Public Employee Press

DC 37’s new housing program
Q&A

What is the union’s new housing program?
The program includes preference for affordable homes and rental apartments, down payment assistance and homebuyer education.

(1) The HomeFirst Down Payment Initiative allows members to apply for a grant managed by the city Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development. The average payment for the grant is about $20,000. It may be used toward the down payment or closing costs for purchasing your home.

(2) For eligible city employees, the lottery preference covers 5 percent of the affordable rental apartments and owner-occupied homes financed by HPD and the Housing Development Corp.

(3) The valuable training and education programs for first-time homebuyers cover credit, budgeting, predatory lending, home maintenance and repair.

For more information, call (212) 815-1814.

How did this program come about?
At the beginning of this year, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts made affordable housing a top priority for the union. In January, she wrote Mayor Michael Bloomberg requesting the housing preference for city workers. Mayor Bloomberg responded positively to our request. Ms. Roberts and HPD Commissioner Shaun Donovan met May 11 at union headquarters and announced a preliminary affordable housing program.

What types of housing are sponsored by HPD and HDC?
HPD and HDC finance new construction and rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes, condominiums, co-ops, townhouses and rental apartments.

Who qualifies for a preference in the housing lottery?
Any municipal worker who meets all HPD and HDC income eligibility requirements and the qualifying
criteria for a particular building is eligible for the preference in the housing lottery. Building owners establish additional criteria, which often include credit checks and evaluation of an applicant’s financial ability to meet monthly rent or mortgage payments, and can sometimes include home visits.

What are the requirements for down payment assistance?
HomeFirst down payment assistance applicants will have to complete buyers’ education courses and other program requirements, such as being a first-time home buyer and having your own savings to contribute towards a down payment or closing costs.

Are there any income limits to be eligible for down payment assistance?
Members who apply for the HomeFirst grant must meet the income requirements in the box to the right to qualify for the forgivable loan to use toward the down payment or closing costs on a one- to four-family home (including co-ops and condominiums) in one of HPD’s Homeownership Zones.

Is any preference given to disabled workers or those with disabled dependents?
There is a preference within the lottery for 5 percent of the units for those with mobility impairments and 2 percent for those who are hearing or visually impaired.

Where are the new or renovated apartments and homes located?
Members who apply for the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program must purchase a one- to four-family home, a condominium, or a cooperative for owner-occupancy in one of the following HPD Homeownership Zones:
Manhattan: Morningside Heights/Hamilton Heights, Central Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights/Inwood.
Brooklyn: Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, Bushwick, East New York/Starrett City, Sunset Park, North Crown Heights/Prospect Heights, Coney Island, Brownsville/Ocean Hill.
Bronx: Mott Haven/Hunts Point, Morrisania/Belmont, Highbridge/South Concourse, University Heights/Fordham, Kingsbridge Heights/Mosholu, Soundview/Parkchester.
Queens: Corona, South Jamaica, Rockaways, Long Island City.
Staten Island: St. George/Stapleton.

For the 5 percent preference, the HPD- and HDC-financed units are available throughout the five boroughs.

I live in the Bronx but would like to move to Brooklyn or Staten Island. Do I stand a better chance if I apply for housing in my neighborhood?
Yes, because 50 percent of all the units are for current residents of the community board district where the new or rehabilitated HPD- or HDC-financed housing is located. You have a better chance of getting an apartment or home in the community you live in.

Will a pending application in a development of my choice now receive preference because I am a city employee?
No. The preference in the housing lotteries will apply only after the program is formally launched.

The down payment assistance, the lottery preference and the homebuyer training sound great. When can I apply?
DC 37 expects to have the preference program running sometime this summer. Further information will be published in coming issues of the Public Employee Press and posted at www.dc37.net. Please also check HPD’s Web site at www.nyc.gov/hpd or HDC’s Web site at www.nychdc.com, or call 311 for apartment and home listings and details on HomeFirst down payment assistance, as well as eligibility requirements.