2 June Tenants and landlords can apply for the New York State Rental Assistance Program June 2, 2021 By Danyelle Barrett General 0 Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus has announced that tenants behind in paying rent and/or utility bills due to a COVID-19 hardship may be eligible for the New York State Rental Assistance Program, which is funded by the federal government and administered in partnership with the County’s Departments of Social Services and Community Development. Approximately $24 million is available to help those who are up to 12 months behind in back rent, as well as to pay up to three months of future rent, depending on eligibility. Tenants and landlords who are owed rent by individuals may apply for the program. Payments will be issued directly to landlords and utility companies. Tenants may apply to receive rental and utility bill assistance if, since March 13, 2020 and due to COVID-19, they are behind in payments; have a member of the household who has received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income; and meet income and other requirements. To be eligible, adjusted gross income for 2020 cannot exceed $54,950 for an individual, $62,800 for two-person households, $70,650 for three, $78,500 for four, $84,800 for five, $91,100 for six, $97,350 for seven and $103,650 for eight. Renters who meet eligibility criteria and landlords who have eligible tenants in arrears are encouraged to apply soon, as funds will be distributed on a rolling basis. The application process opened on Tuesday, June 1st. Information is available at www.orangecountygov.com/2057/Emergency-Rental-Assistance or Orange County residents may call 311. The County’s 311 hotline can also help locate immediate housing for those living in unlivable or temporary conditions, and individuals fleeing domestic violence. The hotline also provides collaborative and professional telephone support and outreach 24-hours a day to anyone in Orange County in need of emotional support, crisis intervention, or connection to food resources. Attached is a flyer that can be printed in both English and Spanish which summarizes the program. Attached Files OrangeCountyRentalAssistanceFlyer_EngSpan.pdf 1.07 MB Related Articles New Windsor designated a yellow COVID-19 hot zone by New York State The State of New York has designated New Windsor as a COVID-19 hot zone (yellow) as of today, November 19. In Orange County, New Windsor has been the number two municipality for positive cases in the last number of days. Two other designated yellow hot zones in Orange County at the moment are the Cities of Newburgh and Middletown. Supervisor Meyers is asking our residents to please adhere to the guidelines issued by the Department of Health. These include, but not limited to, wearing masks, frequent hand washing and social distancing. Supervisor Meyers is very concerned about the impact on the Town if we are moved to an orange hot zone. Listed below are the three zones and the information about each. Orange County Executive Order: Burn Ban - State of Emergency Declared on October 28th Executive Steven M. Neuhaus Issues Burn Ban Executive Order COUNTY OF ORANGE EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 13 OF 2024 DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN ORANGE COUNTY DUE TO PROLONGED DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN BURNING ACTIVITIES I, Steven M. Neuhaus, County Executive of the County of Orange, State of New York, do hereby declare as an EXECUTIVE ORDER the following: WHEREAS, the entirety of the County of Orange (hereinafter the “County”) has been experiencing prolonged dry weather conditions over the course of several months, which has resulted in extremely dry vegetation and environmental conditions that are susceptible to fire; and WHEREAS, said prolonged dry weather has created a real, immediate and continued danger of wildfires and fire-related hazard, and the concomitant perilous effect on the lives and safety of the inhabitants that live in the effected portions of the County, and which require immediate measures to protect the lives, health and safety of the public; and WHEREAS, local fire officials are reporting elevated fire danger levels that are a direct threat to the lives, health and safety of the residents and visitors in the County; and WHEREAS, the National Integrated Drought Information System currently lists the County as being “Abnormally Dry” and provides that September 2024 was the 8th driest September on record for Orange County over the past 130 years; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 24 of the Executive Law of the State of New York, the County Executive of Orange County, as its Chief Executive, is authorized to proclaim a local state of emergency within any part or all of the territorial limits of the County of Orange, and in connection therewith the County Executive may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Steven M. Neuhaus, as County Executive and Chief Executive of the County of Orange, New York do hereby find the public safety to be imperiled by the present and imminent conditions created by the above-referenced weather conditions and the resulting risk of fire and fire-related hazards to the lives of residents, officials, rescue workers and other in the County of Orange and, consequently, to safeguard the lives, health, safety and property of the public, I do hereby declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY for the entirety of the County of Orange pursuant to, inter alia, New York State Executive Law Sections 24 and 25, beginning at 1:00 p.m. this date, October 28, 2024, and continuing until such time that I declare the State of Emergency is no longer necessary or such declaration expires by law, whichever is first; and I FURTHER ORDER, that as a result of my Declaration of a State of Emergency and above findings, that for the duration of this Declaration and Order subject to extensions, if necessary, that the following is hereby PROHIBITED within the boundaries of the County of Orange: All outdoor burning of any material, including, but not limited to, yard waste, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor chimneys and any cooking fires unless such an activity is expressly authorized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The following exceptions shall apply to the above list: (i) outdoor cooking for food exclusively is permitted within a contained gas or charcoal