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Vision Statement

Keuka Housing Council envisions a community in which all individuals live in suitable and safe housing whether owned or rented.

Mission Statement

To improve and maintain the quality and quantity of housing for people of modest income living in Yates County.

Strategic Plan:

Keuka Housing Council, Inc.

Strategic Plan 2009 – 2012

BEFORE – Home for single mother of two. Wanted to provide in house daycare but state would not give license until work was done and lead issues were cleared.
Before Renovations

AFTER – New exterior siding, 22 windows, 3 doors with hardware, roof, waterproof front deck, foundation repair, plumbing repair, electrical repair, flooring and sheetrock work, furnace, insulation. Funding from NYS HOME - $23,750.00; NYS Affordable Housing Corporation - $5,000.00; Daisy Marquis Jones - $695.00 and Pro-Action Weatherization - $1,955.00 for a total of $31,400.00.

After Renovations

Keuka Housing Council Board of Directors
2009

President: Scarlett Emerson
Vice-President: Bobby Jo Milton
Secretary: Deborah Minor
Treasurer: Thomas May
Jane Boyd
Dave Fleming
Steve Griffin
Leigh Harrington
Greg Miller
Helen Schillinger
Keith Scholes
Keuka Housing Council, Inc. Staff
Executive Director: Kathryn W. Disbrow
Administrative Services Coordinator: Joann Karhan
Housing Counselor: Renee Bloom
Foreclosure Prevention: (part time) Suzan Richards
Maintenance: (part time) Paul Lee

Table of Contents

Our Vision
Our Mission
A Message from our Director

Key Strategies:

Mission Strategies
Revenue Generating Strategies
Operational Strategies
Funding Strategies
Advocacy Strategies
Appendix

Supporting Demographic data,
Photographs of work done – before/after
Graphs
Budget
Annual meeting
Board Composition
Board Biographies
Board Terms
Board requirements
Bi-laws
Organization Charts
Key Terms and Abbreviations
Current Program Descriptions and
Other as required and such imported by ALH here

 

VISION:
Keuka Housing Council envisions a community in which all individuals live in suitable and safe housing whether owned or rented.

MISSION:

We desire to improve and maintain the quality and quantity of housing for people of modest income living in Yates County.

KHC uses the DHCR Work Plan as our yearly plan with specific goals stated in the Work Plan.

Monthly achievements are reported to the Board of Directors in the Executive Director’s report and the financial reports.

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A Message from our Director –
Kathryn W. Disbrow:

Keuka Housing Council (KHC) has been operating in Yates County since 1976. It was founded by Marion Miller following her perception of the fundamentally under-served housing needs of Yates County residents. Yates County, as it was in 1976, is a poor, rural community. Today, 62% of our housing stock was built prior to 1960; 44% of Yates County residents are at or below 50% of the area median income.

Keuka Housing Council was incorporated on June 30, 1977 and became a 501 (c) 3 Not-for-profit on July 11, 1979. We are a Rural Preservation Company and we became a HUD certified Housing Counseling Agency on 8/28/2002.

At 4.6% Unemployment, Yates County is low in comparison with other NYS counties. However, employment wages are low and often pay is not enough to support the basic necessities of shelter, food and clothing. Although there has been construction and expansion of businesses and tourist attractions such as Wineries, Motels and Bed and Breakfasts, wages are not increasing. Business expansions hire at a lower wages. The tourist-based businesses are seasonal, often paying just above minimum wage. Those persons who have consistent employment and could qualify as home-buyers, cannot afford to purchase without deferred payment loans to bridge the gap and complete minor repairs on the home.

KHC works closely with Section 8 Housing Assistance to get tenants into affordable housing. We strive to provide deferred payment loans/grants to potential homebuyers that encompass repairs. We also provide education to assure that the homebuyer is ready to purchase, understands budgeting and avoids predatory lenders.

There are no homeless shelters in Yates County. Approximately 50 families were recognized as homeless in three separate annual surveys. These families live in overcrowded conditions or on the street. On cold days, some homeless persons sleep in the Emergency Room waiting room at our local hospital; others have been discovered in KHC’s laundry room. Some spend time at the public library for warmth. Hence we will need to work with other organizations to provide housing for the homeless. We will also continue to be a part of the Four County Housing Consortium Continuum of Care grant process.

There is a need for Senior Housing as identified in the Economic Development Housing Survey. It has been determined that Yates County will need 40 units per year for the next 4 years. we will need to work with other organizations to increase housing for the Elderly in Yates County and to discuss the probability of construction of new elder specific housing.

