December 2006

Community Housing Innovations, Inc. provides the housing and human services that enable low and moderate income families and individuals to achieve the greatest independence at the lowest cost to society.

Highlights
CHI receives “1,000 points of light” from developer
New York State awards CHI $1 million for homeless housing
CHI featured in “The Red, White, and Blue Book”
CHI inaugurates new apprenticeship program
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CHI receives “1,000 points of light” from developer


Housing Developer Bill Balter hands a compact fluorescent light bulb to two CHI tenants as CHI executive director Alexander Roberts looks on.


Community Housing Innovations, Inc. appeared on RNN News last week to promote the easiest and most effective way to save energy and reduce global warming—changing light bulbs.

Joined by White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino and CHI Executive Director Alexander Roberts, affordable housing developer Bill Balter of Wilder Balter Partners donated 1,000 energy-efficient light bulbs to CHI and all of its tenants. According to EPA estimates, the 1,000 bulbs will save $47,000 in electricity during their lifetimes and 140,000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuel burning power plants.

At a news conference at CHI’s 74-unit development at 81 North Kensico Avenue in White Plains, tenants received 13-watt compact fluorescent bulbs, which give off the same light and replace 60-watt incandescent bulbs.

Roberts said that the recent price decline and quality improvement will mean dramatic change for the “green” revolution.

“The EPA says that if every American household replaced just one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, it would save enough energy to power 2.5 million homes and over one billion pounds of carbon dioxide, the principal gas that causes global warming. With the bulbs now costing under $2, there is no excuse to use anything else.”
Click Here for TV News Story on RNN.  (please wait for video to load)
To see how much money, energy and pollution you’d save by changing bulbs, download the EPA’s free calculator.   

New York State awards CHI $1 million for homeless housing

Recognizing the ground-breaking nature of CHI’s development at 260 Main Street in White Plains, the New York State Homeless Housing and Assistance Program has awarded a $1 million grant to subsidize 10 apartments for homeless individuals and families.    The grant will allow 10 homeless households to share in the 52-unit affordable housing development that was required under the city’s inclusionary zoning law.

 

CHI featured in “The Red, White, and Blue Book”

CHI was honored to be prominently featured in the Institute for Children and Poverty’s (ICP) inaugural issue of The Red, White, and Blue Book: A Survey of Programs and Services for Homeless Families.  ICP is an independent research and development organization, based in New York City since 1990, raising awareness about the issues that affect homeless families with children.

The Red, White, and Blue Book: A Survey of Programs and Services for Homeless Families publication based upon the research of 45 facilities serving homeless families in four states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.  In New York, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties were selected for the research.  Three of CHI’s programs were highlighted:  Nassau County’s Scattered Site Transitional Housing Program, Suffolk County’s Supervised Family Residence Program and Westchester County’s Emergency Apartment Housing Program.  

As Ralph da Costa Nunez, president of ICP said, “(The) plan is to expand The Red, White, and Blue Book to become a national clearing house for information about programs and services for homeless families and, eventually, a resource that will rank states on how well they serve homeless families based on critical outcomes.” 

CHI inaugurates new apprenticeship program

“You Train, You Gain,” is the theme of a new program by CHI Career Services just funded by the Westchester County Department of Social Services.   CHI seeks employers who would like to train qualified, pre-screened job candidates for one month without charge, after which they would be hired for full employment.  Upon hiring the candidates, the employers will also be eligible for up to $8,500 in tax credits.  For details, employers should email CHI Career Services Director Jeff Bolanos.

If you know anyone else who could benefit from CHI programs, forward this e-mail to your friends.

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