Reflections on Superstorm Sandy After Six Months

by Deborah Boatright, northeast regional director, NeighborWorks America

Six months after Superstorm Sandy rocked the coastlines of New Jersey, New York City and Long Island, NeighborWorks America and its affiliates remain deeply engaged in helping homeowners and businesses to recover and rebuild. We are committed for the long haul; with our sights set on strengthening community resiliency in an era of climate change. 

Over the past six months, NeighborWorks America educated more than 750 contractors and homeowners at 13 mold remediation trainings, six of which were co-sponsored with NeighborWorks affiliates. A fully updated “Navigating the Road to Housing Recovery Guide”, providing “road maps” to residents on rebuilding, repairing, selling, relocating, buying or renting, was released in March, and 90 counselors and nonprofit professionals were trained in its use. The Navigating Guide and Mold Remediation tools are downloadable from our website: www.nw.org/sandy.

NeighborWorks America’s northeast regional headquarters is located in lower Manhattan, and our local staff has been steeped in recovery and resiliency discussions throughout the region. Our office was closed for four months due to flooding. Staff came back to a changed landscape. Many of the small stores that surround our building have yet to reopen; and the South Street Seaport, a major tourist attraction and hub for small businesses, remains shuttered. Similar conditions exist in other hard hit commercial areas along the region’s vast shoreline. 

Wayne Meyer, president of NeighborWorks affiliate
New Jersey Community Capital, was one of a dozen
people honored this week at the White House as
a Superstorm Sandy “Champion of Change for
the organization’s REBUILD New Jersey Fund.

This is a pivotal time in recovery and rebuilding, as congressionally appropriated resources are becoming available for deployment, and the private funding community is more organized and focused. NeighborWorks America has a unique role to play, utilizing our nationally regarded expertise in training, community building, impact measurement, capacity building and grant making. Our affiliates are doing great work, guided by a deep commitment and astute professionalism that is the hallmark of NeighborWorks. It is challenging work in the communities that we have all long called home.   

Wayne Meyer, president of New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC), was one of a dozen people honored this week at the White House as a Superstorm Sandy “Champion of Change” for the organization’s REBUILD New Jersey Fund. The REBUILD New Jersey Fund closed 23 loans totaling $800,000, preserving 135 jobs for customers like Architectural Hardware in Jersey City, New York, a family owned and operated distributor of metal and wood doors, frames and hardware for more than 40 years. Architectural Hardware had up to 56 inches of water, and lost a great amount of inventory and all its vehicles. Their loan allowed the owners and their nine employees to get back to business through the purchase a new forklift, replaced inventory, and replenished revenues.

In Monmouth County, New Jersey, homeowners and residents seeking help with their housing situation continue to come to the Affordable Housing Alliance’s offices daily, and the organization has seen a rise in the number of applicants for assistance through their statewide utility relief program.  Fifteen of the 17 mobile homes purchased by this NeighborWorks affiliate are now installed and on the way to full occupancy, and the  remaining two, accessible units for people with disabilities, are arriving soon. The Alliance’s work is featured in a compelling video by the Robin Hood Foundation, focusing on the story of Kanseisha Wilson, a home health aide and mother of two. 

Neighborhood Housing Services of East Flatbush, part of NeighborWorks affiliate NHS of New York City, opened a Housing Recovery Center in Brooklyn’s Canarsie section. Homeowners there were able to re-occupy their homes only after the City of New York’s rapid repair program addressed their most emergent needs.  Permanent repairs remain to be done, and funds are in short supply. NHS’ experienced contract management specialist has helped 57 families to assess their homes and plan for appropriate repair, and the organization secured funds for small grants of $10,000 to help offset the costs. Qualifying counselors assist families to negotiate insurance claims, address mortgage issues and avoid scams, which are rapidly growing. The innovative program was recently featured on NY1.

"It is important for Asian Americans for Equality to be there because
people in the community trust us. Our physical presence shows we are
there for the long haul,” said Raquel Colon, senior housing counselor.

Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) is working heavily in Queens, Southern Brooklyn and Staten Island with a focus on Asian Americans and new immigrants. AAFE has stationed staff at local grassroots organizations in Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay to strengthen their capacity, while offering grants, low interest loans, targeted technical assistance and one-to-one financial counseling to impacted homeowners and small businesses throughout the city. To date, over 160 businesses from all over the city have received loans totally $3.2 million from AAFE’s small business affiliate, and more than 200 walk-in clients were served just at one Emergency Help Center in Flushing, Queens. AAFE too is deeply concerned with scams and predatory contractors, and plans to review contractor records and work claims for homeowners. 

“There are three big issues that we are facing in terms of recovery. Clients are being advised to elevate their homes, flood insurance rates are sky high now, and people need guidance and direction on how to navigate the bureaucracy. It is important for AAFE CDF to be there because people in the community trust us. Our physical presence shows we are there for the long haul,” said Raquel Colon, senior housing counselor. 

