County Office for the Aging asks County Board to earmark funds for repairs
As the Otsego County Board of Representatives prepares to allot its share of federal aid in January 2022, Office for the Aging Director Tamie Reed proposed allocating money to Otsego Rural Housing Assistance (ORHA) to help repair mobile homes for low-income seniors.
ORHA Executive Director Timothy Peters said it would be a good use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds because of the nature of mobile home living for seniors.
“They’re often sort of trapped in mobile homes that they own but due to lack of income they can’t make repairs,” Mr. Peters said. “People are living on $1,200 to $1,500 a month on Social Security. So if a roof needs a replacement, and it costs $1,200, they can’t afford it.”
Ms. Reed requested $300,000 over three years to repair 36 units, administered by ORHA.
Housing assistance for mobile homeowners already exists through state and federal programs, such as the New York State Mobile and Manufactured Home Replacement Program. But seniors, defined by those over the age of 60, often don’t qualify because they own their mobile homes, but not the land it sits on, such as in a mobile home park.
Ms. Reed said it was an issue that could be addressed through federal relief funds.
“We saw this as a hole that we could fulfill,” Ms. Reed said. “ORHA already has state and federal funding. It’s a good investment.”
She said the feedback from the county board was positive.
“We didn’t get any negative feedback,” Ms. Reed said. “They realize it’s an unmet need and saves money by keeping seniors out of nursing homes.”
Mr. Peters said ORHA tried something similar in 2018 when the Community Foundation of South Central New York gave an $8,000 grant to help repair mobile homes. “That money went quickly,” he said. Since then, he has been encouraging the OCOA to request funding from the county board to do the same thing.
Otsego County Board of Representatives President Dave Bliss said he believes using federal relief funds for the mobile homes is “probably going to get approved,” and that it was already passed on the committee level.
ORHA offers many different services to low income families in Otsego County, including using state grants to make housing repairs for residences in the county, and providing rental assistance for Section 8 houses through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. The vouchers pay a portion of the rent based on the individual’s income level.
According to its website, more than 150 Otsego County families receive rental assistance through the HCV program.
This isn’t the first time ORHA has advocated for low-income seniors, which established senior housing out of a portion of the former school on Genesee Street in Cherry Valley, in large part because of a New York State Small Rental Development Initiative grant.
