Aging and Disability Network June Meeting Minutes!

Aging and Disability Network Meeting Minutes 6/14/16

Present: Maria Geizer (Home Instead Senior Care), Karen Clark (Home Health Care Partners), Carolyn Crawmer (NY Statewide Senior Action Council), Nichole Church (Healthy Capital District), Cindy Harrington (Shelters of Saratoga), Kym Hance (Alzheimer’s Association NENY), Carol Palmieri (Saratoga Hospital), Elizabeth Johnson (Saratoga Senior Center), Mariana Cavanaugh (USDA/ Rural Development), Cheryl Lawyer (Northeastern Association of the Blind), Ben Nichols (Saratoga County OFA), Mary Rickard (Saratoga County OFA), Connie Weaver(Saratoga County OFA), Michelle Larkin (Rebuilding Together Saratoga County), Sharon Emerson (CHOICES St. Peter’s), Whitney Jobmann (SAIL), Gillian Verdu (Saratoga Senior Center), Veronica Lestage (VNA of NY), Jennifer Baldwin (Saratoga Hospital), Carol Reardon (Saratoga County OFA), Ardis Armer (Saratoga County OFA), Reed Lehan (Saratoga County DSS), Jess Flynn (Eddy Day Break ADS), Renee Birnbaum (Home Helpers), Patrick Harrington (Saratoga County OFA).

Attendees introduced themselves. The next meeting of this network will be held on July 12, 2016 at the Saratoga United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs.  Sam Goldman from Disability Rights NY will be giving an overview on the services the agency provides.

Today’s Topic and Presenters: Michelle Larkin, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together, Saratoga County; and Mariana Cavanaugh of the USDA and Rural Development.

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County: Rebuilding Together Saratoga County provides critical repairs for homeowners in need in Saratoga County who are older adults, individuals living with a disability, families with children or veterans. These services are provided at no cost to the homeowner and focus on ensuring that they can live independently in safe and healthy homes.

Rebuilding Together partners with volunteers year round to ensure that homeowners in need can live independently in safe and healthy homes and build healthy neighborhoods through their programs:

• Home Repair provides critical repairs for low-income homeowners, including weatherizing, making plumbing and electrical repairs, patching and painting, cleaning, re-carpeting, siding, and landscaping.

• Safe at Home provides home safety assessments and safety and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners who are older adults or are living with a disability.

• Nonprofit Facility/Community Beautification provides safe and welcoming spaces for communities to gather through renovation and beautification work for community centers, supportive housing facilities and outdoor community spaces.

Applying for services:

Once an applicant sends in a completed application, Rebuilding Saratoga will schedule an in-home visit by our home previewer.  The previewer will gather information about the repairs needed at your home, which will include taking photos of specific areas that need repair.  They prioritize the homes of older adults, individuals living with a disability, families with young children and active and retired members of the armed services.  They prefer to work with homeowners who have owned their homes for at least two years.

They do require that all able-bodied homeowners and family members join in the work.

There is never a cost to the homeowner for the work we do; there is an expectation that the homeowner to remains in their home for a minimum of three years of the project date.  Please note that some homeowners will be asked to commit to remaining in their homes for up to five years, depending on the funding source.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for these services, the homeowner must:

Live in Saratoga County;

Own and live in the home for which they are applying;

Have a household income that meets HUD’s low-income guidelines;

Have no outstanding real estate taxes and be current on mortgage (or lot payment); and

Be unable to complete the work themselves.

Priority is given to those who have lived in the home for two years or more.  They also give priority to older adults, individuals living with a disability, families with children and active and retired members of the armed services.

This is an Equal Opportunity Program and applicant eligibility will not be based on race, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, sex, religion, familial status or disability.

For more information about income requirements or services, please contact Rebuilding Together at 587-3315.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development – covering Essex, Hamilton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.

Mission: We are committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Through our programs, we help rural Americans in many ways.

We offer loans, grants and loan guarantees to support essential services such as housing, economic development, health care, first responder services and equipment, and water, electric and communications infrastructure.

We promote economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks, credit unions and community-managed lending pools. We offer technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations.

We provide technical assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment programs. We help rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing and make health and safety repairs to their homes.

USDA Rural Development has a $213 billion portfolio of loans. We will administer $38 billion in loans, loan guarantees and grants through our programs in the current fiscal year.

Program Example – Section 504 Home Repair Loan/Grant Program:

What does this program do? 
Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program, this provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.

Who may apply for this program?
To qualify, you must:

·         Be the homeowner and occupy the house

·         Be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere

·         Have a family income below 50 percent of the area median income i

·         For grants, be age 62 or older and not be able to repay a repair loan

What is an eligible area?
Applicants may check the address of their home to determine eligibility.

How may funds be used?

·         Loans may be used to repair, improve or modernize homes or remove health and safety hazards

·         Grants must be used to remove health and safety hazards

How much money can I get?

·         Maximum loan is $20,000

·         Maximum grant is $7,500

·         Loans and grants can be combined for up to $27,500 in assistance

What are the terms of the loan or grant?

·         Loans can be repaid over 20 years

·         Loan interest rate is fixed at 1%

·         Full title service is required for loans of $7,500 or more

·         Grants have a lifetime limit of $7,500

·         Grants must be repaid if the property is sold in less than 3 years

·         If applicants can repay part, but not all of the costs, applicants may be offered a loan and grant combination

Is there a deadline to apply? 

·         Home loans are available year round as long as funding is available

·         Home loan applications are processed in the order they are received

How long does an application take? 
Approval times depend on funding availability in your area. Talk to a USDA home loan specialist in your area for help with the application

Why does USDA Rural Development do this?
Helping people stay in their own home and keep it in good repair helps families and their communities. Homeownership helps families and individuals build savings over time. It strengthens communities and helps many kinds of businesses that support the local economy.

For more information on the programs available to homeowners in our county, please go to www.rd.usda.gov or call our local office in Greenwich at 692-9940 ext 4.