Community Development
The Community Development Policy Advocacy section contains Legislative Memos, Letters, Comments and Testimony. You will also find news items, articles and reports that relate to our policy work in Community Development.
Legislative Memos
Memorandum of Support: Amend Social Services Law § 106 to Protect the Homes of Welfare Recipients
New York is one of only two states in the nation that takes deeds and mortgages against the homes of welfare recipients to recover the public assistance paid to these homeowners. This bill would exempt persons who own and reside in one, two or three family homes from this archaic provision. If the goal of New York’s public assistance policy is to restore individuals to self-sufficiency, then it is time to pass this bill! Read More
New Yorkers for Resonsible Lending: NYS Needs Public Data to Help Identify Discrimination in the Homeowners Insurance Market
Evidence shows that insurers that write homeowners policies in New York fail to adequately serve communities of color. New Yorkers living in communities of color pay more for inferior insurance products and are more often denied private market coverage than those living in predominantly white neighborhoods. Read More
Legislative Memo: Help Protect Homeowners and Shorten the Foreclosure Process- Clarify Standing to Sue in Foreclosure Actions
This bill provides that only the owner and holder of a mortgage and note, or its agent, shall have standing to commence a mortgage foreclosure action. Read More
Empire Justice Memo on Federal Policy Recommendations to Help New York Homeowners
Subprime mortgage lending triggered the foreclosure crisis. Subsequent declines in the economy and in home values are increasing the risk of mortgage default and foreclosure. Following is a summary of the present outlook and most current proposed solutions taken from industry analysts, regulators, scholars and the media. Read More
Policy Letters
New York Organizations Oppose Capital One's Acquisition of HSBC's Credit Card Business
Six New York legal services and consumer advocacy organizations, including Empire Justice Center, tell the OCC to deny Capital One's application to acquire HSBC's credit card and private label credit business. Read More
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Comments
GRCRC Comments on First Niagara's Application to Purchase HSBC's Upstate New York Branches
HSBC is moving out of retail banking in upstate New York and First Niagara is seeking approval from federal regulators to purchase most of its branches. GRCRC met with First Niagara and submitted comments urging First Niagara to be a good steward in the Rochester community. Read More
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Testimony
Empire Justice Center Testimony on the New York State Department of Financial Services
Testimony at the Hearing on the Merger of the New York State Banking Department and the New York State Insurance Department into the New York State Department of Financial Services Read More
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Policy Related News
NYS Foreclosure Prevention Services Progam Campaign Celebrates Albany Collaboration to Restore Funding
The New York State Foreclosure Prevention Services campaign today thanks and applauds the groundbreaking agreement among Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the New York State Legislature to provide six months of critical funding for the statewide Foreclosure Prevention Services Program in the FY 2012-13 budget.
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Empire Justice Statement on Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address
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More Policy Related News >>
