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Donors to this year's Catholic Campaign for Human Development contributed to affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents in the city of Albany, among other national causes.

A quarter of funds raised during the collection, which was taken up in parishes of the Albany Diocese Nov. 10-11, will benefit the Albany Community Land Trust, which has acquired and rehabilitated 62 vacant buildings - mostly in the Arbor Hill and West Hill neighborhoods, but also city-wide, and increasingly in middle-income areas - over the past 25 years.

The land trust's partners educate potential homebuyers and renters, and the organization offers low-cost rent and gives long-term assistance if they choose to buy. The ACLT's board of directors includes tenants, their neighbors and members of the community.

"The more people that are invested in their community, the more stable is becomes," said Mary Olsen, CCHD director for the Diocese. CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. Nearly 36 percent of its grants address education, economic development and housing issues nationwide.

Looking ahead
"That is the long-term solution," Mrs. Olsen said. "This isn't a one-shot deal."

Throughout the year, CCHD educates area residents on poverty and financial literacy and sponsors an art contest for junior high and high school students to raise their awareness of these issues.

As Catholics, Mrs. Olsen said, "it's our God-given call to care about each other and live in solidarity with each other. Maybe I'm not living in poverty, but if I can work with my neighbors who are, I'm going to learn a lot from them, and they in turn might learn from me."

Catholic Charities is also asking Catholics from across the Diocese to donate to disaster relief efforts in the wake of super storm Sandy. "We're asking them to focus on both," Mrs. Olsen said. "This Diocese is generous. They find it in their hearts to do both."

How campaign helps
Roger Markovics, a board member of ACLT and co-director of the United Tenants of Albany, which is subsidized by Catholic Charities, said the grant from CCHD will help ACLT hire a rental management program coordinator and gear up its rental activities.

"It gives us a boost," Mr. Markovics said. The organization has received CCHD funds two other times. It's primarily funded by state and federal grants, loans, rent income, corporate donations and private donations.

ACLT's buying power has eroded: When it first started, it could purchase properties for $1, but abandoned homes in Albany tend to be privately owned now. It's also difficult to replenish funding reserves while keeping costs low.

Much-needed
But the group's services are even more needed today, as more and more income is eaten up by housing costs, all of the city's shelters have reached capacity, and people recover from the "liar loan" crisis, Mr. Markovics said.

ACLT not only provides affordable housing, but preserves it by giving 99-year leases and allowing owners to develop equity.

"Affordable housing is a crisis problem for low-income people," Mr. Markovics explained. "There's a tremendous need and there's always empty buildings around."

Affordable housing frees up income for other needs, he said.

"If you're on a tight budget, any little problem becomes a major financial crisis. Having an affordable rent makes it easier to squeak by. People's lives become more stable because they don't move as often - and that enables people to work more on what's looked at as middle-income values." [[In-content Ad]]

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