grill; (ii) any firefighting training; and (iii) any burn operations expressly approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Pursuant to New York Executive Law § 24(5), any person who knowingly violates this Executive Order is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately and, pursuant to New York Executive Law § 24(3) shall be (1) signed in quadruplicate, (2) published as soon as practicable in a newspaper of general circulation in Orange County and transmitted to the radio and television media for publication and broadcast, and (3) filed within 72 hours or as soon thereafter as practicable in the (i) office of the Clerk of the County Legislature, (ii) office of the County Clerk, (iii) office of the Secretary of State, and (iv) State Office of Emergency Management within the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, either directly and/or through the County of Orange Division of Emergency Management. ORDERED this 28th day of October, 2024 Hon. Steven M. Neuhaus Orange County Participating in NYS Private Well PFAS Testing Program - Applications open week of July 6th Do You Have a Private Well? Orange County Department of Health (“OCDOH”) announces participation in the New York State Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program. Applications for water testing will open the week of July 6, 2026. The New York State Department of Health (“NYS”) is funding a pilot program in Orange County where residents who get their water from a private well can apply through a NYS link to have their water tested for the presence of PFAS, at no cost to them. Testing is arranged through the NYS website. PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals linked to significant health risks. If the level of PFAS in your well water is above the NYS drinking water standards and you either connect to a public water supply or install an in-home PFAS treatment system, you may be eligible for a rebate under the program. Orange County’s involvement is at the rebate stage. Participation in the program is voluntary and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited funds are available and once NYS funds are depleted, there will be no more testing or rebates. While all residents with private wells are eligible, emphasis is given to properties located in areas identified by NYS as priority areas based on the number of parcels with private water and septic and a high population density. There has been no study about the presence of PFAS in private wells in Orange County previously. Priority areas designated by NYS are as follows: City/Town Rank Town of Newburgh 1 Warwick 2 Montgomery 3 Wallkill 4 Goshen 5 Deerpark 6 Blooming Grove 7 Wawayanda 8 Chester 9 New Windsor 10 The full listing and map are on the OCDOH webpage: OCDOH PFAS webpage: https://www.orangecountygov.com/2794/Private-Well-PFAS-Testing-and-Rebate Map: https://www.orangecountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/37777/Priority-Locations-Map-for-Private-Well-PFAS-Testing--Mitigation-Rebate-Pilot-Program Those interested in participating in the program should be ready, willing, and able to install a PFAS treatment system. Please be aware that if you have your well water tested, you will likely have to report the test results to a prospective buyer of the property in accordance with New York Real Property Law Section 462. It is recommended that you speak to an attorney with respect to reporting such testing to buyers and renters. To learn more about the program and how to apply, please visit the OCDOH’s webpage dedicated to the program. Please read all the information carefully to make an informed decision about participation in the program. Learn more and apply through NYSDOH: health.ny.gov/PrivateWellPFAS or call 800-616-9275 or email [email protected]. FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance Team will be visiting New Windsor on 12/10-12/12 FEMA recently added Orange County to its Individual Assistance List for Tropical Storm Ida. Please be advised that FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance Team will be visiting the following New Windsor neighborhoods, identified by FEMA and Orange County Division of Emergency Management, on December 10, 11 & 12, 2021, asking residents affected by Tropical Storm Ida about registering for FEMA Individual and Household Assistance: Judd Circle St. Anne Drive Cresthaven Drive Chimney Corner Road Hearthstone Way Horseshoe Bend Lannis Avenue Mark Street Split Tree Drive Spring Rock road Stone Ledge Lane Valewood Drive Willow Lane Willow Parkway Caesar's Lane Butterhill Drive Buttermilk Drive Butternut Drive Cheddar Lane Creamery Drive Custard Court Dairy Lane Guernsey Drive Jersey Court In addition, we’ve been advised that FEMA will be utilizing the Town’s Community Center, on December 15th & 16th, as its Mobile Disaster Recovery Center (MDRC). The MDRC provides a wider variety of services, including Individual Assistance, Hazard Mitigation and Small Business Administration (SBA.) They can also check the status of any registrations and help to upload documents. They provide the same services as fixed DRC. More information on FEMA field disaster assistance can be found using the following link: https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/fema-field-disaster-survivor-assistance-and-disaster-recovery-centers Supervisor Meyers contacting state and county officials regarding COVID-19 vaccine location in New Windsor Supervisor Meyers is contacting New York State and Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus in regards to setting up a COVID-19 vaccination location at the Town Hall Complex. New Windsor Emergency Services has two Registered Nurses on staff who would administer the vaccine to eligible residents. All New York State guidelines would be followed. Supervisor Meyers would like to make it easier for eligible New Windsor residents to receive the vaccine. The town will announce any plans as soon as it has more information from the state and county. Orange County Survey for Landlords Affected by Pandemic Attached is a letter from the Orange County Department of Social Services to be shared with landlords in the community who have been affected by the pandemic. If you provide your email address in the survey, you will be added to their email contact list regarding potential financial assistance for yourself and your tenants. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LandLordSurvey2021 Comments are closed.