Our new name addresses our main objective: helping people and families grow in the region

“Homes are at the core of our mission, and we want our name to reflect the vital communities we serve,” said Megan Murphy, executive director of Adirondack Roots. “Safe, accessible housing is the most important issue in our region right now. Every one of our programs is dedicated to helping individuals and families put down roots and stay in the North Country.”

When that happens, Murphy said, our communities thrive also.

Adirondack Roots will provide all the same services, including homebuying assistance, housing rehabilitation, manufactured home replacement, emergency repairs, foreclosure prevention, and administration of the Section 8 housing voucher program in Essex and Clinton counties. It will also continue to administer Adirondack Community Housing Trust to develop permanently affordable housing throughout the region.

Murphy said the new name was meant to reflect the wide scope of the group’s activities. “For a long time, we’ve found the HAPEC name too limiting,” she said. “We provide more than assistance to people looking for housing, and we provide services to more than just Essex County.”

The group also provides select services to Clinton and Hamilton counties. And while Adirondack Roots is a private, nonprofit organization, people often assume it’s a county agency, Murphy said—and, as a result, don’t ask for help because they don’t want to seek government assistance.

The rebranding comes at a time when housing issues have taken center stage in many rural towns, including in the North Country. Recent studies from the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board and Essex County revealed that at the same time local homeowners face income gaps of $30,000 to $80,000 when faced with purchase prices, long-term rental inventory has declined in some communities more than 12 percent since 2010.

As part of the rebranding, the organization also unveiled a new website at adirondackroots.org. “We rebuilt the site from scratch with a goal of making it as easy as possible for users to find the services they need as well as answers to their questions,” Murphy said. “But if somebody wants to contact us, we’re just a phone call or email away.”
The redesigned website shows off the group’s new logo: A home atop intertwined roots, a visual reference not just to the group’s new name but also the network of services it provides.

The rebranding was part of a lengthy process that involved discussions with the organization’s staff, board of directors and selected community members. After considering several alternatives, the group decided the Adirondack Roots name best reflected the sense of growth and warmth it wants to convey.

“Adirondack Roots’ mission is to help people establish lasting homes and communities,” said Emily Politi, chair of the group’s board of directors. “Every time we help somebody find a safe rental or pay for needed maintenance on their homes, we do more than provide housing. We also strengthen our villages and towns, which need full-time residents who are vested in their success.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for one single name to capture everything that we do,” said Murphy. “I’m excited, though, that the Adirondack Roots name reflects the scope of what we want to accomplish, and that it leaves room for all of us to grow.”