§ 1020 — Legislative findings and statement of policy

§ 1020. Legislative findings and statement of policy. The legislature\nhereby finds that in certain rural areas of the state significant\nnumbers of low income residents are unable to obtain decent housing. The\nnormal operation of the private market has not addressed their needs.\n The elderly and families are especially affected by the lack of\nhousing in rural areas. Elderly persons are frequently forced to choose\nbetween continuing to live in homes which have become too large to care\nfor and use well or leaving their communities to live elsewhere.\nFamilies, particularly those just beginning, are often faced with either\nsubstandard, unsafe housing, living with relatives in overcrowded\nconditions, or leaving their communities. The ensuing social and\neconomic disruption has profoundly adverse effects on the rural\ncommunities as well as the residents.\n Numerous housing programs have been initiated by the federal\ngovernment to provide housing for those of low income. For the most\npart, these programs have worked best in areas of high population\ndensity, thus effectively, although unintentionally, failing to fulfill\ntheir intent in rural areas.\n The legislature further finds that locally based housing providers can\neffectively serve the needs of low and moderate income persons in rural\nareas. Their efforts have been severely limited, however, by the\ncontemporary high cost of financing, inflation and massive retrenchment\nin federal housing assistance programs.\n The legislature further finds it to be in the best interests of the\npeople of New York state to assist local housing providers in meeting\nthe needs of low income occupants in rural areas by supplementing\nfederal assistance programs with a program of state rental assistance\npayments similar to the federal Farmer's Home Administration Program.\n