A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities
A Project of the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation
Seth Greenman Master Housing Navigator Shameka Andrews Community Outreach Coordinator, SANYS
• • • 2020 • • • A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities 2020 Table of Contents
How to Use this Guidebook ...... 3. Living in Your Own Place ...... 4 2 What is Fair Housing? ...... 4 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 ...... 4 Reasonable Accommodations / Modifications ...... 5 Support Animals ...... 5. Interview Series – Living in Your Own Place ...... 6 Additional Resources ...... 7 Leases and Rental Agreements ...... 8 Tenant Rights ...... 8 Know Your Terms ...... 9 Homeownership ...... 11 Fair Lending & Housing Counseling ...... 11 Homeownership Preparation: Are You Ready? ...... 11 Professional Inspection ...... 13 Repairs & Maintenance ...... 13 Budgeting ...... 14 Everything Credit ...... 14 Emergency Financial Supports ...... 14 Budgeting for Your Place ...... 16 Saving for the Future ...... 17 Acknowledgment ...... 18
. The New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation (NY Alliance) 240 Washington Avenue Extension, Suite 501 Albany, NY 12203-0305 518-795-3590 . Seth Greenman, Master Housing Navigator Shameka Andrews, Community Outreach Coordinator, SANYS
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 How to Use this Guidebook How to Use this Guidebook Video Introduction
The journey of living in your own place requires learning about the rights you have as a tenant or homeowner as well as the responsibilities that are attached to those rights. Whether you are currently living in your own place or planning to make a move in the future, educating yourself about your rights and responsibilities is an important step in the process. While many resources are available to support you in your journey, it can be difficult knowing where to look. In A Guidebook to Rights & Responsibilities, we have pulled together online resources from across New York State in a variety of topics relating to tenant or homeowner rights and responsibilities. The goal of this project is to provide you with multiple resources in each topic area so that you can find the information you need in a format that works for you. Additionally, we conducted the Living in Your Own Place interview series with people who are already living independently in different parts of New York State. They shared their lived experiences of the responsibilities they have in maintaining their apartments and following the terms of their leases. We hope these candid conversations can be a starting point for you in thinking about and preparing for your own place . In the Guidebook, you will find resources categorized in the following modules: Living in Your Own Place – This module provides links to resources in a variety of topic areas related to fair housing. You will find resources that review the rights you have under both federal and state 3 fair housing laws as well as changes that occurred in 2019 with the passing of New York State’s Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. You will also find resources that unpack your right to pursue reasonable accommodations or modifications where you live or your right to live with a support animal. Finally, take some time to listen to interviews from the Living in Your Own Place series to consider what responsibilities you will have as you start your own journey. Leases and Rental Agreements – Resources in this module will cover the rights you have as a tenant in New York State so that you will know how to identify if a landlord or a housing policy is violating them. Many of these resources provide clarity on terms found in your lease or rental agreement as well as the legal requirements surrounding the security deposit process. Homeownership – If you are considering homeownership as a future goal, the resources in this module provide an overview of your rights and responsibilities related to fair lending practices, buying a home, and maintaining your home. Check out the links on preparing to buy a home to consider if you are ready to take this step or review the information on home inspections for recommendations
on this important part of the home buying process. You will also find resources on the role of housing
counselors along with a search tool for identifying the housing counseling agencies in your area. Back to Table of Contents Budgeting – A key aspect of living in your own place is financial stability. Credit history, budgeting, saving, and knowing where to go in an emergency are all important aspects of building this stability. Whether you already live in your own place or are preparing to move, we recommend starting with the brief webinars by Melinda Burns in each topic area of this module. From there, use the additional links to access a variety of resources to support you in building long-term financial success.
Knowledge of your rights and responsibilities is a powerful tool for living successfully in your own place. Therefore, we hope the Guidebook can be an ongoing resource for you with each step that you take, and we wish you the best on your journey.
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Living in Your Own Place
What is Fair Housing? The Housing Council at PathStone in Rochester provides a summary of important points related to Fair Housing, including the rights of people with disabilities as well as families with children. Additionally, this resource includes a Q & A section with real world examples of fair housing situations. It is available in both English and Spanish. Fair Housing Resource - English Vivienda Justa: Lo que significa para todos LawNY provides general guidance on disability-related issues and fair housing, including answers to commonly asked questions.
