Urban Homesteading Assistance U-Hab

Programs: Cooperative services: uhab runs several programs designed to enhance the development and sustainability of limited-equity housing cooperatives in new york city. More than 560 co-ops are members of uhab and, as a result, have access to a variety of quality, cost saving services. In fy17, uhab:-held 12 free introductory homeownership classes (in both english and spanish) for 215 people wanting to purchase affordable co-ops in uhab's network, bringing the total number of workshop attendees to over 5,400 since 2008. -packaged $1,682,000 in loans for 4 hdfcs. -buildings in the tenant interim lease program have voluntarily requested further assistance from uhab at their own expense even after the til contract's termination. In fy17, uhab's staff provided technical assistance to board members and shareholders of 19 co-ops; including elections, phone and in-office consultations, and compliance compilations, among others. Uhab has identified that the buildings we have served over the years are clearly better off than those that have not used our services. They are more organized, educated and informed. -flip insurance tiv $1,875,697,980 for 531 co-ops in 624 locations, totaling 10,352 units. -uhab collaborated with city university of new york (cuny) building performance lab and nyc small business services to enroll 25 hdfc shareholders, board members, and superintendents in the 30-hour "small building operator training" programs where building operators learn techniques to increase energy efficiency on a building systems level. -as of january 2017, uhab became an ambassador to the nyc retrofit accelerator, a city-funded program through the mayor's office of sustainability that advises building owners to become more efficient and join new york city's efforts to fight climate change. Nyc retrofit accelerator's energy advisors offer free, personalized advisory services that streamline the process of making energy efficiency improvements to buildings that will reduce operating costs, enhance tenant comfort, and improve the environment. This partnership supports uhab's ability to deliver efficiency programs and training, to connect hdfc cooperatives with incentive programs and energy efficiency opportunities, and has resulted in several hundred co-ops accessing water conservation programs and heat conservation programs. Other programs: uhab's organizing, research and policy department worked directly at researching, exposing, and challenging speculative real estate practices that threaten tenants' rights to decent and affordable housing. During fy17, uhab's staff focused their organizing efforts in harlem, crown heights and inwood, while their research was extended nationwide in coalition with other organizations from different states in an effort to expand the impact of affordable limited-equity housing to those who needed it the most.

development services: in fy17, uhab converted one building with a total of 30 apartments from distressed rentals to renovated co-op for low -income households, preserving affordable housing in the now threatened area of hamilton heights. Uhab acts as the not-for-profit nominal owner of 34 buildings owned and operated by responsible for-profit developers of affordable rental housing. Uhab selects these partnerships very carefully and always advocates for a tenant co-op option for some time in the future. Uhab's participation allows the beneficial owners of the properties to benefit from various tax exemptions which in turn keep the apartments affordable to low-income households, and our involvement and oversight helps to ensure that affordability restrictions are adhered to.

organizing and policy:since 1998 uhab organizers have reached out to and engaged thousands of tenants in over 650 buildings across new york city. The organizing and policy department is at the forefront of researching, exposing, and directly challenging speculative real estate practices that threaten tenants' rights to decent and affordable housing. This work is done via the combined efforts of on-the-ground organizing in distressed multifamily buildings and public advocacy campaigns. In partnership with groups such as the national alliance of hud tenants (naht), legal services nyc, and the stabilizing nyc coalition, uhab tracks the purchases of multifamily buildings across the city to assess the risk of displacement of long-term residents and targets our organizing efforts accordingly.