§ 1020. Legislative findings and statement of policy. The legislature
hereby finds that in certain rural areas of the state significant
numbers of low income residents are unable to obtain decent housing. The
normal operation of the private market has not addressed their needs.

The elderly and families are especially affected by the lack of
housing in rural areas. Elderly persons are frequently forced to choose
between continuing to live in homes which have become too large to care
for and use well or leaving their communities to live elsewhere.
Families, particularly those just beginning, are often faced with either
substandard, unsafe housing, living with relatives in overcrowded
conditions, or leaving their communities. The ensuing social and
economic disruption has profoundly adverse effects on the rural
communities as well as the residents.

Numerous housing programs have been initiated by the federal
government to provide housing for those of low income. For the most
part, these programs have worked best in areas of high population
density, thus effectively, although unintentionally, failing to fulfill
their intent in rural areas.

The legislature further finds that locally based housing providers can
effectively serve the needs of low and moderate income persons in rural
areas. Their efforts have been severely limited, however, by the
contemporary high cost of financing, inflation and massive retrenchment
in federal housing assistance programs.

The legislature further finds it to be in the best interests of the
people of New York state to assist local housing providers in meeting
the needs of low income occupants in rural areas by supplementing
federal assistance programs with a program of state rental assistance
payments similar to the federal Farmer's Home Administration Program.