Public Participation in Planning Needed – Again and Again!

As the City of Troy prepares its Five Year (2015-2019) Consolidated Plan to HUD, Troy Mayor Lou Rosamilia claims “Public participation is a critical aspect of formulating our next five-year plan and we encourage our residents to attend one of the upcoming meetings.”

Four public focus group meetings have been scheduled at which residents, businesses, neighborhood groups, and others are given an opportunity to hear from the City about the ConPlan and its proposed activities.  Attendees can also comment on the targeting of the City’s federal entitlement funds which includes Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds. These funds are generally designated for community development, homelessness and housing needs.   The schedule of meetings is: 

• October 22:  6:30 – 8 PM, T.A.U.M., 392 2nd Street
• October 29:  6:30 – 8 PM, Fallon Rainbow Center, 847 River St.
• November 19:  6:30 - 8 PM, Troy City Hall, 433 River St. 5th fl

The City is also in process of developing its first comprehensive plan in 50 years.  Realize Troy:  A Comprehensive Plan which will be finalized by the end of 2015, will create a “roadmap” for Troy’s future based on public participation leading to a community based vision. This vision will include such areas as land use, development, zoning, demographics, population, housing needs, resources, infrastructure and more.  A public kickoff meeting and stakeholder interviews were held in September with other opportunities in the coming months.  Meetings are scheduled for November 20th from 6:30 - 9pm, locations to be announced.  For more information about Realize Troy, go to http://www.realizetroy.com

For more information, on the City’s Consolidated Plan, go to http://troyny.gov/Newsroom/CityNews/14-10-07/Mayor_Rosamilia_announces_public_focus_group_meetings_for_HUD_five_year_consolidated_plan.aspx

TNAC Meeting

Thursday, October 30 | 6:30 - 8pm | Hill Street Inn | 222 4th St. Troy

Don’t miss the semi-annual TNAC (Troy Neighborhoods Action Council) meeting on Thursday, October 30th from 6:30 - 8 PM at the Hill Street Inn at 222 4th Street in Troy. 

Come learn about Troy’s new Land Bank and its plans as well as the plans of the Troy Police Department. Hear what other neighborhoods are up to! For more info or to RSVP, contact hilary [at] triponline.org

Did You Know?

TRIP Offers a Variety of Programs to Homeowners, Homebuyers, and Tenants

Regardless of one’s income, education, or housing situation, TRIP’s NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center offers many programs that can benefit anyone.  Here is a sampling of programs that are currently available: 

Troy Landlord Training Program 

October 6th & 8th, Parts 1 & 2; 6 - 8pm.  Learn from a variety of experts how to make your life – and your tenants’ too -- as painless as possible, without losing your shirt!  Speakers from TRIP’s Rental Management Department, Troy Community Police, Troy Code Enforcement, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, United Tenants, Troy Section 8, and more.  This is geared for homebuyers/first-time landlords, large landlords, small landlords, rental managers.  Everyone finds something valuable at it!  

Register today at 
http://www.triponline.org/news_and_events/WorkshopRegister.html

$15 fee for materials and light refreshments.  Seats are limited so don’t delay!

Home Maintenance Training 

Many of us become homeowners with little knowledge or skills about how to care for our most prized possession – our home.  Well, TRIP can help!  If you want to learn how to do home repairs, or even learn just enough so that you can understand your contractor or repair person’s language, TRIP’s Home Maintenance class is for you!!  This free, 8 week course provides an opportunity to learn a variety of needed skills such as painting, plumbing, electrical work, and more.  You can register for the classes of your choice or take all 8!  Offered twice a year, TRIP’s Home Maintenance Training begins on September 18th at 6 PM and continues on Thursday evenings through November 13th.  To see the schedule or to register, go to www.triponline.org.

In addition to getting the hands-on experience, read the article “15 small jobs that let you invest in your home and hold down household costs” which is excerpted from Money Talks News 
(www.moneytalksnews.com)  

Repair Program 

To Make Homes Accessible for Qualified Elderly and/or Disabled People & Vets

If you know of a Rensselaer County resident – either a renter or a homeowner – that is in need of home modifications to accommodate people with mobility issues (ie. wheelchair ramps, doorway widening, grab bars, etc.) or modifications to help those who are visually and/or hearing-impaired, check out TRIP HomeOwnership Center’s Access to Home Program.   

