Views from the Northwest Bronx

As we all continue to deal with the fallout from the pandemic, UNHP has been monitoring the effects on the multifamily housing world. In April of last year, we published a few posts hypothesizing about what we thought might happen in the multifamily affordable housing sphere. Now, we are taking stock of how our portfolio has been affected - what has helped us weather unexpected financial challenges and what is concerning us as we move forward.

Last year, UNHP posted three blogs about the impact of Covid on community-based affordable housing, multifamily finance, and on Bronx residents. A year later, UNHP has created a follow-up blog series named A Year Into Covid, which covers what we know from our experience as a community-based affordable housing developer, a Bronx-focused researcher, and a direct service provider offering free housing and financial services to Bronx families and individuals.

The UNHP Northwest Bronx Resource Center (NWBRC) is committed to bringing needed resources to our Bronx community. That commitment is renewed as we face this ongoing COVID-19 crisis. We know people need information about health, food, financial, and housing resources at this time.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the third and largest COVID-19 relief package since the pandemic, known as American Rescue Plan into effect. While further guidance is needed - there are immediate benefits for many Bronx residents and families!

In the midst of tough times due to the health and economic impacts of Covid-19, there is still much to be grateful for in the Bronx and at University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP). Almost a year into our transition to remote work and UNHP has managed to find a way to make significant strides towards our mission.

You may have heard about an Eviction Moratorium during Covid-19, that prevents tenants from being evicted during the Covid-19 crisis. It is true that there are many protections for tenants in place, but tenants must act to be protected. A moratorium places eviction on pause but does not cancel owed rent- so eviction proceedings can begin on renters who owe back rent when the moratorium is lifted.

Job losses and reduced incomes amid the Covid-19 crisis have placed many US families at risk of eviction when safe housing is more important than ever. In this blog post, UNHP looks at the various national and state eviction protections as well as data from the Office of Court Administration better understand what is going on with Housing Court and evictions in the Bronx and NYC.

The UNHP 2020 Affordable Housing Webinar & Fundraiser was held on Tuesday, September 22nd, and attended by over 100 viewers. A summary and a replay link can be found in this blog post. The webinar explored issues raised during this COVID-19 crisis - specifically the effect it has had on the NYC housing market - and what we think needs to happen as we move forward to ensure an equitable recovery.

The UNHP 2020 Affordable Housing Webinar was held on Tuesday, September 22nd, and attended by over 100 viewers. The Webinar was also our one fundraiser for the year - thanks to our generous sponsors & donors for helping UNHP continue its mission.

On July 28th, UNHP held its annual Building Indicator Project meeting. Jacob Udell, Data and Research Coordinator, presented for UNHP about trends in the housing market. Elizabeth Oakley and Kim Darga from HPD discussed the importance of preservation and different tools HPD has to bolster affordable housing in NYC. Click to read a summary of UNHP’s presentation.