4 Fair Housing Disability Issues The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides this brochure highlighting key points related to fair housing in both English and Spanish. The third link provided is a summary of fair housing topics provided on the Civil Rights Bureau webpage of the Attorney General’s Office. Fair Housing brochure Vivienda Justa Fair Housing - Civil Rights Bureau U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides a brief overview of the main points of the federal Fair Housing Act as well as a YouTube playlist of 28 videos that cover different fair housing topics . HUD Fair Housing overview Fair Housing YouTube playlist (28 videos) Extensive information about the Fair Housing Act, including a copy of the legislation, is provided by the U.S. Department of Justice in the following links: The Fair Housing Act - page 1 The Fair Housing Act - page 2 New York State legislation regarding fair housing and equal rights is captured in Article 15 of the
Executive laws of New York. Article 15 - Human Rights Law of New York State
Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides this What you Need to Know document, which highlights in bulleted summaries all the legal changes in rent laws across the state. These
Back to Table of Contents Table Back to summaries cover a variety of topics, including security deposit caps, limits on late payment fees,
rights to a receipt, ways to get security deposits back, etc. Changes in New York State Rent Law A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Living in Your Own Place
LawNY provides a general summary of new protections for tenants that were put in place in 2019 when the New York State Governor signed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. New Protections for NYS Renters Detailed information regarding New York State Senate bill S6458, commonly known as the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, can be found at: Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019
Reasonable Accommodations / Modifications Disability Rights New York provides the following written fact sheet on topics related to housing for people with disabilities. Specifically, this fact sheet provides general guidance on rights related to reasonable accommodations and modifications in addition to general fair housing information. Housing Rights for People with Disabilities HUD provides some written guidance on their website regarding a tenant’s right to reasonable accommodations and modifications, including a brief overview of the different laws that apply. Additionally, they provide some examples along with a question and answer section with links to additional information. 5 HUD - Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications
Support Animals Disability Rights New York provides free training on the differences between service animals and emotional support animals. They also help to debunk some myths that exist about service animals. Check out their closed-captioned videos below: Service Animals vs Emotional Support Animals Service Animal Myths Additionally, Disability Rights New York provides the following written facts sheet on issues related to assistance animals in housing .
Assistance Animals in Housing
The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides this brochure highlighting the rights of Back to Table of Contents New Yorkers to have a service animal in public accommodations and housing. Service Animals brochure U.S. Service Animals is an online registry for service animals and emotional support animals. They provide written education on the fair housing act and a tenant’s right to have support animals, including what information you need to share with your landlord.
Emotional Support Animals and the Fair Housing Act
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Living in Your Own Place
Interview Series – Living in Your Own Place The Living in Your Own Place interview series begins with the Be a Good Neighbor panel discussion. Tune in as Mike Rogers, Uly Ramos, Tammy & John Fritz, and Erica Martinez share both the good and the bad about having neighbors and how they have navigated different situations in their own places across different regions of New York State. Panel Discussion - Be A Good Neighbor The next session in our interview series focuses on topics related to safety and apartment care when living in your own place. Tune in as Mike Rogers of Buffalo, New York shares his lived experiences with safety planning, apartment maintenance, and utilities while living in his own place . 6 Interview - Safety & General Repairs Our interview series includes a phone interview with Kevin Ryan of Menands, New York. Tune in as he shares his experiences with accessibility and apartment maintenance in the places where he has lived. Interview - General Repairs This session of the interview series focuses on topics related to pets and guests when living in your own place. Tune in as Uly Ramos of New York City shares her experiences with caring for pets as well having family and guests visit and stay in her apartment. Interview - Pets & Guests The final interview of the Living in Your Own Place series is a discussion with BJ Stasio of Western New York regarding his experiences with renting his apartment and understanding the terms of his lease. Tune in to hear about his experiences with lease terms, security deposits, and rental payments . Interview - Know Your Terms
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A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Living in Your Own Place
Additional Resources Disability Rights New York provides written facts sheets on the snow removal protocols in each of the five major cities in New York State. These fact sheets outline who is responsible for different surfaces and who to call if there are concerns with accessibility. Snow Removal - Albany Snow Removal - Buffalo Snow Removal - NYC Snow Removal - Rochester Snow Removal - Syracuse The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides these brief tips on your rights when hiring a moving company in the state to ensure you are protected against unfair treatment. Hiring a Moving Company LawNY provides general legal guidance on communicating with a landlord, especially when you have concerns, as well as ideas of what to do when a landlord will not fix problems with the apartment or home . 7 Communicating with your Landlord Landlord Won’t Make Repairs NYS Homes and Community Renewal provides a brief overview of tenant rights related to living conditions of an apartment and essential services that must be provided. This overview is followed by a frequently asked questions section as well as related fact sheets that can be downloaded or printed. Living Conditions and Essential Services
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A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Leases and Rental Agreements
Tenant Rights The Housing Council at PathStone in Rochester provides a comprehensive manual on tenant rights and responsibilities. This is an excellent reference tool that outlines information for tenants on paying rent, apartment living, understanding leases and rental agreements, the eviction process, and how to move out. It is available in both English and Spanish. Tenant Rights & Responsibilities Los Derechos y Responsabilidades de los Inquilinos LawNY provides the following general legal guidance on basic eviction information in New York State as well as what to know about illegal attempts to evict a tenant.
