HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ - 12 Cortland Housing Assistance Council CorrespondenceCORTLAND
HOUSING
ASSISTANCE COUNCIL INC.
December 12, 2023
Ms. Kristen Rocco-Petrella
Town of Cortlandville Clerk
3577 Terrace Road
Cortland, NY 13045
Dear Kristen:
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�i 1 DEC 1 4 M'13
CORTLANOVILLE
TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Shawna Grinnell and I am the Executive Director
of the Cortland Housing Assistance Council, Inc. We have been monitoring and addressing the
housing needs of Cortland County for fifty years and we own and manage forty-three units of
affordable rental housing in the City of Cortland.
For the past twenty years we have been administering a first-time homebuyer program for
income eligible buyers. This is a state funded program offering no -interest loans to help with
closing costs and renovations to the home after purchase. If the buyer remains in the home for
ten years, the loan is then forgiven. With the price of houses increasing and the inventory
dwindling, this program has been met with challenges over the past few years.
The housing stock in Cortland County can be characterized as aged and deteriorated. That along
with many homeowners paying more than 30% of their income on basic housing needs such as
mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities, it is almost impossible for them to make the necessary
repairs or to replace components that are no longer operating properly or efficiently. That is why
we are looking to switch our focus from a first-time homebuyer program to an owner -occupied/
moderate rehabilitation program.
We are looking to apply to the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation to request
funding to assist income -eligible homeowners with necessary repairs such as roofing, windows,
insulation, doors, heating plants, water heaters, electrical and plumbing. The home must be a
single-family dwelling located in Cortland County. The owners will be required to meet income
guidelines. Property and school taxes must be current and the property must be insured. Prior to
preparing and submitting a grant application to the State, we need to create a waiting list of
potential applicants. We have created an in -take form that can be completed when a homeowner
calls the office. The application process will take some time so any repairs that the homeowner
36 Taylor Street • Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 753-8271 cortlandhousing.org
is looking to have done will not be addressed immediately. Hence, if a homeowner has an
emergency such as no heat or water, they would have to look for other programs.
We know that homeowners do reach out to their town or village to see if any grant programs are
available so we thought that this might be a good opportunity to let you know that we are in the
process of determining if there is a need and the only way to accomplish that is by creating a
waiting list.
If you receive any calls from a local homeowner looking for a home repair grant program, please
have them call 607-753-8271 so we can complete an in -take form. If you have any questions or
would like more information about the program, please contact me at the above number.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.
Regards,
CORTLAND HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL, INC.
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Shawna Grinnell
Executive Director