Employee Assistance Resources

Regular full-time and part-time employees who are scheduled to work at least 750 hours per year are eligible for the Home Owner Partnership (HOP) program.

To qualify, you must:

• Not currently own a home in the City of Rochester
• Purchase a home within the Rochester city limits with a purchase price of under $200,000
• Be able to qualify for a standard (conventional, VA, or SONYMA) mortgage loan from a lender
• Complete a Home Buyer Services application and interview with a Home Buyer Services Counselor before signing a purchase offer
• Contribute at least $1,500 of your personal funds towards the purchase (the deposit must be $1,000 or more)
• Be a current full-time or part-time RIT employee scheduled to work at least 750 hours per year at the time of closing and remain employed by RIT for at least five years following the date of closing
  • NOTE: Visiting faculty may qualify, but would need to repay the RIT portion if they leave RIT employment before five years from the date of closing; they would also need to repay the City if they live in the residence less than five years. Resources and Privileges 5 7/2022
• Complete an approved Home Ownership Class before closing as well as complete three post purchase classes in the first year of home ownership (if you are a first-time home buyer)
• Live in the property as your principal place of residence for at least five years from the date of closing

RIT: Loan that is forgiven over 5 years (repayment not required) if residency and employment requirements are satisfied

• 25% will be taxable in four installments as forgiven: $750 will be taxable after the 24th, 36th, 48th and 60th months
• If residency and employment requirements are not satisfied, repayment will be $3,000 before 24th month, $2,250 before 36th month, $1,500 before 48th month, and $750 before 60th month
• There is one RIT loan per house (i.e., if both purchasers are eligible RIT employees, one will be eligible for the loan).

City: Grant that is forgiven over 5 years if residency requirement is satisfied

•  There is one City grant per house.

Advantage FCU or Genesee Regional Bank (GRB): Grant that is forgiven over 5 years if mortgage from them (repayment not required) if residency requirements are satisfied

•  Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) may not be required
•  GRB also will provide a $500 discount on closing costs
•  There is one Advantage FCU/GRB grant per house

RIT limits this program to 10 employees per calendar year. There is one RIT loan per house and one city grant per house. Participation will be determined on a first come, first served basis, based on the date of the closing.

For questions, contact the City representative at 585-428-6888 or HomeBuyer@cityofrochester.gov.

To get started, complete the Service Request called Request Home Owner Partnership Eligibility Letter at the RIT Service Center (RSC) portal. For RIT questions, refer to the RSC portal or call the RSC at 585-475-5000.

NOTE: Issuance of an RIT eligibility letter does not guarantee the RIT loan or the City or Advantage FCU/GRB grant. RIT limits this program to 10 employees per year. Participation will be determined on a first come, first served basis, based on the date of closing.

All regular full-time and part-time employees who are scheduled to work 750 or more hours per year become eligible for the Adoption Assistance Program upon employment.

Employees will be reimbursed for up to $2,000 for the following expenses incurred in the placement and adoption of a child:

• Fees of a private or government adoption agency that is accredited or licensed.
• Placement fees including professional evaluation through home studies, interviews with prospective adoptive and natural parents, physical exams and private placement fees by a doctor, lawyer or other appropriate professional.
• Temporary foster care fees including foster care required immediately before placement of a child in your home.
• Legal and court fees including court supervision, termination of natural, parental rights, final adoption procedures and birth certificate preparation.
• Traveling expenses including costs for meals and lodging.

Full or partial payment may be requested any time after the child is placed in the home. This policy does not require that the employee wait for reimbursement until the final date of adoption has occurred. In cases of multiple adoptions, the adoption of each child will be considered separate, however a maximum of $4,000 will be paid under this policy to any family during any twelve-month period.

This program excludes, but is not limited to, the following expenses related to adoption.

• Professional counseling for the natural parents.
• Institutional living expenses such as an orphanage, children’s home or unwed mothers home for the child or natural mother.
• Fees related to establishing legal guardianship.
• Fees related to the adoption of children over the age of 18 unless the child is physically or mentally incapable of caring for him/herself.
• Fees related to surrogate parenting arrangements, illegal adoptions or adoption of a spouse’s child.
• Contested legal actions to establish parental rights before adoption.
• Maternity fees for the natural mother, including pre and postnatal care, obstetrical fees and related hospital charges.

Regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible to participate in the Plan. Employees scheduled to work nine months or more are eligible to participate year-round; employees scheduled to work less than nine months per year are eligible to participate only when they are working. 

If you elect coverage as new hire, coverage begins on the first day of the month on or after your date of employment. You need to enroll during your initial new hire enrollment period, during a mid-year qualifying event where you lost Legal Services Coverage or during an annual Open Enrollment period. If you enroll during an Open Enrollment period, your coverage will be effective on January 1 of the upcoming year. 

The available benefits are very comprehensive, but there are limitations and other conditions that must be met.

• Advice and Consultation
• Consumer Protection
• Debt Matters
• Civil Lawsuit Defense
• Document Preparation
• Family Law
• Immigration
• Personal Injury
• Real Estate 
• Traffic and Criminal Matters
• Will and Estate 

**See Exclusions in the Legal Plan Services Summary for details regarding matters not covered by MetLife Legal. 

You must call MetLife Legal Plans, as described below, prior to contacting any attorney. Plan benefits will be denied if you do not call first.

To begin, call MetLife Legal Plans' Client Service Center at 800-821-6400 between Monday - Friday, 8am – 7pm; Eastern Time.

You will need to identify yourself as a participant in the Plan and to give the last four digits of your Social Security Number and Zip Code. If your spouse/partner or a child is calling, they will need this information to provide to the representative. 

During the call, the Client Service representative will:

• verify your eligibility for services;
• make an initial determination of whether and to what extent your case is covered (the Plan Attorney will make the final determination of coverage)
• provide you a Case Number (you will need a new Case Number for each new case you have);
• give you the telephone number of the Plan Attorney most convenient to you; and
• answer any questions you have about the Plan.

Website: MetLife Legal Plan (access code: 570005)

Phone: 800-821-6400/V or 800-821-5995/TTY