Columbia County Fair Housing

Fair Housing Officer
William Fisher
Phone: 518-828-0342
Email: wms123123@live.com

Latest Update from Fair Housing Officer, William Fisher

Attention Tenants and Landlords: The following is an important and direct quote, as of April 28, 2022, from the OTDA regarding the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), "The 2022-23 State budget includes additional funds to support the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Prior to the addition of these funds OTDA anticipated funding applications submitted through October 7, 2021. As a result of the additional funding OTDA is processing eligible ERAP applications through March 31, 2022. Currently applications submitted through December 31, 2021 are under active review and processing is to be followed in coming months by applications submitted from January 1 through March 31, 2022. This notification will be updated if additional funding is available to pay eligible applicants after March 31, 2022."

Based on this encouraging news Columbia County's Fair Housing Department urges tenants and landlords to call the Emergency Rental Assistance Call Center at 1-844-691-7368. If you have already applied you should check the status of your application. If you have not yet applied you should call 1-844-691- 7368 to determine eligibility and if you meet the criteria make application as soon as possible. William Fisher, Fair Housing Officer Columbia County at 518-828-0342.

As of 10:00 PM on January 11, 2022, the ERAP application portal reopened and is accepting new applications. Applying for State ERAP will provide tenants with certain protections while the State makes a decision on their application. Clients may apply by going to http://www.otda.ny.gov/erap, by calling 1-844-NY1-RENT (1-844-691-7368). Please refer to the following link from News 10 WTEN for information: https://www.news10.com/news/ny-news/erap-accepting-applications-again-those-applying-not-guaranteed-money/

Contact information for Landlord/Tenants Rights

Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York 518-462-6765

Hon. John (Jack) Connor, Jr., Hudson City Court;

HudsonCityCourt@nycourts.gov; 518-267-3082

Barbara Palmateer, Director, Community Action of Greene County;

bpalmateer@cagcny.org; 518-943-9205 x111

Dale-Ann Brown; Program Director, Housing Choice Voucher Program;

dbrown@jeminc.com; 518-372-8846, x-120

William (Bill) Fisher; Columbia County Fair Housing Officer;

wms123123@live.com; 518-828-0342

ERAP Flyer.pdf

Fair Housing Officer (FHO) - William Fisher

The Fair Housing Officer (FHO) is appointed by the County Board of Supervisors (BOS). The BOS is comprised of Supervisors from the County's eighteen towns and the five wards within the City of Hudson. The FHO, William Fisher is charged with the responsibility of reporting all matters, which effect or may effect housing within its borders, to the County Government Committee. The FHO is assisted by a Housing Advisory Board (HAB) which consists of volunteers from local government and individuals who make up the County's religious, business, financial, and housing, communities. The HAB is fully committed to fair housing, widely diverse in its membership, its knowledge of the County's demographics and the housing needs of its residents. It is with sincere thanks and gratitude that we list here the names of those volunteers currently serving on the HAB, together with their affiliations.

Housing Advisory Board (HAB)

Theresa Mayhew – HAB Chair – mmayhew1@nycap.rr.com (Community member, retired Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia Greene Counties)
Bertram Downes – bert.reentry@gmail.com (Reentry Columbia County)
Jeffrey Fineout -- jeffrey.reentry@gmail.com(Reentry Columbia County)
Brenda Adams -- supervisor@canaannewyork.org (Town of Canaan Supervisor)
Carol Michael -- chaconiagold@hotmail.com (Community member, retired from Housing Resources)
Dominick Merante -- dmerante@ilchv.org (Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley)
Gail Paone -- gpaone@columbiaopportunities.org (Columbia Opportunities)
Rev. Kim Singletary -- klsomic@gmail.com (Overcomers Ministries)
Kylie Proper -- kproper@st-cath.org (St. Catherine’s)
Letty Malin -- lmalin12521@gmail.com (Mental Health Association of Columbia & Greene Counties)
Lisa Dixon-Watson -- lisa.dixon-watson@cbna.com (Community Bank)
Stephanie Snyder -- stephanie.snyder2@dfa.state.ny.us (Columbia County Department of Social Services)
Barbara Palmateer -- bpalmateer@cagcny.org (Community Action of Greene County)
Theresa Joyner -- onestophomeshopping800@yahoo.com (One Stop Realty)
Claire Cousin -- cousin.c1218@gmail.com (1st Ward Supervisor-elect, City of Hudson)
Daniel Rockefeller -- fixitman117@gmail.com (Consumer Sector Rep./COI Member

Purpose: The purpose of the Fair Housing Department is to assure that no member of the community is discriminated against in either the rental or purchase of housing based on the following "protected characteristics:" Race, Religion (creed), National Origin, Sex, Age, Disability, Marital Status, Military Status, Family Status, Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, as guaranteed under the Federal Fair Housing Act and the New York State Division of Human Rights (518-474-2705). Part of its mission is also to insure that tenants' rights are not violated as set forth in the Tenants' Rights Guide and mandated by the Attorney General's Office of New York State. These include but may not limited to the Landlord's obligations and requirements as they relate to the Warranty of Habitability and Repairs, Security Deposits, Rent Increases, Leases, Harassment, Retaliation and Evictions. These rights have been further enhanced and strengthened by the enactment of New York State's Housing Stability and Tenant's Protection Act of 2019.