Views from the Northwest Bronx

As part of our work to preserve affordable housing, UNHP developed the Building Indicator Project (BIP), a database that leverages public data to gauge physical and/or financial distress of multifamily properties in New York City. While the database is used to highlight the current conditions of multifamily housing, we also track the historical performance of each building. History is important – keeping a record of the past tells the story of the building.

Held at Fordham University's Lincoln Center Campus, UNHP's Cost of Water Forum was attended by 80 people interested in learning about and discussing equitable water rates, conservation strategies and UNHP's proposal to cap water rates for affordable housing.

Coinciding with the NYC 2015-16 Water Board Hearings, UNHP released Affordable Water for Affordable Housing: A Proposal for An Affordable Housing Cap for Water and Sewer Rates today. UNHP, a longtime advocate for water and sewer rate reform, is proposing a water and sewer rate cap for affordable housing.

​There will be public hearings in each of the boroughs during the last week of April about the latest water and sewer rate increase proposal. Mayor de Blasio's administration is proposing a 3.24% increase to take effect on July 1, 2015. UNHP will be testifying against the rate increase at the Bronx Hearings. While UNHP acknowledges the increase is the lowest in 10 years, UNHP is calling for a freeze this year and a re-evaluation of how water rates are set for affordable housing next year.

Housing, especially rental housing in New York City, exists with two purposes: to provide homes for people and families, and to be bought, sold and rented as commodities. Today in Part Two, we focus on prices and profitability of housing from the investor side, and a huge surge (perhaps another bubble) in the market.

Housing, especially rental housing in New York City, exists with two purposes: to provide homes for people and families, and to be bought, sold and rented as commodities. Most of the battles around housing arise in the tension between these two purposes.

Our blog has been a little quiet in 2015 and no we have not been hibernating – we have been so busy preserving distressed multifamily housing and delivering a wide range of financial services in the Northwest Bronx that we have not had time to brag about it!

UNHP is currently working on a study of water and sewer costs in Bronx multifamily buildings and plans to use the information to jump start a conversation about rates and affordable housing in the New Year.

Thanks to the new high-efficiency Lochinvar condensing boilers, 111 families in three UNHP buildings will be warm this winter.

​It's no secret that the housing stock in New York City is aging. Here in the Bronx, the median age of multifamily apartment buildings is 87 years. In Community Board 6 it's 98 years old.