Public Employee Press

Part 3 in a series
Vanishing: Affordable housing in New York City

Historic housing gain for members

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

“This agreement helps unlock the doors to affordable housing for city workers.”
— Lillian Roberts, DC 37 Executive Director

District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Shaun Donovan met at union headquarters May 11 to announce a preliminary agreement for affordable housing.
The first-of-its-kind housing initiative for DC 37 members came as a result of a letter Roberts sent to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in January.

The two-part program would allow DC 37 members, and all municipal employees, preference for 5 percent of the city’s available rental housing stock, and as first time home buyers, they could be eligible for a down payment grant of up to 6 percent of the purchase price or as much as $24,000 through HPD.

A historic agreement
“This is a historic agreement,” said Roberts. “It helps to unlock the door to affordable housing for city workers who have never before been covered by a provision that would help them meet their housing requirement. The agreement also includes our working with the city and HUD in order to make available down payment funds for first time home buyers.”

Two years ago Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced a $3 billion initiative for affordable housing, the largest New York City housing initiative since the Koch administration.

This housing program will fund 68,000 new and refurbished units throughout the city by 2008. It
includes rental apartments, condominiums, co-ops and private homes.

“DC 37 members, whose average salary is $29,000, have a unique situation, their jobs have residency rules requiring them to live in the five boroughs, and the city’s housing stock is limited and expensive. I reached out to the mayor in January to ask for his help,” explained Roberts. “I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Donovan for listening to the needs of our members and responding promptly.”

Program applicants would have to meet HPD income eligibility requirements; home buyers must also complete ownership education courses.

“The mayor’s intent is to make sure the folks who work for the city can afford a decent home with a reasonable mortgage or rent,” said Donovan. “We always hear of stories about the difficulties of affordable housing in this city. The issue is how we can help city employees get a stake in their neighborhood.”

In addition to Roberts, DC 37 President Veronica Montgomery-Costa, Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin and Secretary Cliff Koppelman, Associate Director Oliver Gray, Assistant Associate Director Henry Garrido and Laurel Blatchford, the HPD commis-sioner’s chief of staff, were present.

Roberts pressed for the program to be launched as soon as possible. “I made affordable housing one of our primary goals for this year,” Roberts said. “With rents and housing prices soaring, those who work for this city can hardly afford to live here. When we organized an educational conference on affordable housing April 2, we had almost 1,000 members sign up. We need to insure that our members are able to maintain residency, which is required by law. We are also committed to fighting for middle-income earners and the poor to have greater access to new and affordable housing.”

“This first-ever city-sponsored housing allocation for our members is a great achievement to be proud of,” Uddin said.

As PEP went to press, the details of the housing agreement were being developed. The city will inform municipal employees and DC 37 will apprise members on how to apply, through the union and in future issues of PEP.