1020 - Legislative findings and statement of policy.

§  1020. Legislative findings and statement of policy. The legislature  hereby finds that in  certain  rural  areas  of  the  state  significant  numbers of low income residents are unable to obtain decent housing. The  normal operation of the private market has not addressed their needs.    The  elderly  and  families  are  especially  affected  by the lack of  housing in rural areas. Elderly persons are frequently forced to  choose  between  continuing to live in homes which have become too large to care  for and use  well  or  leaving  their  communities  to  live  elsewhere.  Families, particularly those just beginning, are often faced with either  substandard,  unsafe  housing,  living  with  relatives  in  overcrowded  conditions,  or  leaving  their  communities.  The  ensuing  social  and  economic   disruption  has  profoundly  adverse  effects  on  the  rural  communities as well as the residents.    Numerous  housing  programs  have  been  initiated  by   the   federal  government  to  provide  housing  for  those of low income. For the most  part, these programs have  worked  best  in  areas  of  high  population  density,  thus effectively, although unintentionally, failing to fulfill  their intent in rural areas.    The legislature further finds that locally based housing providers can  effectively serve the needs of low and moderate income persons in  rural  areas.  Their  efforts  have  been  severely  limited,  however,  by the  contemporary high cost of financing, inflation and massive  retrenchment  in federal housing assistance programs.    The  legislature  further  finds it to be in the best interests of the  people of New York state to assist local housing  providers  in  meeting  the  needs  of  low  income  occupants  in  rural areas by supplementing  federal assistance programs with a program of  state  rental  assistance  payments similar to the federal Farmer's Home Administration Program.