AAFE: Working for Equal Rights for All

This blog is part of our anniversary celebration series, highlighting NeighborWorks affiliates celebrating milestone years marking either their membership in the network or their incorporation as an organization. Last month, Asian Americans for Equality, Inc. (AAFE) celebrated 5 years as part of the NeighborWorks network. 

By Brittany Hutson, NeighborWorks
America Public Relations fellow

In New York City, the Asian population currently makes up more than 13 percent of the general population, but history has not always been kind to the city’s Asian community. Asian Americans for Equality, Inc. (AAFE) has been working for 35 years to give these residents, and those of all ethnic backgrounds, equal rights and opportunities, especially in the areas of housing and community development.

Christopher Kui, executive director, describes AAFE as a “unique” and “innovative” organization. In the late 1980s, AAFE became the first community development corporation to introduce the low income tax credit in New York City, demonstrating the organization’s willingness to think outside of the box. “We introduced the low income tax credit at a time when no one else did [it] or thought highly of it,” explains Kui. “It was validation that investing in affordable housing benefits everyone in the community,” he says of Equality Houses, two buildings AAFE purchased for temporary and permanent low-income housing.

AAFE's history includes calling attention to the needs of
New York's Chinatown residents

One element of AAFE's work is housing preservation in Chinatown. The organization developed a program with New York City to purchase historical tenement buildings off the private real estate market so that the buildings could be preserved as permanent affordable housing.

Additionally, AAFE has two community development financial institution (CDFI) affiliates: the AAFE Community Development Fund provides first time homebuyers with homeownership counseling and low interest loans; and the Renaissance Economic Development Corporation provides technical assistance and low interest loans to women and minority-owned small businesses.

A Chinatown senior at a Columbus Park beautification project

In between their work with housing, AAFE has also maintained their initial position of serving as a resource when their communities face tragedy and despair. After the September 11th attacks, AAFE initiated the “Rebuild Chinatown Initiative,” a community planning effort that rejuvenated the Chinatown/Lower East Side neighborhood.

Following Superstorm Sandy this past October, AAFE dispersed over 160 emergency repair loans amounting to $3 million to impacted homeowners and small businesses. “The most gratifying part of being at AAFE is seeing how quickly we respond,” says Kui. “AAFE was able to launch this emergency loan program two days after the storm and was able to get funds released quickly to help homeowners and businesses get back on their feet.”

Kui adds that one of the organization’s biggest barriers is helping to educate underserved minorities about their basic rights. “Recent immigrants are scared about bringing up problems they may have due to the language barrier and fear of the government,” he says. “That’s why AAFE’s work is very important because we continue to educate people about their rights, advocate for resources to improve our community, and promote affordable housing.”

In its fifth year as a NeighborWorks member, AAFE not only receives capital from NeighborWorks America but also resources that support the organization’s mission. “NeighborWorks pushes us to be the best organization that we can be,” says Kui.

Recovering from Hurricane Sandy

This blog comes to us from Donna Blaze, CEO of our affiliate Affordable Housing Alliance in Eatontown New Jersey. We thank her for making time out of her extremely busy schedule to share updates on what’s happening in her community post Hurricane Sandy. 

By Donna Blaze
Affordable Housing Alliance, CEO

Monmouth County, New Jersey, is a seaside region and when Hurricane Sandy struck on October 29, it hit hard.  More than15,000 residents in this community have been personally affected by the disaster. Some of their homes have been blown out to sea, while others were in 8 to 12 feet of water and now uninhabitable.  Making things worse, many local restaurants and businesses catering to tourists have had the same catastrophic losses, leaving some both without a home and job.

A boarded-up home in Monmouth County

My nonprofit, Affordable Housing Alliance, had a full plate prior to the storm. We were in the midst of expanding to two offices, constructing five affordable housing developments, and administering a county-wide utility program.  Now, however, we feel obligated to take on more. After all, these storm victims are our friends, our neighbors and our clients.

One of the biggest challenges right now is a lack of temporary housing within the county. Available homes are located in places like Atlantic City – more than an hour away in some cases. For people who have lost cars or who rely on public transportation, this means added stress and time in their daily commutes.

A beachfront home, devastated by the storm

 Unfortunately, this is just one component of what people are struggling with. Many have lost important mortgage and identification documents, complicating their ability to get help. Even those who are lucky enough to have papers and insurance must deal with the absence of family mementos – a baby footprint, a letter from grandma -- many of those little things that make up who you are.

Last week I took NeighborWorks America’s CEO Eileen Fitzgerald and COO Chuck Wehrwein to see what’s happening here. I introduced them to the residents at Union Beach Disaster Recovery Center, which is a combination of local volunteer efforts and FEMA  disaster center.

Chuck Wehrwein and Eileen Fitzgerald
talking to Union Beach center volunteer

I also took Chuck and Eileen to sites where we hope temporary housing can be made available. Fort Monmouth, an abandoned military site, has 600 potential temporary housing units. We had been considering moving our office to this location prior to the storm, and its size and current vacancy make it an appealing prospect. Another location is a manufactured home park with an estimated 16 spaces available. This could be converted quickly to either temporary or permanent (rent-to-own) housing.

Cards sent from schoolchildren in Virginia decorate
the walls of the Union Beach Disaster Recovery Center

Our current focus is to help people understand what options are available to them and to help them make the right decisions. Sometimes we don’t know the answer, but we are working to find out. We appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support and the $100,000 grant from NeighborWorks America. We also appreciate the chance to learn from cities that have suffered similar disasters. For example, Bill Stallworth, executive director of NeighborWorks affiliate Hope CDA, offered good recovery advice based on his experiences in post-Katrina Biloxi, Mississippi. 

It is by sharing our knowledge and our resources that we can return our residents to homes and to the communities they remember before the storm in a more timely way.  

Note: NeighborWorks America recently made grants to organizations affected by Hurricane Sandy, including,  Affordable Housing Alliance ($100,000), Asian Americans for Equality ($50,000), Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City ($50,000), Community Development Corporation of Long Island ($20,000), NeighborWorks New Horizons ($20,000) and Brand New Day ($10,000). Typically NeighborWorks America grants to organizations serving this area have generated more than $50 in direct local investment for every grant dollar awarded, which would amount to more than $12.5 million in this case.