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$2.8M to help fight homelessness
State distributes federal funding to local agencies
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.

Community service agencies in the Capital Region received $2.8 million in federal stimulus money on Friday to prevent homelessness.
The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance distributed:
$1.2 million to the Albany County Department of Social Services.
$860,000 to the Schenectady Community Action Program.
$720,000 to the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY for Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties.
“This was done through a competitive request for proposals process. We did our best to accommodate them as best we could,” said state spokesman Anthony Farmer.
    The agencies will use the money to hire case managers, provide legal services and offer short- and medium-term rental assistance to low- and moderate-income people, Farmer said.
    Margaret Anderton of Bethesda House in Schenectady said the program is designed to assist people behind in rent and utility payments so that they do not become homeless. Bethesda House is working with the Schenectady Community Action Program and the YWCA in administering the program.
    “It’s for people who have found themselves in danger of losing their housing and their insurance because of the economic downturn,” Anderton said.
    Anderton said the agencies expect to help 600 households across the county using the $860,000 received Friday in addition to $1 million the city received several months ago from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Homelessness Prevention Fund.
    Lillian Moy, executive director for the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY, said the agency will use the money over the next 22 months to help pay rent and utility bills for 72 households and help 86 other households behind in their rent. It will work with Catholic Charities of Fulton and Montgomery Counties and Catholic Charities of Schoharie County in identifying and assisting eligible households.
    “This will give them some time to get on their feet during the recession,” Moy said.
    Anderton said the legal aid society will also hire another attorney who will be assigned full time to Schenectady County. The attorney will deal with eviction notices and will negotiate payment plans with the power company for people behind in their bills. ............>>>>...............>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01300&AppName=1

What homeless? the chronic or those that the state/feds taxed out of jobs/homes?

The economic downturn from overeating, over-spending, over-taxing, over-valuing, over-selling, over-involvement.....by whom?

the past administrations since Reagan-----they all want to be loved by everyone....not to mention the gangsta gumbas/unions
lobbyists......

here we are eating the crap pile we made