This program can provide up to $25,000 for eligible repairs for tenants or homeowners who meet income guidelines (which are higher for Veterans) and other criteria.  Visit www.triponline.org or call Rensselaer County Housing Resources at 690-0020 x223 for more information.  

Faces at TRIP: Patrick Madden

Patrick Madden: Executive Director

Patrick Madden, TRIP’s executive director, has been a face at TRIP for decades – almost 3, in fact.  His name and face is synonymous with TRIP, having been here since 1985, when he was first hired as the Director of Real Estate Development  -- 29 years ago  (which is really odd since he swears he’s not a day over 30)! 

Patrick has real staying power; he has been TRIP’s executive director since 1987 and never left, just as he has never left Troy for any significant amount of time.  Born and bred in Troy, he lives on the Eastside, only two blocks from where he grew up and where his father still resides. Patrick is a maven in regard to risk management and his motto as a director of a complex housing organization:  always hire people smarter than you.

Patrick says he knows a little about a lot of things.  He is an skilled photographer, a history buff, enjoys music and kayaking and is a graduate of Albany Law School.  He has been learning the mandolin for several years now; ask him to play a tune sometime! 

In addition to his roles at work and play, Patrick also is a dad to three great kids. We are fortunate to have this wise captain at the helm of TRIP!

15 Small Home Repairs You Can Do

Here are 15 small jobs that let you invest in your home and hold down household costs:

1. Change HVAC filters

Your furnace and air conditioner filters trap airborne allergens and dust so you breathe clean air. These filters need changing on a regular basis while you’re using your furnace or air conditioning.

Angie’s List says 60 percent of furnace and air conditioner service calls are because of dirty filters. Those tiny particles of dirt can hurt your furnace’s heating coil and fan. Changing filters regularly also can lower utility bills $100 a year, because dirty filters force HVAC systems to run harder and use more energy.

Changing filters is a simple, important homeowner skill. Filters can be simple or higher-tech, as BobVila.com explains:

"Basic furnace filters are designed to trap dust, dirt, and airborne particulates before they can get into the system and potentially damage the fan or the heating coil. More expensive filters perform the same role, plus they can enhance the air quality in your home by trapping bacteria, pollen, and mildew and mold spores."

Consult your owner’s manual to locate your system’s filter. Inspect filters regularly and install new ones every month or two, or even more often. That depends on how dirty the filter is (BobVila.com shows examples of dirty and clean filters)

2. Fix leaky faucets

A dripping faucet means money down the drain, literally. A faucet that drips just once a minute wastes 34 gallons of water a year, according to this fun drip calculator from the U.S. Geological Survey. This Old House shows how to fix or replace a leaky faucet.

Read more here >>

excerpted from Money Talks News

article by Marilyn Lewis www.moneytalksnews.com

Read more at http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2014/08/07/stop-putting-off-these-15-home-repairs-and-upgrades/#JavArjrGqfX3vjJe.99

Please Join Us

TRIP and RCHR

2014 Homecoming Dinner

Monday, October 27, 2013

Please join us in honoring 

Mary Theresa Streck 

with the TRIP & RCHR

2014 Community Citizenship Award

To join the Honorary Committee or purchase tickets, go to 

http://www.triponline.org/news_and_events/Homecoming_dinner.html  

or contact Gail at 518-272-8289 x212, gail [at]triponline[dot]org

Be Prepared!

Are you prepared?
As rains from hurricane Arthur created flash flooding and some minor tree damage last week, we were reminded that the season for storms is upon us, and there are several things that we can do, individually, and as a community to be ready for them. 

Great Resource

The website Ready.gov is a great resource, explaining the steps you can take to be informed, make a plan, build a kit, and get involved. 

At Home

At home, make sure you have a plan about how to get back in touch with your family, and a kit containing food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours.

In Our Community

In our community, when we work together, we can be much safer in the face of disasters. FEMA sponsors a program in Rensselaer County to train and develop Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). This program trains local community members to help emergency responders before, during, and after hurricanes and other emergency situations. You can learn more about the CERT Program at http://www.ready.gov/preparedness-leader.

If you are interested in joining a Community Emergency Response Team here in Rensselaer County, please email anasha [at] triponline [dot] org for more information.