OGDENSBURG -- Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visited Ogdensburg last week to discuss housing issues with members of the Ogdensburg Housing Authority’s Board of Directors.

Russell will be traveling throughout the coming weeks in a fact-finding mission as she explores housing issues facing north country residents and agencies and steps the state can take to help address those issues.

“This region didn’t get hit hard by the mortgage crisis, but the sustained impact from the recession has had an impact on towns, villages and cities throughout the north country,” she said.

She said those issues range from zombie properties - vacant homes that are in the foreclosure process but have not been repossessed by banks - to homeowners in communities that were hit hard by energy prices over the past few years, fell behind on their mortgages and now are in fear of losing their homes.

Russell said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s State of the State address could provide opportunities for new investments in communities around the region.

The assemblywoman said her visit to meet with the Ogdensburg Housing Authority board was designed to get a feel for the population in its 386 apartments, the challenges the authority and its residents are facing and to get a better feel for the interaction between the federally funded housing authority and state agencies that provide services to its tenants.

She said Gov. Cuomo’s plans to invest $20 billion in supportive housing initiatives over the next 15 years could provide the authority with funding and support to assist tenants dealing with mental health issues.

“This city is prime for supportive housing,” Russell told housing authority board members.

The assemblywoman also met with Ogdensburg City Manager Sarah Purdy during her stop in Ogdensburg. Russell said she plans to meet with newly elected mayors, supervisors and appointed officials in her district in the coming days and weeks.