ADVISORY -- State Housing Commissioner to Address Finger Lakes Housing Summit

Will Release Unprecedented Study on Finger Lakes Housing Needs

ALBANY, NY (05/15/2008)(readMedia)-- Deborah VanAmerongen, commissioner of the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) will deliver a keynote speech tomorrow at the Finger Lakes Housing Summit.

WHAT: Finger Lakes Housing Summit

WHEN: Friday, May 16, 2008 – Summit begins at 8:30 a.m.; Commissioner to speak at 9:30 a.m. WHERE: Ramada Inn in Geneva, NY, 41 Lakefront Dr

The summit is being organized by The Finger Lakes Housing Consortium, which represents approximately 30 organizations focused on a wide variety of affordable housing and special shelter needs. Rural Opportunities Inc. is a co-sponsor of the event.

VanAmerongen will discuss and release a just-completed report on the housing needs of the Finger Lakes Region. The report, the second in a series of nine regional studies on New York’s housing needs, involved meetings and interviews with dozens of local officials, advocates, developers and other members of the housing community throughout the region. Once all nine reports are completed, a Statewide Housing Needs Study will be issued.

Governor David A. Paterson said the report represents “a new level of outreach to and coordination with local officials who best understand the needs of their communities. These reports will provide us with a powerful tool to help determine how New York State’s housing and community development programs can best be targeted to meet the needs of our residents.”

DHCR Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen said “This study is an effort to truly understand the housing needs of communities across the State. Our goal is to reach out and gather first hand information from local leaders and housing professionals about their priorities and their needs as they see them. That kind of outreach has never been attempted before.”

To prepare the Finger Lakes report, DHCR staff traveled throughout the region meeting with local officials and housing professionals from pertinent county and city departments (planning, community development, economic development and housing).

DHCR also met with representatives from Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Companies and other not-for-profit organizations, social service organizations which have affordable housing as a stated mission of their organization and affordable housing developers from the private sector with regional experience. DHCR staff also gathered information by making site visits and tours throughout the region with local officials.

The housing needs report also includes U.S. Census and American Community Survey data intended to identify demographic and housing related trends. DHCR staff also analyzed information from current local planning documents.

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