8 General Eviction Information in New York State Illegal Evictions The City of Albany, NY provides a flyer titled Renters Bill of Rights that highlights a variety of tenant rights using pictures and text. The flyer can be seen to the right, and it can be accessed at the following link to be downloaded or printed as needed. Renters Bill of Rights The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides this brochure highlighting rights and key information for New Yorkers to know related to source of income discrimination.
Source of Income Discrimination brochure Back to Table of Contents Table Back to
(Source: City of Albany, New York) A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Leases and Rental Agreements
The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides an extensive guide on tenant rights that covers several topics, including types of leases, rent charges, subletting or apartment sharing, repairs, safety features, and utility services. The guide is available in both English and Spanish. Tenants’ Rights Guide Guía de los Derechos del Inquilino The Monroe Housing Collaborative in Rochester, New York provides this step-by-step guide with general guidance for avoiding evictions. Additionally, they provide written material outlining information that will be needed by applicants applying for housing opportunities. Avoiding Eviction What Information Do I Need to Apply for Housing? Section 227-A of Article 7 of the Real Property Laws of New York State allows for the early termination of a lease or rental agreement by a person with a disability who is moving to a family home, certain health care/adult care facilities, or subsidized housing. The law provides protections for qualifying tenants who provide written notice of thirty days as outlined in the link below. Section 227-A - Residential Lease Termination
9 Know Your Terms The First Time Renter’s Apartment Guide provides tips and resources for those preparing for their first move. Included in this guide are sections on preparing for the apartment search and understanding the terms of a lease as well as additional links to information on renter’s insurance and security deposits. First Time Renter’s Apartment Guide Understand Your Lease Before Signing It Know the Components of an Apartment Lease Agreement NYS Homes and Community Renewal provides a brief overview of topics related to the terms of a lease followed by a frequently asked questions section and fact sheets for each topic that can be downloaded or printed.
Leases Back to Table of Contents The Housing Council at PathStone in Rochester provides two important resources for renters when moving in / out. The first is an inspection checklist that can be used when moving in or moving out to keep track of the condition of the rental unit. The second is a brochure that highlights the important things a renter needs to know about paying and getting back a security deposit. Move-In & Move-Out Inspection Checklist
Security Deposit Information
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Leases and Rental Agreements
LawNY provides general legal guidance for commonly asked questions related to security deposits and issues that renters sometimes have in getting back their deposit. Security Deposits LawNY shares the following articles on things to avoid when paying your rent. Beware of Paying your Rent with Money Orders Beware of Working for your Landlord Instead of Paying Rent The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities provides a brochure for landlords on housing subsidies paid through Individual Supports and Services (ISS). This brochure can be shared with landlords or property managers to provide education on the policies and procedures regulating this subsidy as well as the benefit to landlords in renting to a tenant with this subsidy. It is currently 10 available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean. OPWDD ISS Housing Subsidy brochure - English OPWDD ISS Housing Subsidy brochure - Spanish OPWDD ISS Housing Subsidy brochure - Chinese OPWDD ISS Housing Subsidy brochure - Korean
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A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Homeownership
Fair Lending & Housing Counseling The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides two brief lists of tips for first-time homebuyers to consider in order to know your rights and protect against unfair treatment. Finally, the Civil Rights Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office provides a webpage highlighting key topics related to fair lending practices in the state with additional links. Tips for First Time Home Buyers Home Buying Tips Fair Lending - Civil Rights Bureau HUD provides this brief video on housing counseling and the benefits it can provide to a future homeowner. Is Housing Counseling Right for You? NeighborWorks America is a mission-driven organization that seeks to support and create opportunities for people to live affordably in their own homes. Check out their infographic below that shows tips on the benefits of housing counseling. Benefits of a Homeownership Counselor Housing counseling agencies provide free, independent advice to income-eligible applicants many 11 topics related to buying and owning a home. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers this tool to search for local housing counseling agencies based upon zip code. Find a Housing Counselor - Search Tool
Homeownership Preparation: Are You Ready? HUD provides this brief video on the basics of thinking about and getting ready for homeownership. Are you ready for homeownership? NeighborWorks America offers a visual review of information on important financial numbers to consider when thinking about buying your first home. Watch the video below and check out the infographics available in both English and Spanish. Video - Future Homeowners: Know Your Numbers
Do You Know Your Homeownership Numbers? Back to Table of Contents ¿Sabe sus números de ser propietario de vivienda?
