Housing Reform Testimony

NYS Kincare Coalition Virtual Kinship Education Day
February 15, 2022
Remarks by Marcia Spencer

Good afternoon. I am raising one grandson on a fixed-income. It is very difficult paying rent and other bills, especially with the recent increase in the cost of living.

We grandparents need affordable housing, so we and our grandchildren can have a better life.

I am asking you to work with us to make Kinship Family Housing a State Housing Priority, and to add Kinship Families to the NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal’s list of Special Needs Populations.

These changes are necessary for kinship housing to be financed with tax-exempt bonds and Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which are major sources of funding for affordable housing. It is extremely challenging to create housing for kinship families without these sources of funding.

Thank you.

Kincare Coalition Recommendations:

Secure Kinship Housing as a State Housing Priority and expand the definition of “Special Needs Populations” in NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal’s programs to include Kinship Caregivers.