Wade attended a Hope for Homeowners event
sponsored by NeighborWorks America,
Hope Now Alliance, Community
Development Corporation of Long Island

On Long Island, which has the largest number of FEMA applicants of all three areas, Community Development Corporation of Long Island’s Sandy Housing Recovery Program is working extensively in seven towns throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. CDCLI is currently focused helping 143 clients to create individual plans to address their immediate and long term housing needs, and is making their full array of housing services available. Insurance and mortgage issues related to the storm are prevalent—49 of their current clients are also receiving help with these issues.  Amityville resident Harold Wade, who came to CDCLI at a Hope for Homeowners event, typifies many homeowners: “"I was under water in two ways, both from Sandy and financially," said Wade. "It’s a long road ahead but it’s my opportunity to start over again."

Powerful Benefits Linked to Pre-Purchase Housing Counseling

This is reposted from the Bipartisan Beat blog on the Bipartisan Policy Commission (BPC) website.

Counseling can help families decide whether they are prepared for the obligations of homeownership

By Christopher S. Bond

The BPC Housing Commission believes that counseling and education must be a central part of a more responsible approach to homeownership, particularly for first-time buyers.

I first learned about the benefits of housing counseling from NeighborWorks America, one of our country’s leading community development organizations. In 2007, then-Senator Dodd and I sponsored legislation supporting NeighborWorks’ efforts to help forestall foreclosure for struggling families.

When homeowners experience an unexpected setback – the loss of a job, a medical emergency, or some other crisis – housing counselors can help them find solutions before they fall behind on their mortgage payments. But the benefits of counseling are often felt even before the home purchase takes place, as counseling can help families decide whether they are prepared for the financial and other obligations of homeownership. In meetings with counselors, civic officials, and families, I heard time and time again that pre-purchase counseling’s most important contribution may be helping prospective buyers understand when it is not the right time for them to buy a home.

The latest proof that pre-purchase counseling can offer powerful benefits comes from a recent NeighborWorks study examining 75,000 mortgages originated over a two-year period from October 2007 to September 2009. The study concludes that mortgage borrowers who participated in NeighborWorks’ pre-purchase counseling program were nearly one-third less likely to be 90 days or more delinquent on payments in the first two years after closing than those borrowers who did not receive counseling. This percentage reduction in mortgage delinquencies was the same for both first-time and repeat buyers.

Pre-purchase counseling provided by the NeighborWorks network of organizations consists of a minimum of eight hours of group education and individual counseling sessions. These sessions examine the potential homebuyer's personal and financial situation; details about house selection, the financing process, and the closing; and post-purchase concerns like home maintenance.

Also, the NeighborWorks study responds to one of the main challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of pre-purchase counseling: selection bias. The concern is that people who enter counseling may have certain “unobserved” characteristics related to how they manage credit that can affect mortgage performance, either positively or negatively. To mitigate the impact of selection bias, the study utilized data about borrowers’ credit practices and behaviors from the credit-rating agency Experian and employed a procedure called “propensity scoring” to create a comparison group with the same observable characteristics as the counseling clients.

The NeighborWorks study makes a significant contribution to the public’s understanding of the potential effectiveness of pre-purchase counseling. It’s good to see that the study is receiving some national attention, and it is a must-read for housing practitioners and policy makers.

Former Governor and Senator Christopher S. "Kit" Bond serves as a co-chair of BPC's Housing Commission.

Flexing Green Muscles Earth Day and Every Day

NDS is a Neighborworks
America green designee

By Stacy Brown, Neighborhood Development Services Inc, director of asset management

Being a responsible steward of our environmental resources means looking at the variety of ways in which our homeownership and rental home work can reduce environmental harms and build the self-sufficiency of our people and buildings. Benefits of “going green” include lower utility costs for residents to a unique marketing asset for us as we compete for tenants and homebuyers.

Last December, NeighborWorks America named Neighborhood Development Services Inc (NDS), based in Ravenna, Ohio, as a NeighborWorks Green Organization designee. We are proud to be a part of this program and we hope what we learn can inspire others nationwide. Our green work spans weatherization and home repair to ecologically responsible design and materials for new buildings.  We are also branching into alternative energy as a way to raise revenue while helping the community and the environment.

For existing homes, we’ve found that weatherization protections pay off for all involved.  At our Lakeview 2 Apartments complex, we reduced energy 20 percent by installing Energy Star appliances, attic insulation, air sealing, heat pumps and high efficiency lighting and window fixtures. We also used faucet aerators, dual flush toilets, water efficient washers and landscaping to decrease water usage. The work has benefited not only NDS, but also Lakeview residents who now have lower utility costs.

NDS has also committed to incorporating environmental improvements and green maintenance. This means purchasing green materials and supplies when possible, installing rain barrels at all of its properties and creating recycling systems for all residents. Additionally, the maintenance staff is trained on purchasing, methodology and overall green maintenance.

