Friends of the North Country

What Friends of the North Country does

Friends of the North Country, Inc. is a New York State not-for-profit corporation founded in 1981 and headquartered at 1387 Hardscrabble Road in Cadyville, New York. It is a HUD-certified housing counseling agency and a designated New York State Rural Preservation Corporation that delivers free housing counseling services and administers federal and state affordable housing programs in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex Counties. Its service portfolio comprises pre-purchase counseling, post-purchase counseling, foreclosure intervention, tenancy counseling, Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) counseling, homeless assistance, and facilitation of home repair grants, alongside administration of four New York State programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC), HOME Investment Partnership, and Access to Home. All counseling services are provided free of charge, with HECM counseling potentially carrying an affordability-based fee.

The organization operates with approximately 10-11 staff led by Executive Director Crystal Narducci (appointed August 2022) and a Board of Directors chaired by Bruce Garcia. Revenue is generated primarily through federal and state grants channeled via partners including HUD, NYS Homes and Community Renewal, and USDA Rural Development, supplemented by charitable donations. Service delivery is conducted through telephone and in-person counseling, on-site home assessments, and a contractor network managed through formal RFPs covering asbestos abatement, environmental site assessments, and septic design. The underlying technology stack is minimal, limited to a Wix-hosted website and a JotForm-based digital intake form, with no proprietary software, API, or mobile applications.

Its customer base is segmented into low-to-moderate income households needing housing rehabilitation, elderly and disabled individuals requiring accessibility modifications, prospective first-time homebuyers, and at-risk homeowners facing foreclosure. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct outreach to municipalities, referral partnerships with county Departments of Social Services, JCEO, United Way, Legal Aid Society, and other regional agencies, rather than paid marketing channels. The organization generates impact by channeling millions of dollars of federal, state, and private investment into local housing, infrastructure, and community development projects, and by helping thousands of families remain in their homes across the North Country region.

Name

Friends of the North Country

Legal name

Friends of the North Country, Inc.

Website

https://friendsofthenorthcountry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of the North Country is a HUD-certified nonprofit housing counseling agency and New York State Rural Preservation Corporation that provides free foreclosure intervention, homebuyer counseling, and home repair grant administration to low-income, elderly, and disabled residents in New York's Clinton, Franklin, and Essex Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAB

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGALAC

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAIANAA

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development

SECONDARYBPAIANAC

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development

Keywords

• Housing counseling services
• Home repair grants
• Foreclosure intervention
• Affordable housing assistance
• Rural housing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cadyville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Friends of the North Country generates revenue primarily through federal and state grant programs including CDBG, AHC, HOME Investment Partnership Program, and Access to Home. These grant funds are used to provide housing rehabilitation, home repair, and related services to eligible residents.
2. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations to supplement grant funding and help residents who may not qualify for government assistance programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Friends of the North Country is a HUD-certified not-for-profit Rural Preservation Corporation that provides free housing counseling (pre-purchase, post-purchase, foreclosure intervention, tenancy, HECM, and homeless assistance) and administers federal and state home repair and affordable housing grant programs (CDBG, AHC, HOME, Access to Home) for low-to-moderate income residents and municipalities in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex Counties in upstate New York.

Product overview

Friends of the North Country is a HUD-certified not-for-profit Rural Preservation Corporation that offers a comprehensive portfolio of housing-related services centered around Housing Counseling Services as its core offering. The portfolio includes pre-purchase counseling, post-purchase counseling, foreclosure intervention, tenancy counseling, home equity conversion mortgage counseling, homeless assistance, and home repair grant facilitation. Additionally, the organization administers multiple NYS grant programs including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC), HOME Investment Partnership Program, and Access to Home Program. The organization also manages a contractor network for housing rehabilitation work, with RFPs issued for asbestos, environmental, and septic services. All counseling services are provided free of charge, with HECM counseling potentially having a fee based on affordability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Housing Counseling Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of families helped remain in their homes in Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Joint Council for Economic Opportunity (JCEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization that Friends collaborates with to best meet client needs. JCEO provides additional services to residents in the North Country region.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of the Adirondacks partners with Friends to support community services and referrals for North Country residents needing housing assistance.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency that certifies Friends as a housing counseling agency and provides oversight and funding through various housing programs including HOME Investment Partnership.
• NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency that administers CDBG, AHC, HOME, and Access to Home programs through Friends. HCR provides grant funding and program oversight.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing rural development programs and funding that complement Friends' affordable housing initiatives in the North Country region.
• Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New YorksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides legal assistance referrals for clients facing housing-related legal issues including foreclosure, eviction, and fair housing violations.
• Rural Law CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides legal resources and advocacy for rural New Yorkers, supporting Friends' clients with housing law matters.
• Housing Assistance Program of Essex County (HAPEC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal housing assistance organization serving Essex County residents, collaborating with Friends on regional housing needs.
• Rural Preservation Center of Clinton CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner providing rural preservation services in Clinton County, working with Friends on housing and community development projects.
• Clinton County Department of Social ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty agency providing social services referrals and coordination for residents needing housing assistance in Clinton County.
• Franklin County Department of Social ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty agency providing social services referrals and coordination for residents needing housing assistance in Franklin County.
• NYS Office for the AgingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing resources and referrals for elderly residents needing housing modifications and assistance through the Access to Home program.
• Catholic CharitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based social services organization providing community support and referrals for housing assistance in the North Country.
• Rural Housing CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide coalition of rural housing organizations providing advocacy and resources for affordable housing in rural New York communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• USDA Rural Development: Federal agency providing rural housing and infrastructure programs. USDA Rural Development complements and partially overlaps with Friends' affordable housing work in the same rural North Country geography.
• NeighborWorks America: National network of HUD-certified housing counseling and community development nonprofits. NeighborWorks sets industry standards and supports local affiliates delivering pre-purchase, foreclosure, and rehabilitation services comparable to Friends' portfolio.
• NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR): New York State agency that administers CDBG, AHC, HOME, and Access to Home Programs. HCR is both a funder and a broader public-sector actor setting the policy and funding landscape in which Friends operates.

Regional players

• Housing Assistance Program of Essex County (HAPEC): Local housing assistance organization serving Essex County, NY. HAPEC operates in an overlapping geography with similar housing counseling and rehabilitation programs and collaborates directly with Friends.
• Clinton County Department of Social Services: County social services agency that provides housing-related referrals and supports similar low-income households in the same geography, collaborating closely with Friends on client referrals.
• Joint Council for Economic Opportunity (JCEO): Community action agency serving the same North Country region. JCEO is a direct referral partner that overlaps with Friends in addressing low-income housing and family stability needs in Clinton, Franklin, and Essex Counties.
• Adirondack Community Action Programs: Community action program serving Essex, Warren, Hamilton, and northern Saratoga Counties. Adirondack Community Action Programs delivers housing and energy assistance with overlapping client populations and federal funding streams.

Direct peers

• Rural Housing Coalition of New York: Statewide coalition of rural housing organizations including Rural Preservation Corporations. The Coalition represents and advocates for entities structurally similar to Friends, sharing funders and policy channels.
• Habitat for Humanity of New York State: Statewide affordable housing nonprofit network. Habitat for Humanity affiliates also deliver homebuyer counseling, rehabilitation, and affordable housing construction in rural New York, competing for similar funding and donor pools.

Emerging players

• Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York: Regional legal services nonprofit and referral partner. Provides foreclosure, eviction, and fair housing legal assistance, overlapping tangentially with Friends' foreclosure intervention and housing stability work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends of the North Country