Fordham Community Action Plan Provides Focused Approach to Local Housing Needs
UNHP has continued to meet the challenges of creating and preserving affordable housing by developing new strategies through our Fordham Community Action Plan (FCAP) partnership with our neighborhood partner, the Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation (FBHC). Since 2002, the FCAP partnership has identified and addressed the wide range of housing needs and issues for neighborhoods in the heart of the Northwest Bronx, and has become the blueprint for our lending, organizing and technical assistance work.
The partnership between UNHP and Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation (FBHC) has been a long and successful endeavor. While UNHP has provided technical assistance, low interest loan funds and equity support, FBHC has built and renovated a great deal of housing over the past 25 years. Currently FBHC owns and manages more than 2000 units of affordable housing in over 80 buildings.
The boundaries of the FCAP focus area are Bedford Park Boulevard to the North, University Avenue to the West, Burnside Avenue to the South, and Park and Webster Avenues to the East. The following are descriptions of some of the current and future projects the partnership plans to carry out under FCAP.
2241 Webster Avenue
2241 Webster Avenue, although small, is important as it continues our joint efforts with Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation to improve the Webster Avenue Corridor and incorporates many environmentally friendly features. Among these “green” elements are hardwood bamboo floors, Energy Star Appliances and a green (planted) roof that helps to insulate the building, reduces rain water runoff and helps to improve air quality. Click here for more photos of 2241 Webster.Asset Control Area
Based on UNHP research that indicated a high number of these foreclosures in our community, meetings with HUD and our partners (Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, Enterprise, Fannie Mae, National Training and Information Center, HPD and Cypress Hills LDC) were held in 2003. On November 22, 2005, HPD, HUD and Restored Homes (a new nonprofit created through Neighborhood Restore, LISC and Enterprise) announced the creation of an Asset Control Area (ACA) program in several NYC neighborhoods, including sections of the Northwest Bronx, to renovate and resell HUD foreclosures at affordable prices (see photos below).Vacant HUD owned homes in the Northwest Bronx would qualify for the newly announced Asset Control Area (ACA) Program. Under the ACA program, 300 HUD foreclosed homes will be sold at 50% of their appraised value to Restored Homes, which will in turn renovate the homes in coordination with a local sponsor for resale at affordable prices. In order to combat the high real estate prices in New York, HUD will include 60 homes for a dollar apiece to further reduce the final sales prices of ACA homes. This announcement is gratifying because the program will create real homeownership opportunities for low income families, and it confirms that a combination of UNHP targeted research and organizing has brought attention and resources to this affordable housing issue.
Jacob’s Place
Larger parcels of vacant land are hard to come by in the area these days. When FBHC identified four contiguous City-owned vacant lots, they realized the potential for the creation for a substantial number of affordable housing units. FBHC, with technical assistance from UNHP, has been awarded tax credits financing through New York City to constract Jacob's place, a 63 unit building on Webster Avenue between 184th and 185th Streets named after community leader Astin Jacobo.Not only will the building (currently under construction) provide the large number of affordable housing units (a majority of them highly demanded 2- and 3-bedroom apartments), but the building is also designed to provide classroom space on the first floor for early childhood education.
Third Party Transfer Program
The Third Party Transfer Program is a City initiative that moves buildings in major tax arrears to private and nonprofit ownership through an intermediary called Neighborhood Restore. Many times a building in financial trouble is also in severe physical distress leading to acute hardships for tenants. UNHP has helped identify properties to the City that should go into TPT instead of to the tax lien sale. FBHC has acquired and renovated a number of buildings through TPT including 4611 Park Avenue and 2285 Davidson Avenue.7A Administration Rule Change
Many apartment buildings in our focus area suffer from lethal neglect while their owners remain current in tax payments. These buildings cannot be removed from current ownership under the Third Party Transfer program, as it only takes overdue real estate tax into account and not building conditions.One way in which these types of buildings can be moved to better management is through the City’s 7A program. Under this program, a qualified organization can be named manager of a building that is suffering from damaging neglect and in need of emergency repairs. An example of this can be found at the 55 unit building at 3569 DeKalb Avenue (the building featured in the Norwood News and the scene of the death of an 8-year old boy by an electrical fire) for which FBHC has been appointed 7A administrator.
While the DeKalb building is improving thanks to better management and City-funded renovations, it still remains in the hands of the owner who let the building fall into its horrid conditions. Recent legislation by the City has improved the 7A program so that in the case that a qualified nonprofit purchases a building in the program, the emergency repair liens would be forgiven. UNHP and FBHC are hoping for further improvements to the 7A program making it a more viable option for the improvement of damaged housing stock.
