Habitat for Humanity – New York City

Habitat for Humanity New York City (Habitat NYC) was founded in 1984 as an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat NYC works in all five boroughs of New York City, building quality homes for ownership by hardworking families and individuals in need.

Mission and values

Habitat for Humanity New York City transforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. Habitat NYC builds the homes with the "sweat equity" of family partner homeowners who work side-by-side with volunteers. Professional contractors build the exterior shells to code, and the volunteers do the interior construction. Each year thousands of New Yorkers from faith institutions, corporations, schools and civic groups come to build with Habitat NYC and learn more about how to help solve New York's affordable housing crisis.

History

The first New York area Habitat for Humanity affiliate was founded on the Lower East Side in 1982. In 1984, former president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter volunteered there as part of the First Annual Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP). In 1985 the Carters returned for the Second Annual JCWP. The first Habitat building in New York City was a 19 unit building on East 6th Street completed in December 1986. In 1995, four different New York City affiliates were united to form one affiliate – Habitat-NYC. Habitat for Humanity International’s 100,000th home worldwide was built in Harlem in 2000.^[1] In 2009, Habitat-NYC opened the largest multifamily complex ever built by a U.S. Habitat affiliate, a 41-condominium complex on Atlantic Avenue in Ocean Hill-Brownsville, Brooklyn. Built to high green standards, this complex earned a LEED Gold certification.^[2] A 2008 Economic Impact Report on the Atlantic Avenue Complex found that the project would generate about $34.5 million in economic activity over 40 years.^[3]

Building and home ownership

Habitat NYC has adapted the model to work in New York City's complex urban building environment. They acquire land and buildings from New York's City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development and other governmental agencies for a nominal fee. Professional architects design the buildings and professional contractors build the exterior shells to conform to the city's strict building code. Once the exterior is complete, volunteers and Habitat-NYC family partners build the interiors and complete the finish work.^[4]

The homeowners also get free classes in financial literacy and building maintenance. They receive a 2%, 30-year fixed mortgage, contribute a cash down-payment of 1% (compared to the standard 20%), enjoy property-tax abatements and live in an energy-efficient home.

To qualify, potential homeowners must earn between 50% - 80% of the city’s area median income, have good credit (a FICO score of 620 or higher), be willing to contribute “sweat equity” to help build their home, and be a first-time homeowner.^[5]

Advocacy

In addition to building homes, Habitat NYC is a leading advocate for affordable housing. Habitat NYC's goal is to ensure that every New Yorker has a decent, affordable home, by creating a social movement to end the housing crisis plaguing New York City and by calling on elected officials to make affordable housing a priority.

Green homes

Habitat NYC is a leader in New York City and the nation in building affordable green homes for low-income New York City families in need. They are committed to following the highest green building practices, which can reduce high energy costs for families by 30% or more and helps promote health and reduce respiratory conditions. Low-income children in New York City suffer from very high rates of asthma and other pollution-induced illnesses. In many of the neighborhoods where Habitat-NYC builds homes—the South Bronx, Central Harlem and Central Brooklyn—one in every three children has asthma.^[6]

Accolades

Habitat NYC's current Chief Executive Officer, Neil Hetherington, has received the following awards: Canada's Top 40 under 40 (2005) Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), University of Western Ontario Distinguished Alumni (2007), Seneca College Distinguish Alumni (2004), Huron University College Medal of Distinction (2009), Royal St. George's College - Distinguished Georgian Alumni Award (2006) and Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002).

Habitat NYC’s former executive director, Josh Lockwood, was named one of Crain’s New York Business magazine’s “40 under 40 – New York’s Rising Stars”.^[7] It was also named one of six finalists for the 2010 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards.^[8] Habitat-NYC’s Atlantic Avenue Complex was named a finalist in Affordable Housing Finance sixth annual Readers’ Choice Awards for the nation’s best developments of 2009-2010.^[9]

References