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Monthly Archives: December 2020

NYS Homes And Community Renewal Announces Expansion of Covid Rent Relief Program Through February 1, 2021

By albanyhousing | Published: December 29, 2020

NYS Homes And Community Renewal Announces Expansion of Covid Rent Relief Program Through February 1, 2021

Applications for COVID Rent Relief Program Available Online at HCR.NY.GOV/RRP

Previous Applicants Do Not Have to Reapply to Receive Consideration

Click on the link here

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas today announced the COVID Rent Relief Program will be reopened for application with expanded eligibility criteria in an effort to serve New Yorkers who may have not had the opportunity to initially apply and those who may have been previously ineligible. HCR will accept applications from households starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, December 18 through Monday, February 1, 2021.

“HCR is acutely aware that this pandemic has put more pressure on New Yorkers who were already housing insecure, and these improvements to the Legislature’s original program will expand access to rent relief while building on Governor Cuomo’s eviction protections,” Commissioner Visnauskas said. “We worked around the clock for months to ensure rent-burdened households received the assistance for which they qualified. But more can be done. Governor Cuomo has taken repeated action to protect residents from eviction and foreclosure, and as a long-time housing advocate, he understands that our efforts must be unending. Tenants need our support in order to offset the long-term implications of this public health and economic crisis.”

The Program’s eligibility has been changed to no longer require households to have been considered “rent burdened” prior to the pandemic in order to qualify. Rent burden is defined as paying more than 30 percent of monthly gross income towards rent.

Residents that previously applied for COVID Rent Relief will not have to reapply to be reconsidered. HCR will re-evaluate all applications that were denied according to the new criteria and issue revised determination letters to applicants.

To qualify for this one-time subsidy, low-income renters impacted by the pandemic must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Must be a renter and have a primary residence in New York State;
  • Applicants must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020;
  • Before March 7, 2020, household income must have been at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income, adjusted for household size; and
  • Households must be “rent burdened” during the months they are applying for assistance between April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.

For the purposes of assessing applicant income, cash benefits and unemployment benefits are both included in the calculation.

The subsidy for eligible applicants will be calculated as: the difference between the household’s rent burden on March 1, 2020 and the household’s rent burden during the months of April, May, June and July of 2020. For applicants who were not considered rent burdened on March 1, 2020, the subsidy will be calculated to bring them to the 30 percent rent burden threshold.

Applications are available on the COVID Rent Relief Program portal on HCR’s website here: https://hcr.ny.gov/rrp

The Program’s online application is available in both English and Spanish. Over the next week, HCR will provide translated applications in six foreign languages – Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Haitian-Creole, Korean, and Bengali. The Agency will also work with local Not-For-Profit organizations to ensure New Yorkers receive the assistance they need to apply.

Throughout the application period, residents who need help or have questions about their application can contact HCR’s COVID Rent Relief Program Call Center for assistance at 1-833-499-0318 or covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov. Call Center representatives are available Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

HCR will also allow to applicants who are unable or uncomfortable applying online to do so over the phone rather than by mail. More information on this assistance and expanded language support on the hotline and will be available on HCR’s website in the coming days.

About the COVID Rent Relief Program

Since July, HCR has reviewed and processed over 90,000 applications to the COVID Rent Relief Program to determine eligibility according to requirements of the legislation.

In October, HCR issued a report to the State Legislature on the program, which included breakdowns of payment information by county, by average payment amount, and disbursements made by race/ethnicity. The report is available online at: https://hcr.ny.gov/RRP#rrp-report

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Snow Emergency Declared – City Of Albany

By albanyhousing | Published: December 17, 2020

Snow Emergency

City of Albany Declares Snow Emergency to Begin Friday, December 18 at 8:00 a.m.

Mayor Sheehan Closes All City Buildings to Public Thursday

Mayor Sheehan Urges Residents to Stay Off Roads

Please be advised the City of Albany has issued a SNOW EMERGENCY that will begin on Friday, December 18, at 8:00 a.m. At that time, all normal parking rules and regulations are temporarily suspended.

  • During the first 24 hours of the snow emergency, all vehicles must be parked on the even numbered side of the street.
  • Beginning Saturday, December 19, at 8:00 a.m., all vehicles must be parked on the odd numbered side of the street for the next 24-hour period
  • Vehicles may begin to park on the odd numbered side of the street for the second 24-hour period beginning Saturday, December 19 at 7:00 a.m.

If you are parked on the wrong side of the street during the snow emergency, your vehicle will be ticketed and may be towed.

After the second 24-hour period, please stay tuned for further announcements.  For SNOW EMERGENCY information, call 518-476-SNOW (7669) or visit the City of Albany’s website at albanyny.gov, facebook.com/AlbanyMayorKathySheehan, instagram.com/AlbanyMayorKathySheehan, and twitter.com/MayorSheehan

“Reports originally anticipated today’s snow storm would conclude early this morning, however the late shift in weather patterns have extended the duration of the storm well into the early afternoon, and has already led to significantly higher snowfall totals than expected,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “The City’s Department of General Services employees have been working around the clock since the first snow fell, however the rapid increase in snowfall over the last several hours has made travel especially difficult. Please stay off the roads and allow our DGS crews the space needed to safely and efficiently clear the snow.”

