Mr. G Returns Home
Housing Commissioner, Officials, and Supporters Welcome Home Flood Victim. Disabled veteran, left homeless by floods, assisted by a wide array of organizations
FT. PLAIN, NY (08/23/2007)(readMedia)-- New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen today joined Fort Plain Mayor Guy Barton and a contingent of local, federal and state officials, business leaders and housing advocates to welcome Emery Giovannone to his new home.
Mr. Giovannone, a disabled veteran and victim of the June ’06 floods, lost the home he had painstakingly adapted to his own special needs. After years of living independently, the disaster left Emery no choice but to move to a nearby nursing home for just over one year. Mr. G – as he was affectionately dubbed by many of his supporters – lacked the means to raze the old home, much less build a new one.
Through an unusual example of intra-agency coordination and cooperation, the leadership of the Valley Rural Preservation Company, and the generosity of state-wide affordable housing associations, local contractors, and community residents a new handicapped accessible home with flood-resistant features stands where Emery’s flood-ravaged home once stood.
Commissioner VanAmerongen said that the effort “was extraordinary on many levels and demonstrated the professional and personal commitment of people who felt compelled to help a very deserving individual. Here in Fort Plain -- local, state and federal government agencies joined forces with local businesses, housing advocates and not-for-profit organizations in order to help Mr. Giovannone rebuild his home and his life.”
Fort Plain Mayor Guy Barton said, “Mr. Giovannone is a good citizen and a valuable asset to our community. The village worked side by side with DHCR, FEMA, and others to provide a new house for Mr. G, and we’re happy to welcome him home today.”
Gino Santabarbara, Executive Director of the Valley RPC said, “I have been extremely fortunate to work with so many dedicated people from government and the private sector to try and address Emery’s needs. On behalf of my board of directors, I want to thank DHCR, the Affordable Housing Corporation and NYSAFAH for the funding they provided to make this day possible and for choosing the Valley to see this project through.”
Nancy Geer, Executive Director of the New York Housing Association, Inc. said, “We are very happy to be a part of assisting in Mr. Giovannone's recovery from the flood. This is a great example of what happens when government and private industry works together.”
Bernie Carr, Executive Director of NYSAFAH said, “When we found out about Mr. Giovannone’s plight, our members were happy to pitch in to help pay for the construction as well as helping him with some of his personal expenses. But that was easy. The hard part was to finance, design, and build a new home that would be even better and safer than the one he lost. Congratulations to everyone involved—with a special thanks to Gino Santabarbara of the Valley Rural Housing Corporation, who coordinated everything here at the site—and welcome home Emery Giovannone!”
DHS/FEMA Region II Administrator, Stephen Kempf Jr. said, “People with special needs have unique challenges after a disaster. When government and the private sector join to address those unique challenges, we can make a big difference. I am thankful to the state agencies of New York, local government entities, the non-profit community, the private sector, and my own Region II FEMA team for pulling together and the difference they made, one person at a time. This is the true essence of teamwork at all levels of government.”
The combination housewarming and welcome home event was attended by members of the Valley Rural Housing Corporation, DHCR, the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), FEMA, the New York Housing Association, and the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH).
DHCR, SEMO and FEMA mobilized and coordinated efforts to assist Emery in obtaining a new affordable and accessible home. Below is a breakdown of the assistance to the project.
• DHCR offered financial assistance to pay for the home, site work and accessibility modifications through the NYS HOME Program with $51,000 to secure funding for the purchase of a new manufactured home and site work; Access to Home provided $24,000 for accessibility modifications including a front entrance wheel chair ramp, new flooring to allow for wheel chair maneuverability and a fully accessible bathroom with a wheel-in shower.
• The New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) a trade association for private sector organizations throughout New York State that are involved in affordable housing provided $20,700 in private contributions to help offset costs.
• The New York State Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC) provided $35,000 in Flood Relief Funds to help pay for engineering and construction costs (excavation, foundation and earthwork).
• The New York Housing Association worked to identify new homes that would suit Mr. Giovannone’s needs. Through their efforts a local vendor, American Homes, supplied a new manufactured home at cost.
• The entire project was coordinated by The Valley RPC, a not-for-profit organization serving as a Local Program Administrator of state funds.
• The Village of Fort Plain arranged for the demolition of damaged home and FEMA reimbursed the cost to the village.
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