RUPCO works to meet HV housing needs Â
RUPCO, a nonprofit based in Kingston in Ulster County on Aug. 22 announced a partnership with Sullivan County in which RUPCO is administrating Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to assist with housing needs. RUPCO says the funds can assist low-income first-time homebuyers in Sullivan with down-payments and closing costs by providing grants up to $45,000. In addition, homeowners in need of housing rehabilitation can receive grants of up to $35,000 for single-family home repairs. Grants also are available to help replace mobile homes.
RUPCO (formerly known as Rural Ulster Preservation Company), has been working since its founding in 1981 to create quality, sustainable housing opportunities for people at a wide range of income levels. Established as a program of Ulster County’s Community Action Agency, RUPCO was part of a statewide rollout of rural preservation and neighborhood programs.
“Our mission has never been more relevant. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the plight that people face to find and keep affordable housing and overcome economic struggle just to meet their family’s everyday needs,” Faith Moore, assistant vice president of operations for RUPCO and executive director of RUPCO”™s subsidiary, Orange County Rural Development Advisory Corp (RDAC), told the Business Journal.
“We identify and anticipate the changing needs of the communities we serve,” Moore said. “Quality housing opportunities for people at all income levels is critical to business and economic development in the region, and we intend to be transformative in communities rather than transform communities as a whole. Through the years, we have expanded our geographic footprint and breadth of services while staying true to our original purpose ”“ to create homes and improve communities.”
In 2015, RUPCO affiliated with RDAC that had been formed in 1983 as a rural preservation nonprofit housing organization to address affordable housing needs in Orange County.
“Poverty is not new, nor is the fact that people of color have faced systemic discrimination in housing for decades. The past two years have been difficult for many. The 2020 census data revealed that the Hudson Valley population grew 4.3% since the previous decade,” Moore said, noting the pandemic migration exacerbated the housing crisis that has been present in the Hudson Valley for decades.
“Median home prices have risen dramatically since 2019, and housing inventory has dropped with an overall decline of almost one-third of homes on the market,” Moore said. “Renters are not immune from hardship, with the rising cost of rent and the eviction moratorium ending having placed many folks in our community at risk of losing their housing.”
Through its NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center, RUPCO has assisted thousands of Hudson Valley families with navigating the first-time homebuyer process since the center’s opening in 2004.
“The home is at the center of everything. Having an affordable, energy-efficient, hazard-free, safe, resilient and accessible home is key to achieving success in the rest of your life,” Moore said, explaining that First Time Homebuyer grants are available in Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan counties through multiple sources.
“These grants support overall community revitalization efforts to stimulate stabilization and preservation of housing throughout the communities they serve. We receive grants from an array of state, federal, and private sources, all with specific requirements depending on the program,” Moore said.
Additionally, the NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center provides HUD-certified housing counselors to support homebuyers and homeowners, education, foreclosure prevention counseling, and administers home repair programs in Ulster County.
Community development throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley remains a key focus for RUPCO.
“We work with communities, rather than in communities. Our strategy is to partner or collaborate with other nonprofits, municipalities, private sector developers, community groups or other stakeholders to better understand their organizational and institutional capacity, housing stock, and infrastructure,” Moore said. “The focused effort allows us to address community needs, including the development of public infrastructure and facilities, job creation and economic development, affordable rental housing and homeownership.”
RUPCO programs also include: a Solutions to End Homelessness Program (STEHP) in Ulster County; Section 8 rental assistance for Ulster and Greene counties; housing opportunities for people with AIDS; and landlord and contractor assistance. RUPCO also owns or manages a rental portfolio of affordable apartments across 23 developments located in Ulster, Orange, and Greene Counties and recently completed a $25 million development known as Landmark Place at 300 Flatbush Ave. in Kingston that features 66 affordable units for seniors age 55 and older. It was created in partnership with New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and private investors.
In 2021, RUPCO received a $1 million grant to administer Newburgh YouthBuild, a General Education Diploma (GED) and pre-apprenticeship training program in partnership with the LYNC Community Foundation that prepares students for carpentry, construction trades and nursing careers in the City of Newburgh.
“For over 40 years, our agency has expanded its geographic footprint and breadth of services to bring to life our vision for strong, vibrant and inclusive communities with a home and opportunity for everyone. RUPCO develops projects based on needs that have been self-identified by local communities,” said Moore. “There is a proven connection between the creation of stable housing and the positive impact on jobs, education, health, the economy, public safety, and other important facets of American life.”