There is a need for foreclosure prevention counseling. According to County Clerk, Julie Betts, in 2007 84 homes were in some stage of foreclosure. This was reduced to 63 in 2008. KHC received a grant for foreclosure counseling in January 2008. We provide foreclosure prevention counseling to clients within and outside Yates County who are in need of this service. Two counselors have been trained by NWA for Housing Counseling; one became certified for Foreclosure Prevention counseling in 2008. KHC has a Memorandum of Understanding with CASH in Wayne County to provide Reverse Mortgage counseling in Yates County to Yates County residents.

Finally, there is no housing plan for Yates County. A few Villages and Towns have plans that include housing. Some are developing plans. Clearly we need to work with Villages, Towns and County to incorporate housing for our client base into their plans.

Here is how we would summarize our strengths:

KHC is an innovative organization with dedicated employees and a strong, working Board.

KHC believes in continuing education. Employees and Board members are encouraged to attend trainings and conferences.

Yates County Housing Committee, of which KHC is an active member, is an energetic group comprised of many organizations.

The focus of the group is to reduce homelessness in Yates County and to track /coordinate housing demographics in Yates County to facilitate writing of grants and collecting data. The Housing Committee strives to organize services available to assist low income individuals/families live in safe and affordable housing.

Organizations, departments and elected officials know each other and work well together in this rural community.
A high percentage of grants submitted are awarded.

KHC holds a good record of correctly completing grants in a timely manner.

Communication is open and beneficial between grant sources and staff.

Rental properties are well managed and break even or are profitable.

KHC has a good relationship with local Newspapers.

Our Opportunities are:

No present employees have experience with development/building of new rental complexes.

KHC is a small organization with three full time staff.

In order to expand services, additional staff would need to be added.

All funding fluctuates from year to year. Much time is spent seeking funding rather than concentrating on programs and projects.

Funding is low and staff salaries are not equivalent to other industries making it difficult to hire good, trained staff.

KHC is not a NeighborWorks America organization. Because no additional NWA organizations will be added in New York State, it is doubtful that KHC will achieve this designation. Therefore, KHC does not receive benefits provided to other NWA organizations.

Keuka Housing Council’s Board of Directors and Staff review the needs of the community including the need for essential repairs to preserve aging homes, the provision of housing for modest income individuals/families , foreclosure prevention counseling and the necessary training for the Board and Staff to meet these needs.

In 2008, the Board and Staff met the challenge of reviewing the community needs and developing a strategic plan. This process required time commitment from each Board member and staff, particularly the Planning Committee , to measure the needs, develop goals and tactics to meet the goals and to complete the process in a plan that will continue to revolve over time.

Keuka Housing Council has met and continues to meet the many challenges to make our community a better place to live. KHC continues to meet the goals as listed in our Mission and Vision statements. We are proud to use our expertise to address the housing needs of our rural community. It is exciting to work with such an energetic Board and staff that brings inspiration, motivation and expanding ideas to this organization.

Sincerely,

Kathryn W. Disbrow
Executive Director

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STRATEGIES AND TACTICS:

Mission Strategy
Goal: Identify the underserved in Yates County and the barriers to the accomplishment of the mission

Tactics:
Continually assess customer satisfaction through survey methods and staff/customer feedback

Participate in the Yates County Housing Summit and other relevant community events/projects

Uses of Revenue Strategies

Goal: Optimize the uses of revenue consistent with our mission

Tactics:
(All by Director and Board Finance Committee)

Measure the outcomes of all grant/funding strategies against our mission and vision against the overall need of the County – Annually

Operational Strategies
Goal: Improve KHC’s organizational capacity to meet our future needs

Tactics:
Develop succession plan for Director, Staff and Board – June 1st 09

Explore opportunities for the professional development of the KHC staff May 1st 09

Execute the RPC (Rural Preservation Company) board training program – Set date by March 09

Re-craft the Director’s report to meet the needs of the board – April 09

Assign decision rights to the Director 2nd Q 09

Measure the administrative effectiveness of individual grant administration annually in the 4th Quarter

Review Board Committee Structure @ December Annual Meeting

Maintain open and positive relationships with all funding sources

Board/staff involvement in key conferences

Ongoing communication with funding sources

Funding Strategies
Goal: Incrementally increase annual funding sources to
$2 million dollars by 2012

Tactics:
Continue to utilize grant resources from Government sources such as:

Develop new opportunities
 Target Private Foundations – Complete target list 1Q09

Utilize interns from local colleges to assist in target research – as required

Develop a planned giving program by Spring ‘09

Develop a program for working with the “for profit developers” - Summer 09

Evaluate end of lease/regulatory period on owned apartments annually – 2nd Q

Develop a community based fundraising program – Summer 09

Target institutional lenders

Review all Grants to be written for the following year – Annually at the Dec. Meeting

Advocacy Strategies
Goal: Develop advocacy relationships with government agencies, civic organizations and key community leaders

Tactics:
(Director and/or Board President to address the following per annual calendar):

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Appendix: