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April 2009 Highlights
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Owning Less Expensive Than Renting In Orange County
- Attorney Peter Spino presents foreclosure prevention tips –
The workshop is part of CHI’s Foreclosure Prevention Program, which provides free counseling and legal referrals to local residents in danger of losing their homes because of the current financial crisis. The program assists clients with the following mitigation options: loan forbearance, loan modification, partial claim, pre-foreclosure sale (a.k.a. short sale), deed-in-lieu of foreclosure and bankruptcy. Funding for the program is provided by a two-year grant from the Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC). The program will also highlight some recent warnings, including the fact that loan modification companies across the country are being investigated for heavily soliciting clients facing foreclosure and charging them thousands of dollars for services they can obtain for free. Community Housing Innovations estimates that it will receive 400 requests in the next two years for foreclosure mitigation counseling and negotiation services. According to Meltdown: The Housing Crisis and its Impact on New York State’s Local Governments, a report released by the New York State Office of the Comptroller, Westchester County is affected by the sub-prime mortgage crisis to a greater extent than most other counties in the state. In Westchester County, there were 822 foreclosure filings in the third quarter of 2008, representing a 513% increase over the past two years. Kwok Fay Hugh, who goes by the nickname “Cookie,” is in danger of losing his Westchester home. Carbon monoxide poisoning a few years ago left the 59 year old carpenter with $28,000 in medical bills, and he lost his job one week after leaving the hospital. In 2007 he refinanced his home at 8.7%, depleted his savings and used his Roth IRA. After working steadily for three years, he was laid-off from his job in 2008 and was out of work for three months. Although he now has a job at Home Depot, where he receives positive customer reviews, Hugh is experiencing a condition many homeowners are facing – he is behind and just can’t catch up. “I feel good about the steps I’m taking with Community Housing Innovations,” he stated. “I’ve just got to get out of trouble. I have enough income coming in if I just had a reasonable mortgage rate.” CHI’s foreclosure prevention counselor Spino is currently negotiating with Hugh’s lender for a loan modification, seeking a lower rate so he may remain in his home.
Live music, a farmers market featuring locally grown produce, free raffles, giveaways and practical and easy ways to make your home, the earth and Westchester County a cleaner, greener and healthier place to live – it’s all on tap at Earth Day Westchester 2009: A Celebration of Green, Sustainable Living, Sunday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. Admission and parking are free. “This day is not just a celebration to honor outstanding achievements but a great way to have fun while learning more about simple, constructive things you can do to protect planet Earth,” County Executive Andy Spano said. CHI will host a booth in which any homeowner may sign up for a free energy evaluation of their home. They’ll find out what specific efficiency measures are most cost-effective for their home, as well as information on how to obtain free cash incentives and low-interest loans for things like insulation, air-sealing and Energy Star® heating and air-conditioning equipment.
CHI’s new 14-unit condominium on Minerva Place in White Plains will be highlighted for its pioneering use of Geoexchange for heating and cooling.
Through HUD’s Supportive Housing Program, agencies like CHI are given funds to acquire, rehabilitate and operate affordable housing for people who are homeless and who live with disabilities. To assist the individuals and families in the SHP homes in their transition from homelessness and to enable them to live as independently as possible, HUD also funds ongoing supportive services, including case management. In Suffolk County, Community Housing Innovations’ partnership program with Phoenix House of Long Island, offering permanent housing with services, was awarded $109,698. In Nassau County, over $720,000 was awarded for permanent housing with services for CHI’s partnerships with Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services, Education and Assistance Corporation, HELP Suffolk and the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. These programs have created affordable permanent housing for 39 single individuals and 19 families who were formerly homeless. In addition, CHI was awarded approximately $52,000 for 2009 to provide housing for 14 individuals and one family, also formerly homeless, under contract with two other agencies in their HUD SHP programs. Two other agencies received awards which include funds to CHI for property management. HUD’s Continuum of Care consists of 6,300 local homeless assistance projects throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The goal is to promote programs that help homeless individuals along a wide spectrum of needs, from emergency shelter, to transitional programs and long-term solutions. “The work of economic recovery starts with supporting basic needs like housing,” stated Alexander Roberts, Executive Director of Community Housing Innovations. “HUD’s recognition of our programs allows us to continue this important work.”
One of the favorite CHI Career Services incentives is the coveted computer give away, which is awarded to one deserving student at every graduation who exemplifies hard work, consistent effort, determination and a positive attitude. One such student is Ms. Florence Chandler who kicked off our first Administrative Intake class of 2009 with a dedication and energy not often seen.
Florence Chandler came to the US from Trinidad in 1988 with her husband and child. Working odd jobs throughout the years, she was shy and harbored feelings of inadequacy. Eventually, she turned to public assistance to make ends meet but still longed for a career direction that would lead to financial independence. When she came to CHI she thought that she was just going to be attending another fruitless activity. But CHI Career Services allowed Ms. Chandler to come out of her shell with its Administrative skills class in Microsofit Applications. She gained confidence with each lesson and came to consider CHI and her classmates as her second family. She made a point to get up earlier in the morning and attended class for the full eight weeks without missing a day. She was so motivated by the course that she would often arrive an hour early just so she can read her textbook and review the lesson for that day. Her instructor, Mr. Jose De LaCruz, made her anxious to put what she learned into practice on a job. Ms. Chandler’s story is even more remarkable considering that before the Administrative Intake Class she did not know how to type and was computer illiterate. She went from not knowing anything about computers to becoming the number one student and taking home a free computer from CHI at graduation. Just one week after graduation, Ms Chandler is has two jobs pending with Richmond Children’s Center and Cerebral Palsy of Westchester.
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Community Housing Innovations, which provides housing and human services to low and moderate income families and individuals, has been awarded the most funding on Long Island for its Supportive Housing Program. CHI received $830,000 for its permanent housing program with services for formerly homeless individuals and families. Long Island is the fifth least affordable metropolitan area for housing in the United States.
