You Can Help TRIP! Support the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs and the Foreclosure Program

We Need Your Urgent Help.... Again!

As we reported last month, the governor has eliminated all funding for the Neighborhood Preservation Program, the Rural Preservation Program and the Foreclosure Prevention Program.  TRIP and RCHR receive relatively small amounts of funding from these programs to help with basic operational expenses as well as for our full-time foreclosure prevention counselor.

Thank you so much for your response to our previous plea for help. Unfortunately, the governor did not restore any of the funding that he originally eliminated, so the budget is now in the hands of the state legislature.  We believe they intend to finalize their budget bills this week, which means they need to hear from supporters like you urging them to fund these three critical housing programs. 

 

Please call your state senator and assemblymember(s) today and leave messages urging funding for the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs and the Foreclosure Program.

For those in Rensselaer County:

• Senator Roy McDonald: (518) 455-2381 or mcdonald@nysenate.gov
• Assemblyman Ron Canestrari:  (518) 455-4474 or canestr@assembly.state.ny.us
• Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin:  (518) 455-5777 or mclaughlins@assembly.state.ny.us
• Assemblyman Tony Jordan:  (518) 455-5404 or jordanj@assembly.state.ny.us

If you live outside Rensselaer County, to find out who your legislators are enter your address at the following links:

• State Assembly:  http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search 
• State Senate:  http://www.nysenate.gov/

Some of TRIP and RCHR's programs supported by these funds include Homebuyer education and counseling, foreclosure prevention counseling, financial counseling, Mini-Repair services and Landlord Training, among others. We are able to assist hundreds of customers each year with these programs, which in turn leverages local dollars through new homeowners, contractors, and preserving our tax base. 

Many of you are passionate about the communities in which we live and work.  TRIP and RCHR, and hundreds of similar organizations around the state, are deeply committed to helping revitalize, preserve and improve our communties with a variety of services and programs, some of which depend upon state support.

We hope you will call or email your state representatives today in support of the Neighborhood and Rural Presevation and Foreclosure Prevention programs.

Thank you so much for your help,

Your friends at TRIP & RCHR

Spring Home Maintenance Training Workshops

Spring is right around the corner! Notice anything around your house that you need or want to fix up? Maintaining a home is a huge part of responsible homeownership-- come to TRIP's Home Maintenance Training Workshops and learn the skills you'll need to keep your house in tip-top shape!

Classes are held on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7:30pm beginning March 13th and running through May 1st.  All workshops are FREE and held at the TRIP building (415 River Street, Troy, Second Floor.)

Participants are welcome to come to all or as many workshops that interest them.  Each class will have a new topic:

3/13 -- Intro to Home Maintenance Training: Hardware & Tools, Creating a Work Plan

3/20 -- Electrical: Installing GFCI outlets, Light Switches, Dimmers, and Light Fixtures

3/27 -- Plumbing 1: Installing Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks & Faucets, Toilet Replacement

4/3 -- Plumbing 2: Pipe Cutting, Sweating Copper & Valve Replacements, How to use Pex Tubing

4/10 -- Flooring: How to Install Tile & Wood, Tools & Surface Prep

4/17 -- Sheetrock: How to Repair Damage, Install New, Taping & More

4/24 -- Painting: Surface Prep and Paint Techniques

5/1 -- Weatherization and Energy Efficiency

To register visit http://triponline.org/news_and_events/calendar.html or call (518) 690-0020 ext. 221.
Hope to see you there!

TRIP Hosting Foreclosure Intervention Workshop

Are you behind on your mortgage payments? Anticipating missing a payment? Having difficulties with your lender? Facing foreclosure or know someone who is?  Act now. The sooner steps are taken to remediate issues, the better the outcomes. Let us help you help yourself!

Come to TRIP's office at 415 River St. 2nd Floor, Troy on Tuesday, March 13th from 6-8pm for a Foreclosure Intervention Workshop. Knowledgeable housing counselors and attorneys will be available to answer your questions at this free event. Participants will learn about the mortgage default and foreclosure process.  We will discuss the timeline, lender and homeowner expectations, as well as available options and resources.

TRIP, Inc. is one of five non-profit affordable housing organizations in the Capital District, making up the HomeSave Coalition that is sponsoring this series of workshops around the region.  Homeowners from any county in the Capital District are invited to attend.

Please register online at http://triponline.org/news_and_events/calendar.html or by calling Birgit Wood at (518) 690-0020, ext. 226.

Free Tax Help Available

Does the phrase “Tax Preparation” cause you anxiety and make you question your ability to add Lines A-D and then subtract that sum from Line E?  Well, take a deep breath—help is available.

FREE tax preparation programs around the Capital Region are currently being co-sponsored by non-profits to offer help to individuals and families with annual incomes below $50,000. Numerous agencies and community groups are hosting these services. Dial 2-1-1 to find a site close to you. Also, to check your availability for Earned Income Tax Credit and other savings visit http://www.mybenefits.ny.gov/.

