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April 2015
 
IN THIS ISSUE...
Francisca Castellanos, Homeownership Counselor, greets first-time hope-filled buyers at Orientation Workshop.
Francisca Castellanos, Certified Housing Counselor, greets first-time-hope-filled-homebuyers at an Orientation Workshop. The next free 1-hour introduction is on May 11 from 6 p.m to 7 p.m. at The Kirkland, 2 Main Street, Kingston.
http://rupco.org/news-events/events/celebrate-community-2015/
Register Online Easily
Raffle tickets & sponsorships available too

You can RSVP to this year's Celebrate Community easily with just a few clicks. Start here with our online registration. Buy dinner tickets for you and a friend, raffle tickets for the Dine Out Hudson Valley book, or "Give Housing a Voice" Limited Edition prints online. Jump on board as a Senate Sponsor like Community Preservation Corp., Cannon Heyman & Weiss and Ulster Savings BankHouse Sponsors include NeighborWorks, Rondout Savings Bank, and Sawyer Savings. The Premier and Corporate Sponsor levels are still available. For more information, call (845) 331-2140, ext. 210.

Staying Forever Young
3 ladies from Park Heights senior living
Over 200 seniors live in RUPCO owned and managed apartments throughout the Hudson Valley. To better serve them, our Senior Supportive Housing Program (SSHP)
team is reaching out to residents to help them "Aging in Place." Throughout May, SSHP is holding Meet & Greets like this one at Park Heights to tell residents more about the services available to them. With funding from the NYS Department of Health, SSHP brings additional supportive services and care coordination for seniors over age 65 who are receiving Medicaid so they can continue to live independently. The Senior Supportive Housing Program builds upon and expands the services we currently offer and is designed to positively impact quality of life for all of our residents. For upcoming Meet & Greets at Golden View, Woodstock Commons and Tongor Pines, visit RUPCO's webcalendar.
Homeowners & Mortgage Mods
family of three
Modifications, often called "Mods," recast a home loan by changing loan terms in ways that benefit people, keep them in their homes, and maintain  homeownership. The Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) is helping homeowners facing foreclosure with free loan adjustment assistance. Backed by the NYS Attorney General's Office as a compliment to the Homeowners Protection Program (HOPP), MAP is one way RUPCO is helping those behind on their mortgage payments (and currently ineligible for a loan modification). "We can also help those who don't have a mortgage but who may be behind in their taxes and could lose their homes," adds Kathy Germain, Vice President of RUPCO's NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center (HoC). "People with reverse mortgages who were previously ineligible for a mod are now eligible for MAP, too. We see modifications as the best tools to assist homeowners in foreclosure prevention. We've helped six people with MAP since January 1. Two more are approved for next month and a pipeline of applications are pending." If you or someone you know needs help with homeownership preservation, call HoC (845) 331-9860 for more about MAP and RUPCO's other free programs for homeowners in distress.


 

Green Team Tops State
GJGNY Logo

As as an independent contractor for NYSERDA, RUPCO's Green Jobs | Green New York team (GJGNY) is setting the bar high in New York State retrofits. "As of April 30, we reached a milestone 212 retrofits," notes Guy Kempe, Vice President of Community Development, "and that's just since the start of our Round II contract (November 2014). We have a new commitment too from the State to continue our program through July 2016, which is great news for homeowners looking to incorporate energy efficiency into their homes." For a free or low-cost energy audit, the first step in the retrofit process, call (845) 331-2140, ext. 263.

 

GJGNY also secured additional funding  -- $99,000 -- through NYSERDA PON 2686 for a 3-year study. EnergizeNY/Energy Improvement Corp. (EIC) is partnering with Central Hudson for the energy data components, Bard Center for Environmental Policy for the experimental design and research components, and RUPCO for a portion of the direct homeowner support elements. The study utilizes a range of behavioral strategies, support services, trusted source messaging, community-based marketing and online tools to overcome known barriers to action to deliver measurable results in energy efficiency. Are you Hudson Valley Green? Read the latest GJGNY newsletter here.

 

RUPCO Welcomes RDAC

On April 1, RUPCO brought Orange County Rural Development Advisory Corp. (RDAC) into our housing services model and expanded our impact into Orange County homeowner services. "RDAC will be an affiliate of RUPCO, working jointly with our NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center, to deliver services to new, established and in-crisis homeowners," says Kevin O'Connor, CEO at RUPCO. RDAC's equally reputable energy-efficiency program also dovetails nicely with Green Jobs | Green New York. This expanded relationship allows RUPCO to officially regionalize its housing efforts, a move that's in line with our strategic plan. Six staff join the RUPCO ranks including Faith Moore, Executive Director (pictured on left with Kevin O'Connor); Jon Hilowitz, Energy Auditor; Joe Morino, Energy Specialist; Bob Fitzgerald, Reverse Mortgage Counselor; Georgianna "Chip" Watson, Homeownership Counselor, and Serra O'Donnell, Intake Specialist. For more on this story, read on.

Faith Moore, Executive Director at RDAC and Kevin O'Connor, CEO at RUPCO

 

Spotlight on Staff
Leila Santana, SSHP Care Manager
Leila Santana joins the Senior Supportive Housing Program (SSHP) as Care Manager.
Bob Budreau, Care Manager
Team member Bob Budreau also works with SSHP as a Care Manager.
Kim Mapes, Program Services Manager
Kim Mapes, Program Services Manager, rounds out the SHHP team.