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Homeownership
Hands on Banking is a free public service program offered by Wells Fargo that includes many resources in English and Spanish on preparing financially for homeownership and the responsibilities of being a homeowner. Included below are links to their Home Buying resources, Home Ownership: Benefits & Realities, and a checklist to help determine if you are ready to buy a house. Home Buying Resources Home Ownership: Benefits & Realities Are you Ready to Buy a Home Checklist Better Money Habits provides many free resources on homeownership topics, including mortgage basics, calculating true costs, tips for what to ask lenders, etc. These resources are provided as brief written overviews, videos, and infographics with many additional topics to explore. 12 Homeownership NeighborWorks America offers additional tips, checklists, and worksheets that every person should review as they are preparing to buy a home . 10 Secrets Every First-time Homebuyer Should Know Calculating Your Gross Monthly Income Worksheet Seven Steps to Obtaining a Mortgage Finding the Right Neighborhood Ownerly.com provides the following two checklists on what you may need for a new home as well as tips for ensuring a successful move. The first article by Kim Porter provides a before and after checklist for a new home as well as tips for moving into a new house. The second article by Emilia Benton provides a basic timeline of responsibilities in preparing for a move as well as tips on mistakes to avoid when moving . New House Checklist Moving Checklist The Monroe Housing Collaborative provides a useful Move In Checklist, which highlights areas of consideration leading up to as well as the day of the move. Move In Checklist This article by Kate Ashford on Ownerly.com walks through a general timeline of the homebuying process, including tips on how to save time in the process and the benefits of working with a real estate agent . How Long Does it Take to Buy a House? Back to Table of Contents Table Back to
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Homeownership
Professional Inspection This home inspection checklist is provided by Total Home Inspection for reference when looking at a home that is for sale. While this tool is useful, it should not be used in place of a professional inspection by a certified home inspector. Home Inspection Checklist The American Society of Home Inspectors provides guidance on how to find and choose a home inspector as well as a Frequently Asked Questions page about home inspections. They review the basics of the home inspection process as well as what to do if an issue arises from the home inspector’s report. Choosing the Right Inspector FAQs about Home Inspections This article by Emily Long on Ownerly.com shares education and tips on common repairs that may be needed after a home inspection as well as how to request repairs as part of the home buying process. Common Repairs Needed After a Home Inspection The following article by Marjorie Cohen on Brick Underground discusses the importance of home inspections for apartment or condo purchases as well as general guidance on choosing an inspector. Eight specific areas are highlighted as essential areas for an inspector to consider when looking at a 13 unit in a larger complex. A home inspection checklist for New Yorkers
Repairs & Maintenance The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides a brief list of tips for homeowners to consider when seeking to hire a contractor for a repair or home improvement project. In the second link, they also provide a step-by-step fact sheet to follow when starting a home improvement project, which includes information on types of payments and contractor requirements. Home Improvements Home Improvement Fact Sheet NeighborWorks America provides this graphic in English and Spanish highlighting tips on spotting and
avoiding contractor scams when your home needs repairs.