Important Contacts During the Snow Emergency:

  • For general snow inquiries call the Department of General Services at 518-434-CITY (2489).
  • To report power outages and determine area repair schedules, call National Grid at 800-642-4272.
  • In an emergency, call 911.
  • For real-time weather information, visit the National Weather Service.

During the SNOW EMERGENCY, the City of Albany has made available additional parking at various lots throughout the City:

ARBOR HILL/SHERIDAN HOLLOW

  • Parking Area Adjoining Arbor Hill Softball Field (North Lark St.) • 230 Colonie St. (Playground Lot) • 178 Colonie St. (Playground Lot) • Ten Broeck Mansion (Parking Lot & Sidewalk West End) • Quackenbush Garage (Please see note below regarding limited availability)

PINE HILLS

  • Ridgefield Park (Enter on Partridge St.) • Woodlawn Park Little League • Waterson Park (Westland Hills) Enter on Colvin Ave.

CENTER SQUARE

  • Washington Park (All Roadways and Parking Areas)

SOUTH END

  • Krank Park Area
  • Franklin St. (Between Schuyler St. & Bassett St. – East Side) • Lincoln Park (All Interior Roadways & Parking Area)

CENTER SQUARE/MANSION

  • 77 Philip St. (Playground)
  • 88 Philip St. (Playground)

NORTH ALBANY

  • North Second St. & North Third St. (Above Pearl St.) • Parking Area across from North Albany American Legion Post

WEST END

  • Bleecker Stadium (Parking Area & Roadways) • North Side of Livingston Ave. (Opposite Judson St.) Parking Lot

Conflict Streets:

Signs have been installed on streets throughout the City that have both odd and even numbered addresses, or no addresses at all, indicating what side of the street is even and what side is odd for purposes of snow emergencies.  Please take notice of these signs when moving your vehicle during the Snow Emergency.

Zone C Residential Permit Parking Holders:

During a SNOW EMERGENCY and for 24 hours after the end of a SNOW EMERGENCY, individuals with a residential parking permit in Zone C will be allowed to park for free in the Quackenbush Garage (Orange Street between Broadway and Water Street).

For individuals with Zone C permits (Ten Broeck Triangle, Clinton Avenue, N. Hawk Street, Hall Place), levels 4, 5, and 6 are available for parking at the Quackenbush Garage.

To utilize the free parking within the Quackenbush Garage, the resident must take a ticket upon entering the garage.  When exiting, the resident must go to customer service where they must confirm their last name and plate number.  Only one ticket will be validated per plate number and last name.

Vehicle Towing:

If your vehicle has been towed, call Albany Police Department at 518-438-4000, Center Station 518-458-5660, or South Station 518-462-8049 for information on how to retrieve your vehicle.

City Buildings:

Mayor Sheehan has announced she has declared a State of Emergency in the City of Albany effective 6:00 AM. All City of Albany Buildings, including City Hall, will be closed to the public Thursday, December 17.

Sidewalk Snow Removal:

It is imperative that property owners keep the sidewalks adjacent to their property clear for pedestrians in wheelchairs and pedestrian walkers to safely pass by. According to City Code 323-21, it is the responsibility of all property owners’ and/or residents to remove snow and ice from the sidewalks and accessibility ramps adjacent to their property within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm.

If your sidewalk is not in compliance within 24 hours of the last snowfall, the Department of General Services may clear the sidewalk of snow and ice, and the property owner will be issued a bill for the cost of removal and charged a fine.

Other Snow Event Information:

Snow emergency brochures, which outline all Snow Emergency procedures, can be found here:

http://www.albanyny.gov/Libraries/General_Services/When_it_Snows_in_Albany_Flyer.sflb.ashx

Thank you for your cooperation.

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The Food Pantries Food Connect Map

By albanyhousing | Published: December 10, 2020

The Food Pantries has created a great new resource called The Food Pantries Connect map, helping others find all food pantries and participating organizations.

You can visit the map by clicking this link: map.thefoodpantries.org/

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ALL AHA Offices Closed to Walk-Ins – Effective December 14th, 2020

By albanyhousing | Published: December 9, 2020

To minimize the potential spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and out of an abundance of caution, all Albany Housing Authority offices are closed to walk-in traffic until further notice.

While we recognize the inconvenience this may cause, we take our commitment to the safety of this community very seriously. These measures have been taken in a concerted effort to protect our clients, residents and staff.

Documents may be placed in any of the drop boxes found at every site manager’s office and the front and rear entrances of 200 South Pearl Street.

