New York State Homes and Community Renewal Announces First Awards of Mobile Home Replacement Initiative

ALBANY, NY (09/30/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) representing the State's newly-integrated housing agencies, has implemented a new program that will address the growing crisis of outdated, dilapidated mobile and manufactured homes located throughout Upstate New York.

Brian Lawlor, Commissioner/CEO of HCR announced 10 awards totaling $5 million through the Federally-funded HOME program, that will help replace 146 substandard mobile homes with new HUD-certified ENERGY STAR Qualified manufactured homes.

Lawlor said, "More than 500,000 New Yorkers live in manufactured and mobile homes. The Manufactured Home Replacement Initiative (MHRI) recognizes the important role these homes play in providing affordable housing to a significant segment of this State's residents. It also represents an effort to help some of the neediest New Yorkers; who are residing in substandard mobile and manufactured homes."

Lawlor also noted that thanks to the integration of the State's housing agencies, funding decisions are now made through a more coordinated process, and funding from several other sources was utilized to bolster the HOME awards. As a result, not-for-profit agencies received additional funding totaling more than $3.5 million for the MHRI through other programs, primarily the New York State Community Development Block Grant program and the Affordable Housing Corporation.

Nancy Geer, Executive Director New York Housing Association, said, "In creating the Manufactured Home Replacement Initiative, New York has become a national leader in addressing the issues surrounding renovating older, dilapidated housing stock, including mobile and manufactured homes. This creative new program clearly demonstrates that the State's housing agencies understand the important role manufactured homes play in ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to safe, decent and affordable housing replacement program."

The MHRI was developed after a series of Regional Housing Needs Studies were completed by the state's housing agency. Many of the studies, particularly those focusing on the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Capital District and Central and Western New York regions, indicated a growing need to replace substandard mobile homes.

In developing the regional reports, HCR staff conducted more than 50 focus group meetings with more than 400 local officials, housing advocates and developers from around the state. The reports are available on the web at: http://nysdhcr.gov/Publications/HousingNeedsStudy/

Under the MHRI, local municipalities and not-for-profit organizations with experience in the field of affordable housing will receive HOME funds to carry out the replacement Initiative. These Local Program Administrators will select eligible home owners for replacement and bid out the purchase of homes.

The HOME program is a federally funded program that was created in the early 1990's.

Along with this set-aside of HOME program funds in 2010, DHCR also established a preference for funding proposals which included mobile and manufactured home replacements. A similar preference was also incorporated into the NYS Community Development Block Grant program.

There are 2,010 manufactured home communities around the state with 72,000 homes. More than 130,000 additional manufactured and mobile homes are located outside of manufactured home communities. In total, New York has more than 200,000 manufactured homes housing more than 500,000 people. In contrast, there are about 220,000 residents in the Mitchell Lama program, which is the State's largest housing program.

The list of MHRI awards includes:

Cuba Community Develop Corp Allegany $500,000

Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc Chautauqua $602,996

Community Progress, Inc. Chemung $300,000

Keuka Housing Council Inc Yates $692,153

Catskill Mountain Housing Develop. Greene $500,000

Saratoga County Rural Preservation Saratoga $500,000

Pride of Ticonderoga Washington $500,000

Opportunities for Chenango, Inc Chenango $500,000

Friends of the North Country Franklin $400,000

Bishop Sheen Ecumenical Housing F.D Tompkins $500,000