N.Y. Private Housing Finance Law § 1020: Legislative findings and statement of policy

§ 1020. Legislative findings and statement of policy. The legislature

hereby finds that in certain rural areas of the state significant

numbers of low income residents are unable to obtain decent housing. The

normal operation of the private market has not addressed their needs.

The elderly and families are especially affected by the lack of

housing in rural areas. Elderly persons are frequently forced to choose

between continuing to live in homes which have become too large to care

for and use well or leaving their communities to live elsewhere.

Families, particularly those just beginning, are often faced with either

substandard, unsafe housing, living with relatives in overcrowded

conditions, or leaving their communities. The ensuing social and

economic disruption has profoundly adverse effects on the rural

communities as well as the residents.

Numerous housing programs have been initiated by the federal

government to provide housing for those of low income. For the most

part, these programs have worked best in areas of high population

density, thus effectively, although unintentionally, failing to fulfill

their intent in rural areas.

The legislature further finds that locally based housing providers can

effectively serve the needs of low and moderate income persons in rural

areas. Their efforts have been severely limited, however, by the

contemporary high cost of financing, inflation and massive retrenchment

in federal housing assistance programs.

The legislature further finds it to be in the best interests of the

people of New York state to assist local housing providers in meeting

the needs of low income occupants in rural areas by supplementing

federal assistance programs with a program of state rental assistance

payments similar to the federal Farmer's Home Administration Program.