Orange County Social Services officials say money is available to help during housing crisis

Orange County Department of Social Services officials say more help is available than people may realize, including money for back rent and a rent supplement program to help folks who are above poverty level.

Blaise Gomez

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Dec 6, 2022, 10:22 PM

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Updated 749 days ago

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News 12 is continuing to highlight the affordable housing crisis affecting many people in the Hudson Valley.

News 12 reported on Monday about two women struggling to find affordable housing in Orange County, and now we are finding out about help that's available locally during the nationwide crisis.

"We have to look at people on a case-by-case basis and see what program they fit into," said Orange County Social Services Director Terri Torchio.

Orange County Department of Social Services officials say more help is available than people may realize, including money for back rent and a rent supplement program to help folks who are above poverty level.

"If you're at risk of losing your rental unit, please call 845-291-4000," said Orange County Social Services Commissioner Darcie Miller. "You can also call our 24/7 hotline, 311."

Officials say an additional 600,000 affordable housing units are needed statewide and that locally, shelters and motels used to house the homeless are packed now that pandemic relief programs are over.

"Really, what Newburgh needs to do is enact a rent freeze," says activist Aaron Fernando with For the Many.

Activists like Fernando are pushing for new local and state laws, but landlords are pushing back.

A law in Newburgh and Kingston making it harder to evict tenants was blocked by judges in both counties.

Their attorney calls the law an "irresponsible effort" to cancel landlord rights, but tenant activists say the purpose was to help keep people in their homes.

"It's really very frightening what could happen to a lot of Newburgh tenants, and they may not have a place to go," said Fernando.