Avoid Contractor Scams Back to Table of Contents Evite Estafas de Contratistas The New York State Office of the Attorney General provides this list of key rights and considerations when hiring a snow removal service, such as a plowing company, for the winter months. It includes tips and things to watch for that could be red flags of a potential scam. Snowplowing and Snow Removal
This article by Kate Dore on Ownerly.com highlights 19 tips for finding a good contractor if home repairs are needed. How to Find a Good Contractor A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Budgeting
Everything Credit Melinda Burns with Adult Education at Wildwood Programs provides this 16-minute introductory webinar on Everything Credit where she answers key questions related to building credit and maintaining a credit history. If you have questions regarding credit, this is an important place to start before jumping into the additional resources identified here. Everything Credit - Introduction A free copy of your credit report can be requested annually from each credit reporting company using the link below . Annual Credit Report.com
14 Hands on Banking provides many free resources to help with understanding credit scores and how to establish credit for living independently in an apartment or home. Included in the What is Credit? link below is a brief video explaining credit as well as an overview of the risk and benefits of establishing and maintaining credit. The second link also includes a video explaining how a credit score is determined along with written recommendations for how to improve your credit score. Finally, the third link provides a video explaining the basics of credit reports along with written instructions on how to access and review your personal credit report. What is Credit? Your Credit Score Your Credit Report Better Money Habits is a free online resource through the Bank of America in partnership with Khan Academy that provides videos and brief summaries of many topics related to financial wellness. At the link below, you can access several videos, infographics, and brief written summaries on many topics related to building and maintaining an excellent credit score. Better Money Habits - Credit Melinda Burns with Adult Education at Wildwood Programs offers this comprehensive 40-minute video presentation on everything related to credit. In this webinar, she provides answers to several important questions, including what is a credit history?, what is a credit score?, and how can you improve both? Improving Your Credit History
Emergency Financial Supports Melinda Burns with Adult Education at Wildwood Programs provides this 18-minute introductory webinar on Emergency Financial Supports that may be available to you if you are eligible. If you have questions regarding what types of support are available as well as how you can qualify, this webinar is a good starting point before jumping into the additional resources identified here. Back to Table of Contents Table Back to
Emergency Financial Supports - Introduction
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Budgeting
The New York Housing Resource Center (NYHRC) provides information on financial resources for independent living, including short video introductions on several public benefits (e.g. SSI, SSDI, etc.). These videos are helpful in providing a brief overview of specific benefits based upon your need or interest. Additionally, the presentation slides and links are made available for further investigation. NYHRC - Financial Resources page LawNY provides several articles sharing general legal guidance on a variety of public benefits and emergency financial supports, including SNAP, HEAP, and other public assistance. Commonly asked questions regarding emergency assistance, DSS, and fair hearings are covered. Public Benefits The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assurance (OTDA) helps with paying heating and cooling bills for those who are income eligible. Eligibility for both regular and emergency benefits, as well as application instructions, can be found at the following link. Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps with food purchases for those who are income eligible. Further information can be found at the USDA link or NYS OTDA link below. 15 SNAP - USDA SNAP - New York State OTDA Disability Rights New York provides a closed-captioned video overview of Unemployment Insurance during the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, they provide a written fact sheet that outlines eligibility for unemployment and how to claim benefits. UI and COVID-19 Video Unemployment Benefits Fact Sheet A Community Action program is located in each county of the state and receives funding to combat poverty by providing services and supports to those who are income eligible. The link below provides a list of these agencies by county with individual links to each agency website. NYS Community Action Programs
Independent Living Centers (ILC) provide an array of free services for people with disabilities, Back to Table of Contents including benefits advisement and housing assistance. The first link below will direct you to the state directory in order to identify the ILC nearest to you. The additional links provide a brief, written overview of services offered by ILCs in both English and Spanish. Independent Living Centers Directory Independent Living Services Brochure
Centros Vivos Independientes
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Budgeting
