pathstone

Press release:

PathStone is accepting applications for the Genesee County Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Applications are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in our lobby at 30 Jefferson Square (Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union building) in Batavia. Please use the side entrance that faces toward the mall.

All applicants will need to have complete names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for everyone that would be in the household. Income and asset information is also required. There is no minimum income, but there are maximum income limits based on the household composition.

Please note that there is no immediate or emergency assistance. All income eligible applicants will be placed on a wait list.

Press release:

PathStone is now accepting applications for the Genesee County Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Applications are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at 30 Jefferson Square (Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union building) in Batavia. Please use the side entrance that faces toward the mall.

All applicants will need to have complete names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for everyone that would be in the household if assistance is approved. In addition, one of the following proofs of residency is required and must show the name and current address of the applicant:

• Current Lease (DSS landlord statements are not acceptable)
• Most recent fuel and/or electric bills
• Federal or New York State award letter (Social Security, SSD, SSI, DSS, SNAP)
• Most recent bank statements
• 2018 Federal and State tax returns

For further information, please call (585) 343-3861, ext. 115, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Marguerite bought her house in Batavia when her first granddaughter was born, to be close to her family and job, but never expected to find herself struggling to keep her house.

“Life happened,”  Marguerite said.

Through the Housing Council at Pathstone, one of New York State’s largest comprehensive housing counseling agencies, she was able to get back on her feet.

In order to protect the privacy of Marguerite and her family, her last name will not be published. 

Her troubles started when she had family members in four different locations who were sick. She spent the last five years helping various family members with their financial troubles, as well as being a caregiver and working at the United Memorial Medical Center.

“Things happen in life,”  Marguerite said. “There’s always a reason behind it somewhere. Sometimes we find out and sometimes we don’t.”

Marguerite remembers going at least four days without eating or sleeping, running on adrenaline when her husband was sick. For nine months, she went through the schedule of sleeping for a couple hours a night, then going back to see her husband.

It didn’t take long before she stopped caring for herself and in July of 2012, she physically broke down. She took a medical leave of absence, and shortly after that, her job at United Memorial Medical Center was eliminated.  

Prior to her job being eliminated, she had taken $13,000 out of her retirement fund and cashed in two life insurance policies, in an attempt to support herself and other family members.

She had no income, was unable to work, and therefore was unable to make mortgage payments. She said she did everything she could before she decided to get the help she needed.

According to Pathstone's website, the nonprofit organization provides landlord education, foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase counseling, emergency housing services and fair housing education. The Housing Council is located at 75 College Ave. in Rochester.

When Marguerite  was in trouble with the mortgage company, they recommended the Housing Council.

The Housing Council was incredibly supportive for her as she went through the difficult time. When Marguerite was unable to handle stress due to her physical condition, a lawyer was provided for her through the Housing Council, to represent her in court. Between the Housing Council and her lawyer, she was given the assistance she needed so she would not lose her house.

“There was always such good communication between the Housing Council and the mortgage company,” Marguerite said.

Marguerite said the Housing Council was always very understanding and extremely helpful.

“There were times when I just couldn’t focus enough to handle it myself,” Marguerite said. “Whatever I wouldn’t be able to do, they did for me.”

The Housing Council was also able to assist Marguerite in lower her mortgage interest rate.

Marguerite said this process took away some of her worries about the bank foreclosing on her property.

“I was able to walk away with my dignity and pride,” Marguerite said. “When you’re going through so much, it’s an awful feeling to know that out of your love and dedication for your family, that you’ve made yourself sick and that I might lose everything.”

According to the Housing Council at Pathstone’s website, they helped 1,100 households avoid foreclosure last year.

For Marguerite, her home was the place that allowed her to forget everything that was going on and take a break.

“Sometimes good people find themselves in bad situations,” Marguerite said. “Mine was loved ones getting ready to pass away. I can’t imagine losing them and losing my house at the same time. The Housing Council prevented that from happening.”

Marguerite said she thinks this happened to her so she could become an advocate.

“That kind of loyalty and dedication to the community or to a person is fantastic,” Marguerite said. “If I didn’t have them doing that for me...I wasn’t physically or mentally able to do it myself.”

A portion of $8 million being set aside for low-income home ownership will wind up in Genesee County, according to the governor's office.

In a program administered by the  Rural Housing Opportunities Corporation, based in Rochester, qualifying low-income residents will be able to get assistance with repairs and upgrades related to health and safety concerns, code violations, energy conservation and other environmentally friendly improvements.

RHOC, part of Pathstone, is receiving $440,000, which will be divided among applicants in Genesee, Monroe, Orleans, Ontario, Seneca and Wayne counties.

The funding is the latest round of nearly $170 million set aside by the governor over the past several years for such projects. 

The program targets households at or below 80 percent of the area median income, with a maximum AHC allowable income limit of 112 percent of HUD’s low-income limits, adjusted for family size.

