Our History
ACCORD was initially established in 1972 as Housing Action Corporation (HAC), a 501c-3 non-profit corporation. In 1986 the Board of Legislators officially designated the agency as the Community Action Agency for Allegany County and the name was changed to Allegany County Community Opportunities and Rural Development (ACCORD) Corporation to reflect the broader role within the community. Under previous laws within the State of New York, the area of operation was restricted to Allegany County. In the mid 1980's the laws were changed to allow non-profit corporations to work anywhere in the state. This has allowed us to expand our area of service to surrounding counties in cooperation with other area providers and agencies.
The initial activities and mission of HAC was to provide housing services designed by the Federal government agencies of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). There were few State programs involved in either residential or commercial development.
In 1982, HAC was designated as the Rural Preservation Corporation (RPC) for Allegany County through a program created by the State Legislature to extend housing development programs to rural areas . Subsequently, in 1985, the Genesee Valley Improvement Corporation was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of ACCORD to own, develop, and manage rental properties, community facilities, and commercial offices.
The New York State Department of State approached HAC in 1984 to begin the establishment of a Community Action Agency (CAA) for Allegany County. Allegany County was one of thirteen counties in the state that didn't have an established vehicle for receiving funds through the Community Services Administration. Counties with Community Action Agencies had been receiving funds from this Federal Program since 1966. A two-year planning and development program in cooperation with the New York State Department of State led to the establishment of ACCORD as the designated CAA for Allegany County.
The agency was awarded funds to assist in the development of a variety of new human service programs to serve families and individuals within the County. With the organization of ACCORD a restructured board of directors was established with one-third elected officials, one-third community representatives, and one-third recipients of services provided by the agency. Developmental funding from the program has allowed ACCORD to continue to develop new services throughout Allegany County, developing jobs and bringing needed services to the residents of the County.
Since its inception, the agency has continued to evolve and change focus as the need for various programs dictates. Currently (2002) ACCORD is divided into seven major divisions.
The Corporate Division administers the agency in general and is responsible for procedures of receiving, maintaining, and disbursing grant funds, compliance with contracts, etc.
The Youth and Family Development Division administers the domestic violence programs, food pantry, after-school programs, Teen-age Services Act program, and similar type programs to assist families and youth in improving their lives.
The Business and Community Development Division oversees a series of programs to develop business and employment for the county.
The Economic Development Division administers the Empire Zone of Friendship and Cuba.
The Infant and Child Services Division operates the Head Start, Early Head Start, and Family Day Care Partnership programs.
The Child Care Services Division operates programs involved with day care for children and families, both for providers and service recipients, as well as the respite program.
The Housing Development and Management Division administers the various properties owned by the corporation (Genesee Valley Improvement Corp.) and other housing programs including rental assistance, home buyer, homeless intervention and prevention, and home rehabilitation and improvement programs.