New Initiative To Replace Old Mobile Homes
Posted on Tuesday, 17 of November , 2009 at 7:47 pm
ALBANY—The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal is responding to an important need in rural communities with a new initiative to provide safer, more affordable homes for low-income individuals and families by replacing severely substandard and dilapidated mobile and manufactured homes with new ENERGY STAR Qualified manufactured housing.
The new statewide Manufactured Home Replacement Initiative (MHRI) targets $5 million in NYS HOME Program funds for the replacement of dilapidated owner-occupied mobile and manufactured homes that are sited on land owned by the homeowner. It also increases the award limit under HOME by 66 percent, from $30,000 to $50,000.
DHCR ’s 2009 Regional Housing Needs studies of the North Country, Finger Lakes, and Western New York Regions highlighted the critical role that mobile and manufactured homes play in affordable housing across the state. The studies also underscored the severe deterioration of many of these homes, particularly those built prior to 1976 when the use of tin roofs, metal siding, and inefficient windows was commonplace.
Governor David A. Paterson said, “We are reaching out to communities at the grassroots level, listening to their concerns, and developing policies that speak directly to the issues. With this new initiative, New York State is responding to a crucial need that has been ignored for too long. As a result of the new Manufactured Home Replacement Initiative, more low-income people and families across the state will live in safer, more affordable homes, and rural areas will be revitalized.”
DHCR Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen said, “In the process of conducting focus group meetings, DHCR hear repeatedly that the need to invest in improving the stock of manufactured housing is great and has been ignored for some time. More than half a million New Yorkers live in manufactured or mobile homes. Mobile and Manufactured homes fill a critical gap in affordable housing for low-income people, but too many are in substandard, dangerous condition and the cost of repairs is unrealistic and unaffordable. DHCR’s HOME Program funds will provide zero-interest loans to homeowners to replace the most dilapidated of mobile and manufactured housing with new, energy-efficient manufactured homes and we’re proud to unveil this program today.”
DHCR’s MHRI will help meet the cost of the new manufactured home, site work, transportation of the new home, set-up, and removal and demolition of old home. Awards will be granted to eligible program administrators, and homeowners will apply directly to awardees. Recipients of new manufactured homes must have household earnings at 80% or less of Area Median Income.
Commissioner VanAmerongen announced the program at the Rural Housing Coalition’s annual conference in Saratoga Springs.
Commissioner VanAmerongen said an important benefit of the program is the opportunity for low-income people to build wealth. “This program is only available to people who own the land where the home is located. This will allow recipients of the program to build wealth because at the end of a 10-year regulatory period, the homeowner will have accumulated equity.” 11-17-09
Category: Consumers, Energy, Family, Good News, Government, Housing, New York State
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