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The New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) has partnered with the national REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) to bring disaster housing assistance to those affected by Tropical Storms Irene and Lee.
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New York’s REALTORS® have a long-standing commitment to the communities they serve and to helping their neighbors in times of need. We know people in our state have lost everything, and that many homeowners will be obligated to make mortgage payments on homes that no longer exist or will not be habitable again for many months, while at the same time paying for temporary housing.
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Under the joint program with the RRF, assistance will be available to qualified applicants towards one of the following options: 1) Monthly mortgage expense for the primary residence that was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene/Tropical Storm Lee or; 2) Rental cost of temporary shelter due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the storms. Relief assistance is limited to a maximum of $1,500. All grants are contingent upon the availability of funds, and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to submit an application is October 31, 2011. Visit www.nysar.com for applications.
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With the funds available today, we will only be able to help a limited number of families. We are reaching out to REALTORS® throughout New York and REALTOR® organizations throughout the country to raise additional funds. Members of the public may also contribute to the fund via a link at www.nysar.com. These donations are tax deductible and 100 percent of the funds raised are distributed to disaster victims, he added.
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The New York State Association of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit trade organization representing more than 51,000 of New York state’s real estate professionals. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark, which identifies real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics as members of the National Association of REALTORS®. These REALTORS® are also members of the New York State Association of REALTORS® as well as their local board or association of REALTORS®.
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The REALTORS® Relief Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emergency housing-related expense assistance to victims of disasters declared at the federal, state or local levels of the U.S. and its territories. One hundred percent of the donations received into the foundation are distributed to directly help victims of disasters.