Finally, we are working to take environmental sustainability beyond simply housing improvements. NDS is pursuing the opening and operation of a public compressed natural gas re-fueling site. This site responds to rising demand for cleaner fuel sources for their vehicles. It will dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions and allow local residents and businesses to take advantage of major fuel cost savings. Revenue earned from the site will provide NDS with a new source of funds to support its other mission-driven programs, which will benefit the communities in which we operate. While this project is still in its preliminary stages, NDS has met with local stakeholders to discuss the project and continues to seek funding to perform a formal feasibility study for this project.  Additionally, we are working toward gathering fuel commitments from local companies. These commitments are key to securing funding and partnerships related to this unique, triple bottom line project.

Together, all of us can find ways to use environmental resources more sustainably. We know our efforts are but one example and we look forward to learning about and implementing many new ideas in the years ahead.  To learn more, visit http://www.ndsohio.org.

Beginning a Career in Service

This blog post is in honor of the forthcoming National Volunteer Week (April 21 - 27, 2013).

By Brittany Hutson, NeighborWorks
America Public Relations fellow

Today’s generation of college graduates and young professionals aspire to have a meaningful career that allows for connecting and giving back to communities in authentic and meaningful ways. There are a number of programs that allow for new professionals and career changers to explore what a career in service is all about. One of those programs is AmeriCorps VISTA, a national service program that fights poverty by placing members in yearly positions with nonprofit organizations to work on tasks such as fighting illiteracy, improving health services, strengthen community groups, and much more. The following testimonials are from four VISTA members who describe their experiences of working in local communities through a NeighborWorks affiliate:

Stories have been edited for length

Angela supporting NKCDC and the Sustainable 19125 initiative

Angela Taurino (AmeriCorps VISTA Member 2011-2012 at New Kensington Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia, PA): Upon graduating from Arcadia University, I decided to change my career goal of becoming a teacher. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what that career would be. I decided to use VISTA as a way to pursue other interests.  New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) offered a green community builder position that, while unrelated to my professional or educational background, coordinated with my interests.  [At NKCDC] I learned how to organize projects, manage volunteers, and create plans.  I coordinated with a team of professionals who were as dedicated to improving the community as I was.  My work with NKCDC has helped me refocus my career interests and goals.  Without building and maintaining partnerships with city entities, civic groups, and other non-profits, I wouldn’t know the many community building organizations available and the work that’s involved.  While the job market has been tough, I’m better able to choose organizations that are truly exciting and match my interests and skill sets.

The building behind is a foreclosed/condemned property in Silver Spring.
MHP launched Green Club as a way to engage youth and younger
generations to care for their community.

Jose Gonzalez (AmeriCorps VISTA Member 2011-2012 at Montgomery Housing Partners in Silver Spring, MD): In the fall of 2011, I decided that I had to serve and share with others my talents, capacities and leadership skills. My decision was influenced by the realization that neighborhoods in Silver Spring, MD were struggling from the housing crisis and economic turmoil. I chose to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with Montgomery Housing Partnership’s Glenville Road Interdepartmental Team (GRIT Team). The Glenville Rd. community was plagued by unemployment, chronic vagrancy, foreclosures, property vandalism, drugs, littering and trashed streets and alleys. To address these issues, I worked with the GRIT Team to develop a core group of leaders who would develop initiatives to protect the community. Serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member was a unique experience and opportunity because it reminded me how important and rewarding it is to form a community where individuals can connect and participate in addressing the major challenges they are facing.

Homeport community garden

Josiah Littrell (AmeriCorps VISTA Member 2012-2013 at Homeport in Columbus, OH): In the summer of 2012, I signed up to spend ten weeks as an AmeriCorps*VISTA Summer Associate to help grow and administer a community garden. I created guides on recycling, composting, and getting involved in the garden. I wrote bylaws. I watered plants. I weeded plants. I set up a blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account. Each night, I wondered if any of my efforts would make a difference. As the summer progressed, slowly but surely, people started volunteering to help water and maintain the garden. Others started sharing ideas for parties in the garden and events we could have. With that, I realized that success was all the little things that happened along the way –it was the weeds that we pulled, the phone calls we made, and the pictures we posted. Success was working incrementally, sometimes painstakingly so, in order to be ready for that key moment when the right people were in the right place at the right time.

Alexandria at work, organized with Post-ITs

Alexandria Ingley (AmeriCorps VISTA Member 2011-2012 at Homeport in Columbus, OH): Upon graduation from college, I knew two things:  I wanted to stay in Columbus and I wanted to work within the nonprofit field. I discovered an AmeriCorps VISTA position available with Homeport. During my term, I refined my professional skills through community engagement, community event planning and grant writing. Beyond my professional development, I have learned with and from those who stand in the face of struggle, always resilient in their support of the neighborhoods they call home and the vision of a community that will return to its once beautiful and thriving rhythm. Society has often measured success by wealth or a higher social position. For communities working to stabilize, however, success may look like months with less gang activity, a grant to help purchase home repair supplies or a community picnic where people gather and share in each other’s lives.

Have you served as a VISTA member or participated in another service program? Tell us about your experience below or contact us via Facebook or Twitter.