TRIP&RCHR’s Celebration of Strong Community held on Monday, November 14, 2022 honored its Partners in Community-Responsive Housing: BBL, Unity House, MM Development Advisors, NBT Bank, SWBR and Red Stone Equity Partners. 12 abandoned and vacant buildings were replaced by 51 units in 8 buildings with improved lighting and sidewalks, off-street parking, accessibility with special attention paid to land and streetscapes. Community investors, residents, neighbors, board members, staff and friends old and new joined us in celebration. For more information about Hillside Views Apartments or ways to invest in our mission, email info@triponline.org

Martha B. has lived in her Rensselaer County home for over 10 years and was thrilled to learn about our Mini-Repair Program. Since 1998, we have provided an average of 250 people a year with labor to address a variety of in-home repairs including minor electrical and plumbing work, minor plastering, and installing weather stripping and safety devices such as deadbolt locks and smoke detectors. Participants of the program need only provide the required materials.

We helped Martha with a leak in her roof, a toilet that wouldn’t stop running (which also ran up her water bill), and a broken front door. Without this program, she wasn’t sure how she was going to get the work done, and like many other homeowners she had been taken advantage of by an unscrupulous contractor in the past. Martha recommends the Mini-Repair Program and our Mini-Repair Coordinator, Tyrone, who shares a name with her son!

The work that we provide preserves the housing stock, helps people stay in their homes, and protects them from dishonest people who look to prey on our neighbors. Strong community starts here! Learn more about the Mini-Repair Program at triponline.org.

Leigh Hornbeck of the Albany Times Union details the many ways that TRIP helps aspiring homeowners:

Kathy Wells lived in her house for 19 years. She raised three children there and did all the upkeep. The house, in North Troy, used to belong to her aunt and now belongs to her cousin; Wells pays rent.

But soon, Wells will call the house her own, fulfilling an arrangement with her cousin that she would buy the house when she was ready. After many starts and stops, Wells is moving toward a closing date with the help of homeownership counseling from the Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.

Read more here…

When Emily P. graduated from college, she found herself in a position that a lot of others do: about to move into an apartment of her own for the first time, she realized that she had a lot of questions about budgeting. “I’ve never had to worry about rent, groceries, or having a credit card before,” she says. “My expenses were always preset and fixed.”

Emily was concerned about making sure that her rent was affordable and balancing her expenses throughout the month. She also wanted to learn more about how spending and saving could impact her credit score.

Enter SpendSmart, TRIP & RCHR NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center’s financial literary program. Emily went to triponline.org and created a Compass profile to start the process. There she was prompted step by step to complete the course.

“It was easy to use and understand,” she says. “I really liked the section on credit—when you have to pay, how to manage your credit score.” She also thought the video format was helpful for those who want to learn at their own pace. When she felt like she needed to slow down, or go over information more thoroughly, she was able to pause, rewind, and restart as needed.

“I liked how there was a visual presented with the info. It was really helpful,” she says. “It was a really good experience and I would definitely recommend it.”

Want to learn more about how to budget, save, work on credit, and more? Head over to triponline.org and create a Compass portal profile now to get started!