Homeowners who qualify can apply for up to $40,000 per dwelling.

Press release:

The City of Batavia has partnered with PathStone Corporation to provide homeowners and landlords access to services that will provide a greater ability to maintain and manage their properties and build a stronger a community. In addition, the City is taking a proactive step to provide landlords with additional tools to screen potential tenants and monitor their properties.

“We have caring residents and great neighborhoods. The partnership with PathStone and additional programs by the Police Department will help our residents add value to their homes,” said Council President Brooks Hawley. “These new initiatives are geared towards providing homeowners and landlords with greater resources and tools for improving and maintaining their properties. The programs are designed to help current owners add to the existing stability of the City’s housing stock.”

Stuart J. Mitchell, president and CEO PathStone Corporation said, "PathStone Corporation is very pleased to partner with the City of Batavia to provide comprehensive housing services to landlords, tenants and homeowners. Our years of hands-on experience and expertise combined with generous funding will make it possible for many families and businesses to improve living conditions for both owner-occupied and rental properties. The City of Batavia will benefit from an improved housing stock and a stabilized and expanded tax base."

The following initiatives are announced to help homeowners and quality rental properties continue to succeed.

In partnership with PathStone Corporation through a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant, PathStone will be providing free workshops to homeowners and landlords so they can receive free/reduced cost energy audits, income-based energy improvements grants of up to 50 percent, and help them access low interest NYSERDA loans to make their homes and rental units more comfortable and reduce utility bills.

Following these workshops, PathStone continues to assist landowners by selecting Energy Star contractors and identify alternative funding for their home improvements. The next free energy-saving workshop will be Oct. 20th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Batavia PathStone office, 7 Batavia City Centre. For more information please call (585) 442-2030, ext. 213.

The City will be partnering with The Housing Council at PathStone to host the area's first Operating Rental Property Workshop. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10. The workshop will cover topics such as Fair Housing Laws, Screening & Selection of Tenants, Leases & Security Deposit, and Overview of Eviction Process. Also, special guest and local attorney Thomas Williams, Esq., will present on neighborhood legal services and navigating the legal system as a landlord. The cost of this workshop is $45 per person. Pre-registration is required, for more information call (585) 546-3700, or register on-line at www.RocLandlord.com.

The City Police Department will be providing landlords with the ability to easily request tenant records checks for tenant selection. Records checks have to be submitted in person to the Police Department by potential tenants and the City Police Department will provide both the tenant and landlord with a search of all Batavia Police Department records and the Genesee County Sheriff’s records for any arrest and contact information about the tenant within the last five years. The cost of the records check is $10 and can be paid by the tenant. Forms can be downloaded from the City website at http://www.batavianewyork.com/Files.

The City Police Department will be providing landlords with the ability to receive Police Department contact reports for their respective properties. Similar to a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request, a property owner can request a report including police contact with their respective rental properties that will include the date, time, location and incident type. This will provide landlords with easy access to information pertaining to activity surrounding rental properties.

FOIL requests only have to be completed once by the landlord providing the property address(es) they would like to receive information regarding and on the second Monday of every month a PDF report, including all police contacts for their respective properties, will be e-mailed to the landlord. Paper reports can be requested at $.25 (cents) per page. Any unauthorized information will be redacted per FOIL and released. Forms can be downloaded from the City Web site at http://www.batavianewyork.com/Files.

"The police department tenant record check and contact reporting is another avenue for landlords to get tenants in their rentals that are beneficial and positive for the city's neighborhoods" said Council President Hawley.

The City’s 2012 Community Improvement Plan recommended the City take advantage of its existing residential stability and affordability by developing programs that will generate the greatest reinvestment in existing housing stock. The plan identified that the City’s stable and affordable housing market, both owner-occupied and rental, as a great value.

PathStone is a Rochester based not-for-profit community development and human services organization, that provides services to low-income families and economically distressed communities throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Vermont, and Puerto Rico. It is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

The Housing Council at PathStone is one of New York State’s largest HUD-approved comprehensive housing counseling agencies. A not-for-profit corporation founded in 1971, in Rochester, The Housing Council provides landlord education, foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase counseling, emergency housing services and fair housing education. The Housing Council provides property management tools and strategies to landlords in order to enhance their business skills and familiarize them with their rights and responsibilities.

Heidi Kollarik is one of the many people PathStone has helped to accomplish her goal of owning a home for her two children.

Kollarik, a single mom and hairdresser, had just moved out of her parent's house and into an apartment in Oakfield when she decided to look into a homeownership program ran by PathStone, a not-for-profit community development organization. She wanted to purchase a house but didn't have the funds for a down payment. To find out more about buying a home, she signed up for PathStone's pre-purchase education classes in 2011. Some of the skills she learned included budgeting, managing credit and home financing.

