Views from the Northwest Bronx

2023 was our 40th year and what a year it was! UNHP celebrated our 40 years of accomplishments with special anniversary celebrations and significant achievements.

Forty years is an accomplishment for any community organization and one that University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP) does not take lightly. Check out the UNHP timeline with pictures and highlights of our history and accomplishments.

Just in time to celebrate our 40th anniversary, UNHP is happy to announce that our long-desired goal of installing solar panels in our affordable multifamily buildings is finally in reach thanks to a combination of low-cost programs, tax incentives, and our continued persistence in pursuit of increased sustainability. Seven buildings will move forward with solar in 2023.

On December 15, 2022, 75 individuals representing 29 banks participated in UNHP's Annual Multifamily Lenders Meeting. UNHP shared the data from our historical Building Indicator Project (BIP) database that tracked a dip in sales values and a rise in distress in multifamily buildings.

"This is What We Do" is a series of events that illustrate the unique ways that UNHP works towards its affordable housing and Bronx community service mission as well as an effort to raise funds for that work through sponsorships and donations. Click on this post to learn about the events we have planned and how you can take part.

For the third event in our virtual series and fundraiser, This is What We Do, UNHP brought together 31 Bronx housing operators from 12 organizations to discuss the issues that affect the housing they oversee to understand trends and emerging issues that jeopardize affordability. It is also What We Do to escalate these issues and seek to address the policies behind the issues. Read the full summary to learn more.

As we all continue to deal with the fallout from the pandemic, UNHP has been monitoring the effects on the multifamily housing world. In April of last year, we published a few posts hypothesizing about what we thought might happen in the multifamily affordable housing sphere. Now, we are taking stock of how our portfolio has been affected - what has helped us weather unexpected financial challenges and what is concerning us as we move forward.

Job losses and reduced incomes amid the Covid-19 crisis have placed many US families at risk of eviction when safe housing is more important than ever. In this blog post, UNHP looks at the various national and state eviction protections as well as data from the Office of Court Administration better understand what is going on with Housing Court and evictions in the Bronx and NYC.

The UNHP 2020 Affordable Housing Webinar & Fundraiser was held on Tuesday, September 22nd, and attended by over 100 viewers. A summary and a replay link can be found in this blog post. The webinar explored issues raised during this COVID-19 crisis - specifically the effect it has had on the NYC housing market - and what we think needs to happen as we move forward to ensure an equitable recovery.

On July 28th, UNHP held its annual Building Indicator Project meeting. Jacob Udell, Data and Research Coordinator, presented for UNHP about trends in the housing market. Elizabeth Oakley and Kim Darga from HPD discussed the importance of preservation and different tools HPD has to bolster affordable housing in NYC. Click to read a summary of UNHP’s presentation.