Bill Text: NY J02598 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Resolution 2598 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Home HeadQuarters of Syracuse, New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-05-17 - ADOPTED [J02598 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J02598-Introduced.html


Senate Resolution No. 2598

BY: Senator MANNION

        COMMEMORATING   the   25th   Anniversary  of  Home
        HeadQuarters of Syracuse, New York

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize that
the quality and character of life in the  communities  across  New  York
State  are  reflective  of  the concerned and dedicated efforts of those
organizations and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare
of the community and its citizenry; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Home HeadQuarters of  Syracuse,  New
York; and

  WHEREAS,  Home  HeadQuarters  is  a non-profit housing and community
development organization and certified Community  Development  Financial
Institution  whose mission is to create housing opportunities in Central
and Upstate New York  for  individuals  and  families  and  improve  the
communities in which they live; and

  WHEREAS,  Home  HeadQuarters  was  founded  in  1996, to address the
declining owner-occupancy rate and overall disinvestment in the City  of
Syracuse;  it  also  focused  on implementing a home improvement lending
program and providing homeownership education to create  new  city  home
buyers and maintain and improve city neighborhoods; and

  WHEREAS,   In   1999,   Home   HeadQuarters   joined   the  national
NeighborWorks America Network,  and  became  a  certified  NeighborWorks
HomeOwnership  Center;  since  then,  it  has  become one of the leading
providers  of  homebuyer  education  and  counseling  in  the   country,
regularly  ranking in the top 10 of all 240+ NeighborWorks organizations
nationwide; and

  WHEREAS,  Home  HeadQuarters  was  the  lead  administrator  of  the
Syracuse  Neighborhood  Initiative (SNI) program created almost a decade
ago by Congressman  James  T.  Walsh,  and  successfully  delivered  the
majority  of SNI's $81 million in housing and neighborhood investment to
many neighborhoods and target areas and hundreds of families in the City
of Syracuse; and

  WHEREAS, Programming included neighborhood planning and development,
resident capacity building, home improvement  loans,  mini-grants,  home
equity   protection,   purchase  and  rehab  grants,  new  construction,
substantial rehab, and demolition; and

  WHEREAS,  Today,  Home  HeadQuarters  serves  residents   throughout
Upstate  New  York  as  well  as  acting as the primary housing delivery
agency  in  the  City  of  Syracuse  by   substantially   rehabilitating
distressed  properties,  building  new  homes for purchase by first-time
homebuyers and providing low to  moderate-income  families  with  Urgent
Care, Closing Cost Assistance and Syracuse Homeowner Assistance programs
made  possible  with federal Community Development Block Grants and HOME
Funding; and


  WHEREAS,  In  addition,  Home HeadQuarters works in conjunction with
the Greater Syracuse Land Bank by redeveloping their  vacant  properties
and  providing  purchase  and construction financing to other homebuyers
and investors developing Land Bank properties; and

  WHEREAS,  As   a   neighborhood   development   organization,   Home
HeadQuarters  also  includes  affiliates CNY Affordable Realty, the only
non-profit realty in Central New York, and Opportunity  Headquarters,  a
full-service construction crew; and

  WHEREAS, Currently, Home HeadQuarters is focusing on initiatives and
programs   that   work   to   create  equitable  housing  and  financing
opportunities for underserved people; end lead poisoning; fill  gaps  in
the  lending  market  by  providing  financing for local investors, MWBE
certified contractors and  other  non-profits;  create  more  affordable
rental  opportunities;  and  develop  vacant  commercial  and  mixed-use
properties within the development model; and

  WHEREAS, Home HeadQuarters is also the non-profit  partner  for  the
Syracuse  Financial  Empowerment Center, which offers free, professional
financial counseling to any city resident; and

  WHEREAS, Throughout  its  25-year  history,  Home  HeadQuarters  has
played  a major role in stabilizing and revitalizing Central and Upstate
New  York  neighborhoods  by  directly  facilitating  more  than   4,000
homebuyers;  providing  more than $140 million in home improvement loans
and grants and $28 million in down payment assistance and first mortgage
financing; removing more than 525  derelict  structures;  rehabilitating
230  formerly  vacant  properties  and  constructing  more  than 70 new,
energy-efficient homes; and

  WHEREAS, More than 18,000 people  have  come  to  Home  HeadQuarters
seeking  education  and  counseling  on  buying  a home, building family
wealth, becoming credit smart or keeping their  home  from  foreclosure;
and

  WHEREAS,  Home  HeadQuarters  is  one  of  the  leading  lenders for
families looking  to  repair  their  homes  in  the  City  of  Syracuse,
providing  65%  of  all  lending  activity  to families of color and out
lending all other financial institutions combined; and

  WHEREAS,  For  its  steadfast  and  unremitting  commitment  to  its
community,  Home  HeadQuarters has been the recipient of numerous awards
and accolades including the National Association of REALTORS Hope  Award
Winner,  the  2020  NeighborWorks  America  Top  Home Improvement Lender
Award, and several LEED Platinum, Gold and  Silver  Development  Awards;
and

  WHEREAS,  Home  HeadQuarters received an Aeris A+ Performance Rating
and was named the Upstate Minority Economic  Alliance  (UMEA)  Community
Organization of the Year; and

  WHEREAS,   Home   HeadQuarters   has   earned   certifications  from
HUD-affiliated  Local  Housing  Counseling  Agency,  Community   Housing
Development  Organization  (CHDO),  Community  Development Entity (CDE),
Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), and Community  Based

Development  Organization;  it is also a member of the Federal Home Loan
Bank of New York and U.S. Green Building; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown  a
long  and  sustained  commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commemorate  the  25th Anniversary of Home HeadQuarters of Syracuse, New
York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to Home HeadQuarters.