After completing the classes, counselors met one-on-one with Kollarik to help her with the rest of the purchasing process. She was able to secure a $105,000 loan and buy a house in Oakfield in 2014. She also obtained a $21,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnerships program to assist with the down payment and closing costs. The entire process took three years but it was all worth it in the end Kollarik said.

"I'm so thankful they were able to help me obtain my dream of having a home for my children because it would not have been possible to buy a house being a single mom," Kollarik said.

During her annual agency review for the County Legislature, Sue Boss, executive director of the housing council at PathStone, met with the Human Services Committee meeting Monday said the homeownership program has assisted 1,550 people purchase their first home in the county since 2010. Boss said approximately 95 percent of those people were eligible to receive grant funding. 

To be eligible, applicants have to be approved for a mortgage, meet income criteria and provide some of their own money for the transaction. Many of the applicants who have received assistance had a household size of two to three people with a female head and an average income of $33,000. 

The program is funded through federal, state, county and private aid. Some funds people can receive money from include New York HOME funds and Revolving Loan funds.

The program will also be offering additional funding after it receives a home grant for $200,000 through the New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal and a $300,000 grant through the New York Affordable Housing Corporation.

To determine if grant money is available, all their applicants receive counseling and given the option to take classes on purchasing a house.

"Anybody that comes to our program receives individual counseling from our certified counselors," Boss said. "We also offer group education classes. In the classes we cover everything from credit and debt management, how to shop for a realtor, home inspections and what the house purchasing process is from start to finish."

In addition to the homeownership program, PathStone offers a handyman program, an owner occupied rehab program and foreclosure and default program for Genesee County residents.

The handyman program runs in conjunction with the Genesee County Office for the Aging to help people over the age of 62 repair minor issues with their homes. Applicants can be renters or homeowners. All services are free if their income is 80 percent or below HUD's median-income figure. According to Boss, the program serves 240 households a year. 

The owner-occupied program provides homeowners with funds for structural and mechanical repairs. This program is currently on a hiatus but will back up and running as soon as a grant is released. 

The foreclosure and default program is ran by PathStone's affiliate the Housing Council to assist residents that are in default on their mortgage. Grants are available through the New York Mortgage Assistance Program, a new program that launched this year.

With all these programs, the organization aims to fulfill its mission to encourage individuals, families and communities to obtain economic resources for building better lives. PathStone has been providing services in New York since 1969.

To honor foundations and members of the community that support its mission, the organization will be having a community luncheon on July 10 at the Clarion Hotel. They also will present the PathStone Visionary Award to Jay Gsell, county manager.

The Housing Council at PathStone is operating rental property workshops! Providing landlords the essentials to succeed in the business of operating residential rental property.

The workshops will be held Saturday June 20 • 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 1 Batavia City Centre, Batavia.

Special Guests: Thomas Williams, Esq. • Neighborhood Legal Services, The Housing Council at PathStone. 

Fee: $45 -- Pre-registration is required.

For more information or to pre-register over the phone with a credit or debit card, please call 546-3700. Register online at www.RocLandlord.com.

Please make checks payable to: The Housing Council at PathStone.

The Housing Council at PathStone - www.RocLandlord.com -- The Landlord Resource Center. A nonprofit, HUD-approved housing counseling agency. The Housing Council at PathStone provides ongoing landlord business workshops in the City of Rochester and in Monroe County. The landlord business workshop is designed for small landlords, property managers, and individuals thinking about entering the rental property business. Invest in improving your business skills today and get the confidence you need to succeed in owning or managing rental property. Topics include: fair housing laws, screening and selection of tenants, leases & security deposit, overview of eviction process.

Sponsored by the City of Batavia.

Wednesday at T.F. Brown's, Batavia, was the Genesee County Interagency Council sponsored a "Cabin Fever Reliever" Basket Raffle.  

"Our goal is to raise funds to support local college scholarships for students entering the fields of: sociology, psychology, social work or human services," said Heather Bell, a social worker with Catholic Charities.  

Applications have gone out to local high schools and are due back by June 1. Contact Lisa Whittmeyer, Scholarship Chair at Community Action 343-7798.  

More than 50 baskets were offered and there was a 50/50 drawing and grand prize -- overnight package with dinner for 2 at Russell's and Salvatore's in Buffalo.

The mission of the Genessee County Interagency Council is to create fellowship and understanding among community human services agencies. The council helps to identify community issues and encourages development of resolutions.

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/geneseeorleansinteragency

Pictured above from left is: Heather Bell, social worker with Catholic Charities; Karen Hall, coordinator of Financial Management of Lifespan of Greather Rochester; Stephanie Urena, outreach specialist of United Health Care. Pam Case, PathStone family self-sufficiency manager, and Michele Lawson, support coordinator of Care-A-Van Ministries.