Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc.

Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc. ORHA proudly provides and preserves affordable housing in Otsego County, NY. Established in 1984, Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc.

(ORHA) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the sole housing preservation company in Otsego County. The major focus of our work is directed toward county-wide programs and initiatives. In recent years, we've focused on four types of programs:

• Owner-occupied home rehabilitation and emergency repairs for low-income and elderly homeowners, including mobile homes on land the occupa

nt owns.
• Consultation and coordination for home accessibility modifications to assist homeowners with disabilities and to support aging in place.
• Administration of the HUD Section 8 rental assistance program in Otsego County
• Consultation, grant writing, grant administration, and development planning for towns, villages, and organizations in Otsego County. Most of our programs serve low-income county residents, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

08/28/2026

ORHA's phones are back up at both offices. We're ready and able to take your calls once again. :)

08/28/2026

Last night's storm seems to have done something to throw a wrench into our phone system! ORHA's phones are currently down at both offices. Our internet is working fine, so you can still reach us by email while we're having phone trouble.

ORHA's general email address is [email protected]. For Section 8, you can email [email protected]. If you are working with a specific staff member, email them directly.

ORHA is hiring! We're looking for someone with a strong background in residential construction or a related field to man...
08/26/2026

ORHA is hiring! We're looking for someone with a strong background in residential construction or a related field to manage the majority of our home repair, rehabilitation, and accessibility modification projects. You'll be the point person for these programs, supported by other ORHA staff, and you'll even dip a toe into the rental assistance world by performing housing inspections for our rental programs.

If you have skills in writing work specifications, estimating project costs, or managing construction projects, we want to hear from you—especially if you did any of it in the context of grant-funded work!

Details and instructions for applying are at otsegoruralhousing.org/rs26

ORHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, s*x, disability, or marital status.

08/05/2026

ORHA's internet and phones, including voicemail, are currently down today, August 5th, at both office locations due to a Spectrum outage.

ORHA is re-opening to applications for the Otsego County Vacant Rental Program (VRP)! Applications will be accepted on a...
07/27/2026

ORHA is re-opening to applications for the Otsego County Vacant Rental Program (VRP)! Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Visit otsegoruralhousing.org/VRP for the updated application, instructions, and full program information.

The Otsego County VRP can help YOU rehabilitate vacant space in your Otsego County property into affordable rental housing. Grants of up to $50,000 or $75,000 per housing unit (or $250,000 or $375,000 per property) are available for eligible property owners.

This is a competitive application process, and a small waiting list has already formed from the first funding round in April. Projects are selected from the waiting list based on application score, with ties broken by application date. ORHA has provided submitting a high-quality application on our website for new applicants to consider when developing their applications. We especially encourage owners to complete all necessary architectural or engineering work prior to applying.

If you have questions, reach out to ORHA at 607-286-7244 or email [email protected].

What's eligible?
• Any residential or mixed-use building in Otsego County, OR any building that will be converted to mixed-use or residential by the project. (Note: manufactured homes are NOT eligible.)
• Buildings can have no more than 5 residential units
• The unit/space is vacant because it is in unmarketable or uninhabitable condition
• Property owner(s) is/are responsible landlords
• Full eligibility and application priority criteria can be viewed at otsegoruralhousing.org/vrp

In return for the help, for 10 years, participant owners must:
• Rent only to tenants below the program income limits. ORHA will calculate incomes for you! Example incomes are listed on our website.
• Charge rent according to the program maximum. Example rent limits are listed on our website.
• Offer 12-month leases for assisted units
• Maintain the unit & property in good condition
• Adhere to sale/transfer restrictions on the property

This program is funded by the New York State Homes and Community Renewal's New York Vacant Rental Program. ORHA is proud to partner with Opportunities for Otsego to bring this program to Otsego County!

07/16/2026

Week 20 of the ORHA Board's 20 Week Raffle was drawn on June 18th, live on Facebook! ORHA's Board President, Greg, drew the final $50 winner and our five $100 grand prize winners. This is a repost of the original live video.

Raffle proceeds help support ORHA's work to provide and preserve affordable housing in Otsego County. Thank you again to everyone who supported ORHA in this year's raffle. Keep an eye out in the winter for ticket sales for the 2027 raffle!

Contractors: Have you responded to our Rotating Contractor List Request for Proposals yet? Download the RFP at otsegorur...
07/14/2026

Contractors: Have you responded to our Rotating Contractor List Request for Proposals yet? Download the RFP at otsegoruralhousing.org/RotatingList

This RFP is the start of a new procurement process for ORHA that will help us serve clients of our targeted health/safety repair and accessibility modification programs faster. For these programs, instead of bidding out an emergency furnace replacement, we'll be able to select the first contractor qualified for the job on the list and ask for a proposal just from them! As long as it's reasonable, we can proceed from there.

And if you're not qualified with us at all yet... this is a great opportunity to get on our general qualified contractors list at the same time! With no extra paperwork, you'll also be qualified for our other programs that still use competitive bidding. Learn more about all our opportunities at otsegoruralhousing.org/contractors

07/09/2026

Week 19 of the ORHA Board's 20 Week Raffle was drawn on June 11th, live on Facebook! This is a repost of the original live video.

Raffle proceeds help support ORHA's work to provide and preserve affordable housing in Otsego County. We're grateful for the support of everyone who's entered the raffle.

We are excited to announce that we are now accepting waiting list applications for the Otsego County Moving Assistance P...
07/02/2026

We are excited to announce that we are now accepting waiting list applications for the Otsego County Moving Assistance Program! This new program will pay 100% of your security deposit AND part of your first month's rent if you're renting a new-to-you home anywhere in Otsego County.

And you don't have to already have a place picked out! You can apply when you're planning to move and, once you're approved, shop with confidence that ORHA will be helping you out with those first month costs.

If you think you might be moving soon, visit otsegoruralhousing.org/moving to see income limits, program details, and the waiting list application.

This program is funded by New York State Homes and Community Renewal's New York State HOME Program.

07/02/2026

Week 18 of the ORHA Board's 20 Week Raffle was drawn on June 4th, live on Facebook! This is a repost of the original live video.

Raffle proceeds help support ORHA's work to provide and preserve affordable housing in Otsego County. We're grateful for the support of everyone who's entered the raffle.

Address

Cooperstown, NY

Telephone

+16072867244

Website

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