September 13, 2011
(ALBANY) Continuing their commitment to help individuals with disabilities live independently, the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) have announced 24 additional months of free unlimited bus passes to Capital Region residents with disabilities who purchase a home through OPWDD’s Home of Your Own program (HOYO).
The agreement, dubbed the “Homeowner Transit Use Incentive Program,” will provide free, unlimited access to CDTA transit passes, as well as travel training assistance. CDTA travel trainers assist people or groups to learn how to take a bus—specifically, helping them to plan their trip, reading and understanding route maps and schedules, getting on and off a bus properly, paying fares and purchasing passes, transferring to other buses, riding specific routes, and traveling independently and comfortably.
HOYO is also open to income-qualified parents or legal guardians of people with developmental disabilities or mental illness, and to direct support professionals who provide care.
OPWDD Commissioner Courtney Burke said, “We are committed to giving individuals with disabilities the support and resources they want and need to be successful in their day-to-day lives. Owning a home is not for everyone, but for those who make that decision, having ready access to reliable public transportation opens up new opportunities. I thank CDTA for their partnership and commitment to help people with disabilities to fulfill their dreams of owning a home.”
CDTA Chairwoman Denise Figueroa said, “Our Homeowner Transit Use Incentive Program helps individuals with disabilities maintain their independence by offering easy and reliable access to employment, shopping centers, and health institutions so they can conduct their daily routines and improve their quality of life. To help transition people to public transportation, our travel trainers are available by appointment to teach new customers how to ride the bus and plan a trip itinerary.”
Holly Pelkey of Albany, whose family has participated in this program said, “I lived in an apartment that was falling apart. My son lived in three rooms, he is wheelchair bound and the doorways were so narrow that he could not fit through them. When I found out about the housing program it was the most amazing thing ever, it feels like a dream. This program made my son’s dream of a safe and comfortable come true. He also received a small transportation vehicle from the Make-A-Wish Foundation which he can ride throughout the house thanks to its open space. I look forward to participating in the transportation aspect of this program as well, and thank CDTA and OPWDD for this much-needed assistance.”
CDTA has issued passes to about 100 homebuyers through “Transit Use Incentive Program” partnerships, since the programs began in 2005, and has distributed almost 5,000 passes to new homeowners â 64 percent of whom say they will continue to ride CDTA after the free pass program expired.
Through the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) and the state Housing Finance Agency (HFA), first-time homebuyers with developmental disabilities or mental illnesses and their income-eligible parents or legal guardians can get a 30- or 40-year fixed rate mortgage at a low 4 percent interest rate, with 100 percent loan-to-value (LTV) ratio financing and down payment and/or closing-cost assistance.
Participants must be 18 years of age or older, be a first- time homebuyer, have an income and be credit worthy. OPWDD and the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) are the only agencies determining eligibility for participation in the HOYO program. All eligible borrowers are referred to M&T Bank, which oversees a mortgage product specifically designed to meet the needs of these target populations.
Through a HOME grant from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (NYSHCR), OPWDD assists first-time homebuyers with developmental disabilities or mental illness and their income-eligible parents or legal guardians with a variety of expenses, including down payments, closing costs or minor household repairs. Additionally, OPWDD is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a housing counseling agency, and HOYO representatives are certified by NeighborWorks America to provide pre- and post-homeownership counseling, financial education, credit counseling, foreclosure prevention, identity theft, and predatory lending guidance.
For more information about HOYO, please contact OPWDD at 1-866-946-9733.
