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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
2011

President: Leigh Harrington
Vice-President: Bobby Jo Milton
Secretary/Treasurer: Scarlett Emerson

Deb Minor
Jane Boyd
Steve Griffin
Leigh Harrington
Greg Miller
Helen Schillinger
Karen Button

Pat Galvin

Janet Strauser


Keuka Housing Council, Inc. Staff
Executive Director: Kathryn W. Disbrow
Administrative Services Coordinator: Joann Karhan
Housing Counselor: Renee Bloom
Maintenance:  Paul Lee

Table of Contents

Our Vision
Our Mission
HISTORY & CHALLENGES

Key Strategies:

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

 

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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 HISTORY & CHALLENGE

Keuka Housing Council (KHC) has been operating in Yates County since 1976.  On June 30, 1977, KHC was incorporated and on July 11, 1979 became a 501 (c) 3 not-for profit organization.  KHC is a Rural Preservation Company and, since August 28, 2002, has been a HUD-certified Housing Counseling Agency.  In 2010, KHC was certified as using National Housing Counseling Standards.

 

Recognizing the fundamentally under-served housing needs of Yates County residents, Marion Miller established the Keuka Housing Council in 1976.   As it was in 1976, Yates County 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.  The combination of old housing stock and low-income families presents us with several challenges. 

 

At the rate of 6.3%, unemployment in Yates County is low in comparison with other NYS counties. However, employment wages are low--often 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, overall 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 qualifying them as potential home-buyers often cannot afford to purchase without deferred payment loans to bridge the gap and to complete minor repairs on the home.  KHC strives in several ways to help these potential homebuyers by providing deferred payment loans and grants that encompass repairs and by providing education to assure that the homebuyer is ready to purchase, understands budgeting and avoids predatory lenders.  We also work with Section 8 Housing Assistance to get tenants into affordable housing. 

 

There are no homeless shelters in Yates County. Approximately 50 families were recognized as homeless in three recent and 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.  Strong Hall apartments consisting of  28     units for older adults was purchased by Keuka College to use for  student housing.  This creates a greater need for rental housing.

 

Keuka Housing has purchased Keuka Park Apartments consisting of 16 apartments which have housed middle income folks.  These apartments will be emptied in June 2012 and will be used for student housing.

 

There continues to be 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.  As of 2011 KHC has assisted 120 families in foreclosure.  We provide foreclosure prevention counseling to clients within Yates County who are in need of this service.  KHC’s counselor was trained by NWA for Housing Counseling and is a certified for Foreclosure Prevention counseling since 2008. KHC’s Foreclosure Counselor, Renee Bloom supports our Foreclosure clients by attending court with them.   KHC has a Memorandum of Understanding with CASH in Wayne County to provide Reverse Mortgage counseling in Yates County to Yates County residents.

 

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

 

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 a 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 evolve over time.  The Planning Committee continues to review the Strategic Plan to make changes and update yearly.

 

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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: