From The New York Association on Independent Living ...
We have just heard that our Access to Home Data Reporting bill, A.1686 (Hunter) and S.3139 (Mannion), is on the Governor's desk for signature. She now has 10 days to take action. We need your support by calling the Governor’s office and urging that she sign this bill into law! This bill will provide valuable information about the program to help improve its effectiveness and inform our advocacy for additional funding.
Call the Governor at: 1-518-474-8390
Say, "I'm calling to ask Governor Hochul to sign the Access to Home Data Reporting bill A.1686 and S. 3139. The bill has just reached her desk and this is an important issue for people with disabilities in New York. Thank you!"
A.1686 / S.3139 requires NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) to provide an annual report on the New York access to home programs. Access To Home is an important program administered by HCR which provides home modifications to low-income households to keep them at home and out of institutions. Often, basic modifications like the ramp to a front door can be the difference between someone being able to leave and being homebound or having to go into a nursing home. Most of the housing in New York State was not designed to meet people’s needs throughout their life span, so most homes need to be modified as one ages or becomes disabled. As such, this program can play an important role in keeping people at home.
Access to Home has been severely underfunded for many years. As a result, many parts of the State do not receive funding. The regions of the State that receive funding receive very limited funds, limiting the number of projects statewide. Limited data is available to assess if the program is adequately funded. A.1686 / S.3139 would compel HCR to report on key data on an annual basis and post it on their website so it is available to the public.
This data includes:
The number of contracts the corporation entered into with eligible applicants and the amount of funding both awarded and expended by successful applicant;
The number of projects each eligible recipient completed;
The types of projects completed by each eligible recipient, including the average cost of each type of project;
The geographic diversity and demographic information of the beneficiaries of each completed project;
The unmet demand for access to home programs who applied for funding through an access to home program;
How many persons with eligible properties were denied and the demographic information regarding such denied individuals;
The average timeline for completion of each project.
Such data is critical to bring much-needed transparency to a program that plays such a critical role in keeping people out of institutions. This data will provide lawmakers and advocates alike a better idea of who is being served under the program and where unmet needs still exist.
If you are interested in disability advocacy issues like this one, contact Colleen Downs, Systems Advocate at:
518-563-9058 Ext. 110
The Mission of the North Country Center for Independence is to help people with disabilities to live more independent and productive lives, and promote better policies and community understanding of disability issues. NCCI serves people with disabilities, families, and the community on issues related to physical and mental disabilities. NCCI is led and staffed mostly by people with disabilities. It is one of the 41 Independent Living Centers in New York State. There are also hundreds of similar centers throughout the United States. NCCI serves Clinton and Essex Counties, New York.