Budgeting for Your Place Melinda Burns with Adult Education at Wildwood Programs provides this 20-minute introductory webinar on Budgeting for Your Place. She highlights key principles to consider when budgeting for your own apartment or home, including why a budget is important, how to make a budget, and what to do with your budget once it is setup. Budgeting for Your Place - Introduction Consumer.gov provides a brief overview of the importance of having a monthly budget. This overview includes some written information along with a brief video (less than 2 minutes) highlighting a budgeting scenario. Additionally, the budgeting tool below can be printed or used electronically to make a monthly budget using income and expenses. 16 Making a Budget Make a Budget worksheet Better Money Habits offers multiple free resources on budgeting tips at the link below, including a step-by-step guide to manage bills, tips on how to stop impulse buying, and a brief video highlighting options for people who don’t like to budget. Budgeting Tips Hands on Banking offers the following information on renter’s (and homeowner’s) insurance that is important to review when shopping for insurance for your new apartment. Included below are also resources they provide to guide you through your decision to start looking for an apartment, including budget considerations. Insurance Renting an Apartment The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) offers many free resources for people to learn about budgeting and managing their finances. The full Your Money, Your Goals Toolkit is available to download in English, Spanish, or Chinese at the link below, and it includes 43 separate tools and handouts to help make decisions on a variety of financial topics. Additionally, these tools are available separately at the website below if you prefer to look at specific topics. Your Money, Your Goals Toolkit - Main Page
CFPB also offers a companion guide to the Your Money, Your Goals Toolkit for people with disabilities. It offers 11 additional tools with tips and information so that everyone can be supported to live their best financial life. One of the tools that is offered is a monthly budget planner which can be completed electronically or printed. There is also a tool offered for calculating SSI payments based upon work income. Your Money, Your Goals - Companion Guide for People with Disabilities Monthly Budget Tool Back to Table of Contents Table Back to SSI Estimator Tool
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 Budgeting
Saving for the Future Melinda Burns with Adult Education at Wildwood Programs provides this 22-minute introductory webinar on Saving for the Future. In this webinar, Melinda highlights why saving is important when you are seeking to live independently as well as methods to consider when creating your savings plan. Saving for the Future - Introduction Better Money Habits provides a wide range of free resources on savings strategies and emergency savings tips. At the link below, you will find tips on how to get started with saving, simple saving strategies, and a video on how to start an emergency fund. Savings Strategies Hands on Banking provides the following resource that provides written recommendations on the ABCs of budgeting and saving for the future. Budgeting and Saving The New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council provides this brief video overview of ABLE accounts and NY ABLE. New York ABLE Act The ABLE National Resource Center is a source of independent information and guidance on tax- 17 advantaged ABLE savings accounts. The following link will connect you with their Roadmap to Enrollment, which walks through each step of eligibility and setup using videos, fact sheets, and brief written guidance. Roadmap to Enrollment CFPB offers the following tool on setting up an ABLE account as part of its Your Money, Your Goals companion guide for people with disabilities. The tool can be printed or completed electronically, and it allows you to walk through the eligibility requirements and steps for starting your savings through an ABLE account. Tool - Setting up an ABLE Account Disability Rights New York provides a closed-captioned video overview of the Plan to Achieve Self- Support, or PASS plans, which allow social security recipients to save towards work-related goals and reduce their countable income.
Plan to Achieve Self-Support
Cornell University hosts the following website with basic information about PASS plans. Additionally, Back to Table of Contents the website provides a PASS plan application with hints to assist in completing the application. Once finished, applicants can print the completed application to send to the Social Security Administration for review. PASS Online - Cornell University The Monroe Housing Collaborative hosts this guide on how to save and build assets using a Plan to Achieve Self-Support. The guide was originally produced as part of a series of publications by
New York Makes Work Pay for people with disabilities, and it includes step-by-step instructions for navigating the setup process. Plan for Achieving Self-Support A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 NYAII . 2020 Acknowledgment
This project would not be possible without funding from the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council of New York State and the support of the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation. Specifically, we would like to extend a special thank you to Carol Napierski for your expertise in launching and guiding the vision for this project, Kate Connally for your technical support with video recording and editing, and Kate Ng for the design elements to create a functional guidebook. A special thank you to the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State for your invaluable collaboration in conducting the Living in Your Own Place interview series. In particular, we would like to thank Uly Ramos, Kevin Ryan, Mike Rogers, BJ Stasio, Erica Martinez, Tammy & John Fritz, Clint Perrin, and Michael Howard for your time and patience during the recording process and for sharing your lived experiences with us. 18 Additional thanks to Melinda Burns of Wildwood Programs for sharing your time and expertise to promote financial success for those looking to live on their own. To Timothy Elliott and colleagues with the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities for linking us to homeownership resources in the final days of the project. And to John Maltby of the New York Housing Resource Center and the NY Alliance Master Housing Navigators Patricia Calandra, Theresa Manuel, Derek Taylor, and Hank Lobb for your ongoing support, insights, and resources as we collaborate statewide.
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A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020 A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities
A Project of the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation Seth Greenman Master Housing Navigator Shameka Andrews Community Outreach Coordinator, SANYS
• • • 2020 • • •
A Guidebook to Rights and Responsibilities . 2020