Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) announced today that Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation, a member of the national NeighborWorks network, is receiving $204,950 in flexible funding and capital grants from NeighborWorks America to create more economic development and affordable housing opportunities for Chautauqua County citizens.

"NeighborWorks America was created by Congress nearly 30 years ago with the mission of community building through partnerships with locally focused agencies," said Congressman Higgins. "These federal funds will help CHRIC continue the good work they do in neighborhoods across Chautauqua County, in part, by supporting a downtown revitalization project in Sherman with low-interest loans."

In FY 2008, NeighborWorks® America (also known as the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation) will provide more than $76 million in grants to its national network of more than 230 community-based nonprofit organizations to create homeownership for lower-income families, produce and manage affordable, high-quality rental properties, stem the tide of foreclosures that threaten neighborhoods and local economies, and revitalize and strengthen communities.  

Chautauqua County’s NeighborWorks organization, CHRIC, will use some of these funds to help low and moderate-income residents in the county move to homeownership, and make needed repairs on homes owned by low and moderate-income residents.  Other CHRIC programs help reduce the risk of Lead Based Paint poisoning in rental units in partnership with the Chautauqua County Health Department, make vehicle grants and loans to lower-income workers, the acquiring, rehabbing and re-selling of vacant and foreclosed houses, and building ramps and making home adaptations for the elderly and disabled.  CHRIC has also operated two Youthbuild programs for at-risk youth in Dunkirk and Jamestown. 

John Murphy, executive director of CHRIC stated, “The continuing support of the U.S. Congress, including the support of Congressman Brian Higgins, for the important work being carried out by NeighborWorks® America in the areas of housing and community development, is bringing direct investment into Chautauqua County.  We intend to use some of these funds to build capacity in our developing foreclosure prevention program, and use the capital allocation to assist business owners in Sherman with low-cost loans that will allow them to receive thousands of dollars in state and federal grants we have accumulated there, as well as continue making low-interest housing rehabilitation and downpayment loans for county residents.”

CHRIC was organized through the Chautauqua County Department of Planning in 1978, and was chartered as a NeighborWorks organization in January 2003.  The housing non-profit has offices in Mayville, NY, with all of Chautauqua County is its service area.