Rent payments (Check or Money Order) may be placed in the drop box located outside of the building, to right of the 200 South Pearl Street entrance. Please make sure your name and address is written clearly on your payment

DO NOT PUT CASH IN THE DROP BOX

While our doors may be closed during this time, our phones lines remain open. Below is a list of services available online and via phone:

  • We encourage you to use our website from home, 24/7 at albanyhousing.org to make payments, apply for housing, and view Section 8 Landlord payments. We’ve made a number of enhancements that make it easier than ever to manage these tasks digitally.
  • We continue to offer customer support by calling 518-641-7500 (Option 1) 24/7. Using this phone number you can check your rent balance and your status on the waiting list.
  • Please report any maintenance issues using the maintenance line 518-447-0047 24/7.

To reach a staff member directly, please call (518) 641-7500 and use option “2” for the spell by name directory. Fax numbers for staff and their e-mail addresses will be available on their voicemail should they be on another call. Please remember that our staff will be handling an unusually high volume of calls at this time and leaving only one message is encouraged.

Documents for the following departments can be faxed to:

Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) and Applications/Move-Ins-(518) 641-7548

Public Housing- (518) 641-7549

Managers and all other employee fax numbers will be available on their voicemail.

Appointments, Inspections, and Work Orders:

If you or any person you live with has been experiencing symptoms of acute respiratory illness, a fever (100.4 F or 37.8 C or higher), has recently traveled out of the Capital Region, or has any reason to believe you may have been personally exposed to an acute respiratory illness or around people who are ill, please let us know immediately. This information will be kept confidential in our office and is for preventative purposes only.

  • Emergency Work Orders-Will be addressed as soon as possible. Emergency protocols will be used.
  • Inspections- At this time inspections are being performed as scheduled

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work through this together.

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Financial Well-Being Tuesday Tip

By albanyhousing | Published: December 8, 2020

Credit Tips:

  • Monitor and check your credit card usage.
  • Carrying large balances in proportion to your available credit can negatively impact your credit score.
  • Try to pay down balances if you can, while making the minimum payment on time.
  • Visit www.annualcreditreport.com for learning resources about credit, and free access to your report.

 To learn more about credit and methods to improve your overall credit health, join the SEFCU Institute for Financial Well-Being educators for the following free, live, online webinars:

Understanding and Managing Credit

Your Credit Score: How to Repair, Maintain, and Build Up a Credit Score

About the SEFCU Institute for Financial Well-Being: 

The SEFCU Institute for Financial Well-Being is a unique educational initiative that features an innovative approach to providing free financial education to community organizations and individuals. The SEFCU Institute for Financial Well-Being is intended to guide and encourage participants to focus on achieving personal economic stability and financial independence through a series of free workshops that aims to have a lasting impact on the community. SEFCU products and services are not discussed in these seminars. The SEFCU Institute is the recipient of both the national and statewide 2018 Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award (more than $1 billion asset category).

For more information, or to schedule a free, private, group session email: financialwellbeing@sefcu.com.

We hope to see you soon!

Megan Maloney

Financial Wellness Educator

SEFCU Institute for Financial Well-Being

SEFCU

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Albany Policing Reform and Reinvention Collaborative to Hold Public Meetings on Police Reform

By albanyhousing | Published: December 2, 2020

 

Albany Policing Reform and Reinvention Collaborative to Hold Public Meetings on Police Reform

ALBANY, NY – The City of Albany is announcing seven (7) much-anticipated public meetings to solicit input for its Policing Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Chief Eric Hawkins, and the members of the City of Albany Policing Reform and Reinvention Collaborative want the public’s input as they continue the important work of eliminating structural racism and bias through transforming policies, procedures, and programs within the Albany Police Department. The City of Albany is grateful for the public’s continued willingness to make its voice heard as we reimagine policing in our community.

To download a video overview of the public meetings on Police Reform from Mayor Sheehan and the Chairs of the Working Groups, visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DUj0pZVMEj9DtyoZo-nqUL7Vwg1_TgcG/view?usp=sharing

The public meetings will be held virtually on Zoom at the following dates and times:

  1. Wednesday, December 9th, 2020; 6:00pm-8:00pm
  2. Friday, December 11th, 2020; 6:00pm-8:00pm
  3. Tuesday, December 15th, 2020; 6:00pm-8:00pm
  4. Wednesday, December 16th, 2020; 6:00pm-8:00pm
  5. Monday, January 4th, 2021; 6:00pm-8:00pm
  6. Wednesday, January 6th, 2021; 6:00pm-8:00pm
  7. Monday, January 11th, 2021; 6:00pm-8:00pm

Residents can register to speak at one of the public meetings using the form at the following link: https://www.albanyny.gov/Government/MayorsOffice/PoliceReformCollaborative.aspx

Community members also have the option to submit written comments by emailing coareform1@gmail.com or via USPS to the following address:

Police Reform

c/o Office of the Mayor

24 Eagle St.

Room 102

Albany, NY 12207

 

Comments can also be submitted via phone call or text to (518) 618-2268.

Residents’ comments will be reviewed and considered by the Collaborative working groups as they compile a draft report.

Additional information about the Albany Policing Reform and Reinvention Collaborative can be found at the following website: https://www.albanyny.gov/Government/MayorsOffice/PoliceReformCollaborative.aspx

The public is encouraged to periodically check the website for information and updates related to the public meeting schedule and the collaborative.

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