Views from the Northwest Bronx

On June 28, 2018, UNHP hosted a well-attended forum on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) as it moves towards modernization, 40+ years after it was first legislated.

Dozens of Bronx buildings that had applied for the $10 million Multifamily Water Assistance Program started to receive their $250/unit rebate at the end of May. At their June 2018 meeting, the NYC Water Board budgeted for the continuation of the program in 2019.

“For immigrants - undocumented, new arrivals and even foreign-born citizens – access to banking is the first step to making sense of financial systems in the US”

Dozens of eligible affordable Bronx buildings that had applied for the $10 million Multifamily Water Assistance Program have started to receive their $250/unit rebate. This is great news and will help keep rents affordable and support building improvements. The not so good news- The New York City Water Board is in the midst of its regular rate-setting process and has proposed a 2.36% increase in water and sewer rates.

As part of UNHP’s continued effort to assist Bronxites throughout their homeownership journey, UNHP held a two-part First-time Homebuyer FastTrack Series on May 1st and 19th at Concourse House.

Claudette is a Bronx Renaissance woman – Lehman College student, aspiring social worker, President of the Lehman Adult Degree Program Student Association, mother of six children, and an Intake Specialist and Housing Connect intern for UNHP.

With 13 UNHP Free Tax Preparation days behind us, 1,000 tax filers assisted and seven more service days in front of us, UNHP can proudly say that we are meeting, and possibly exceeding, our goals for our 2018 program.

What does it mean to be financially fit - good credit, a savings plan, a professional fee-free tax preparer, an up-to-date home mortgage, housing security? UNHP offered access to a range of financial and housing services to address all these financial fitness needs at our 2018 Open House.

Alternative Financial Services (AFS) – check cashing, rent-to-own stores, pop-up tax prep sites and pawn shops - are about equal in number to banks branches in the Bronx. The high interest rates and excessive fees, associated with these services, make it challenging to stay out of debt, let alone build wealth.

On Saturday, October 28, four nonprofit experts, three NYC agencies, four local banks and 127 Bronxites came together to make the UNHP Bronxtober Resource Fest a successful community affordable housing and financial empowerment day.