Benefits of these tax preparation services:

• FREE tax preparation services from IRS-certified volunteer preparers
• 10 day turn-around on refunds with direct deposit
• Savings bonds available
• Convenient locations with flexible hours

To bring with you to an appointment:

• Photo identification for the person filing the tax return
• W-2, 1099 and other IRS forms where appropriate
• Bank account information and routing numbers for direct deposit
• 2010 tax return (if available)
• 2008 and 2010 tax returns if you received the 2008 first-time homebuyer credit
• Social Security card for each person listed on your tax form
• Childcare documentation
• Unemployment forms

Troy Vacant Properties Workgroup Update

The Troy Vacant Properties Workgroup -- created at a TNAC (Troy Neighborhoods Action Council) meeting two years ago -- met on February 8th to share updates of recent activities and agree upon this year’s priorities. One of our goals has been to intervene in a vacant building’s “death march to demolition” through early attention and enhanced marketing. We believe that a modest investment in a building can result in a higher purchase price and increased owner-occupancy than the auction process has. Consequently, the Workgroup recently testified at a CDBG hearing, urging the city to consider implementing our Pilot Stabilization Project.  This involves selecting five recently vacant buildings, buttoning them up, and marketing them in conjunction with the area’s neighborhood group. 

Steps to improve the marketing of vacant properties is already improving. City Council President Lynn Kopka (and member of the VP Workgroup) and the city have taken the initiative to clean out some of the city-owned vacant buildings with help from the sheriff’s work crew. Furthermore, to ensure that prospective purchasers know the condition of the buildings before bidding on them, the city will show buildings upon request from interested buyers.

The Workgroup looks forward to working on other proposed activities such as:

• Researching Land Banks, a new concept in NYS due to recent legislation, to learn about the benefits to Troy. New to the idea of landbanking? Aren’t familiar with the term? Visit http://esd.ny.gov/BusinessPrograms/NYSLBP.html to learn more.
• Analyzing Troy’s vacant property data in order to develop a variety of strategies to address this complicated issue.
• Searching for solutions to theft (especially of copper) from vacant properties.
• Increasing owner compliance with the city’s Vacant Property Registry through more  promotion of it
• Seeking best practices and innovative solutions in effect elsewhere

It will be a busy and productive year for the Workgroup! If you’re interested or concerned about any of the issues facing us, please feel free to join us at our next meeting. It will be held at the TRIP building (415 River St) on March 7th at 6pm. For more information, contact Claire @triponline.org

TNAC Update

The Troy Neighborhoods Action Council (TNAC) met on February 1st to discuss and learn about neighborhood successes, new ideas, news from the city, and how to get involved in projects that other neighborhood leaders are working on. The group was joined by Mayor Rosamilia, several city council members, Police Chief Tedesco, and fellow policemen.

Some highlights from the meeting include:

• Davia Collington shared information about the Drug Free Communities grant. There was also a follow-up meeting on February 7th. At this meeting, the grant application process began. The next planning meeting with be held on February 21st at 6:30 PM at the Bethel Baptist Church.
• Rocco DeFazio told about his plans for a statewide neighborhood conference in September. He has already secured author James Kuntsler as the keynote speaker. A planning meeting for the conference will be held at the Hill Street Inn on February 22nd at 7pm.
• The new crime analyst for the city, Tyler Gothmann, was introduced. Tyler will be regularly posting updated crime maps online so Troy citizens will be able to find information quicker when they need it.
• Tips were shared by both Neighborhood Watch groups and the police about making our streets, homes, and businesses safer.

Members of neighborhood groups also shared recent success stories including:

• The Osgood neighborhood talked about their Alley Action and Alley Addresses projects, where they beautify alleys in one and make plates for addresses in alleyways to help first responders in the other. They also mentioned a letter they’ve started sending out to landlords to encourage both a sense of belonging and responsibility to their community.
• A resident of 5th Avenue talked about the steps she is taking to make sure a row of vacant buildings on her block are being properly taken care of.
• Hillside North shared about their Cleaner and Greener Community Campaign, their partnership with School 2, and the grants for which they have applied.
• Little Italy is calling on artists to paint frescoes in the neighborhood for a voting process in the spring and summer. After the voting has finished, the frescoes will be auctioned off at the Italian Community Center’s annual festival.
• The Burden Iron Works group is combining three neighborhoods under the title “The United Neighborhoods of South Troy.”
• The Christie Street group is starting a new neighborhood group and Beman Park is strengthening theirs, changing the name to be more inclusive (tentatively the “Campus Neighborhood Coalition”), and creating leadership positions.

Additionally, TNAC now has a new page on the TRIP website!  Take a look here: http://triponline.org/community_building/TNAC.html

Faces at TRIP: Gabe Marruso

Everyday, TRIP/RCHR staff work to improve the lives of Troy residents, but how well do you really know the people who make up that staff? Beginning this month, we will put the spotlight on a member of the TRIP/RCHR team in a regular series, “Faces at TRIP”.

Gabe Marruso is a Rental Manager who has worked at TRIP since August 2010. He is an avid fisherman and member of the Kayaderosseras Fish and Game Club. Gabe also enjoys tinkering around on his car in his free time. When the game is on, you can find Gabe cheering on his favorite teams: the New York Yankees and the Buffalo Bills!

This year, as with every year, Gabe is striving to maintain the goals of TRIP. Working as a Rental Manager, he always puts in the extra effort for our tenants. Gabe often helps people beyond the parameters of his job description. Whether it means helping someone type a letter or just being a willing ear, Gabe lives by the belief that TRIP tenants needn’t sacrifice comfort for affordability. He says, “I really want to make sure people are happy.”