PEP, September 2006: House hunting at the union hall

“MEHP is another unique benefit DC 37 offers members who face the difficult search for decent and affordable housing in one of the most expensive cities in the world.” —Lillian Roberts

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

District Council 37 held its first Municipal Employees Housing Program fair for home ownership on June 28.

Hundreds of house hunters gathered under the union’s roof to meet the lenders, realtors, insurance agencies, home inspectors and representatives from the federal Housing and Urban Development Corp. who participate in MEHP.

“I am pleased to see so many members here to take advantage of this great opportunity,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, who developed the idea for the affordable housing program in 2005 with Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Housing Commissioner Shawn Donovan and the nonprofit organization Neighborhood Housing Services.

“MEHP is another unique benefit DC 37 offers members who face the difficult search for decent and affordable housing in one of the most expensive cities in the world,” Roberts said. “I am glad our program is making it a little easier for members to achieve the American Dream.”

The innovative housing program provides members with grants and mortgages to purchase condominium or co-operative apartments and private houses, or to lease rental units, in the city’s five boroughs.

Housing for members
MEHP began in 2005 when Roberts wrote the mayor asking that more affordable housing be made available to DC 37 members facing strict residency requirements as a condition of employment. She initiated a unique partnership of labor, HPD, and Neighborhood Housing Services. The city now offers a 5 percent set-aside to municipal workers seeking rental units through HPD lotteries. MEHP helps first-time buyers obtain mortgages, housing grants and refinancing, and gets Section 8 vouchers for qualified members.

MEHP gives DC 37 members a chance at affordable housing and homeownership by providing one-stop service — counseling, credit repair, first-time homebuyer grants through FirstHome, and mortgages through 10 different banks. With the new contract to ease residency rules, the union is exploring ways to make benefits available in suburban counties.

“This program facilitates the difficult process of purchasing a home,” said Henry Garrido, DC 37 assistant associate director. “It gives our members better opportunities to go from being renters to owning their own homes.”

Respiratory Therapist Mohammed Ali of Local 420 brought his wife, Mahad, and their two young children to the fair. “We’re praying that we’ll be lucky enough to find the house we want,” Mahad said.

“This fair has been very helpful,” said Ali. “Everyone is professional and willing to help. This program takes you from A to Z until you get what you want.”

Since its door opened in September 2005, MEHP has helped 32 DC 37 families become homeowners; the majority have received grants for down payment and closing costs through FirstHome, an HPD program.

MEHP has 43 members in contract and 76 members pre-qualified for mortgages. Its Finance Fitness /savings club is helping 376 members save for their homes with matching funds up $5,000 through six commercial banks. Additionally, MEHP has helped 39 homeless families get permanent housing in New York City Housing Authority apartments.

Research Assistant Terrance Fair, Local 154, and his wife, Cyone, hope to buy a coop or condominium. He said, “We read the articles in the PEP about the housing program, so we came down today. We’re not ready for a house just yet, but we’d rather own than rent. Owning something is important to us.”

School Lunch Helper Migna Ortiz of Local 372 and her daughter Lizette Hernandez have already started looking around Brooklyn for a home with a driveway and yard. “This is an opportunity I’ve only dreamed about. The information we’ve collected is helpful, especially when you are just starting to look for a house,” said Ortiz.

Easier process
At the fair, Museum Guard Annie Traore and hundreds of members and their families networked with MEHP coordinators Tracy Lewis and Noemi Vega, who help walk applicants through the home buying process.

Vivian Li of SSEU Local 371 and Jenny Lu of Local 1549 hope to share the expense of a home or condominium purchase in Queens, where they currently live and work. “It’s not easy to find affordable housing, prices everywhere are high,” Li said. “We hope we’ll find something in our neighborhood.”

Members visited booths where representatives from banks, realtors and nonprofit housing organizations associated with MEHP offered advice and business cards for future reference.

Keys to a home
“The keys to getting a home of one’s own are have a good attorney, have a lender who is accessible, and follow through,” explained Patrice Harris, a Wells Fargo loan officer. “It helps to have someone besides me to follow up. It makes the process run smooth.”

“DC 37 members are amazing, they are motivated to get the process completed,” Harris said. “They go above and beyond what’s needed to complete the transaction. They are serious about their commitment to finding a home. I am just blown away by the union’s program and its members.”