimony presented on the Executive’s Budget Proposal

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Along with Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen and NYHomes President and CEO, Priscilla Almodovar, Blair Sebastian and Nancy Berkowitz also  presented testimony before the Joint Fiscal Committees of the NYS Legislature on Tuesday, January 29, 2008

NYS Rural Advocates Funding Request

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NYS Rural Advocates respond to the Governor’s housing program and housing capital budget with their own Housing Program funding needs

This table of budget requests compares last years housing program funding levels to those just presented by Governor Spitzer and program funding that Advocates believe are needed to address the needs of rural NY this year.

Governors’ Budget: Capital Projects

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HDF funded at $10 Million

Rural Rental Assistance at $19,604,000

Housing Trust Fund at $ 29 Million

AHC at $25 Million with $40,000/unit in high cost areas

HHAP at $30 Million

Homes for Working Families at $7 million

HOPE/RESTORE $400,000

 

Governor Releases Executive Budget for the State

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RPC Program- The Executive Budget includes $4.597 million for Rural Preservation Companies. This would be enough to fund all RPCs at $65,000. It’s disappointing that last year’s final budget amount did not hold, but it’s no surprise, since this depended on a legislative add. So the Exective Budget kept the program whole as far as they are concerned. At least we start at a level we can add to and not restore a deep cut.  Again, it’s “cash” in the budget and easy to whack.

New Capital: As anticipated, there is $400 million in NEW capital proposed along with a capital budget based on last year’s budget for the various existing programs. The new money promises $100 million from SONYMA reserves for upstate, if passed by the legislature. We anticipate that this will be a negotiated process and we all need to work to see if we can make it happen. Rural
Advocates has taken a position that these funds would best be channeled Upstate through the existing programs: HTF small projects and seed money, RARP, Main Street, RESTORE and
other programs that have worked well for us. Although Administered by HFA, they will work in partnership with our other State Agencies involved with housing.

Rural Rent will return for another year.  Managers of older projects will want to note the budget language.  We began that conversation with the DHCR Commissioner at our annual meeting. To be continued for sure!

More updates as it unfolds-