NHS Brooklyn | Newsletter | Fall 2023
Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Giving Tuesday is November 28. Give where you live! ~
Held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving (this year on November 28), Giving Tuesday has become a worldwide day of "giving where you live" and making donations to your favorite nonprofit organizations. We hope NHS Brooklyn has helped you this year, and that you'll help us help others with a donation. No amount is too small!
41st Anniversary Gala
On October 11, NHS Brooklyn proudly celebrated our forty-first year building communities and transforming lives at our Annual Gala, held at El Caribe Catering Hall.
Joined by over one hundred distinguished guests from business, government, and the nonprofit world, we honored four community champions: Lisa Talma, Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives at Deutsche Bank, NYC Councilmember Farah Louis, Elba O. Melendez of the NYC Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and Jill Cornell of NYC Emergency Management.
Talented comedian Kerry Coddett, our Mistress of Ceremonies, kept us laughing and informed throughout the evening.
We are grateful to our many sponsors, especially presenting chair Deutsche Bank, vice chair JPMorgan Chase, benefactors Bank of Baroda and Santander Bank, and patrons Dime Community Bank and Lamb Insurance. Check out the video below for highlights of the event.
Housing Discrimination: A Webinar for Tenants, Home Buyers & Landlords
In November, we teamed up with the Fair Housing Justice Center to offer a webinar on Housing Discrimination: What It Looks Like & What You Can Do About It.
Attendees were surprised to learn what housing discrimination is (and isn’t), and were grateful for resources and next steps that we shared for those who believed they had been discriminated against.
Estate Planning Update
Too many homeowners only encounter estate planning when they are in crisis.
That’s why the Center for NYC Neighborhoods launched the “Generation to Generation” initiative and invited NHS Brooklyn to participate.
The initiative gives homeowners the opportunity to learn about estate planning and receive counseling and no-cost creation of key documents, such as a will, power of attorney, living will, and healthcare proxy. Having these documents in place helps preserve generational wealth.
On November 21, we teamed up with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) to offer a free webinar, “Understanding Your Deed, Estate Planning & Scams.” The webinar was not just for homeowners, however, but for home buyers, too, because anyone who owns a home now or who may own a home (or interest in a home) needs to understand how the type of deed they have affects who will inherit their home as well as key documents that should be in place, such as a will.
Real estate fraud and scams were also discussed. If you missed the webinar, click the image above to watch it.
Home Maintenance Training: Back by Popular Demand
This Fall, we offered both levels of our popular Home Maintenance Training Courses, which had been postponed in Spring 2020 due to the pandemic.
Held at the Flatbush YMCA and limited to 15 students per class, Level I focuses on basic carpentry, wood framing, drywalling, flooring, tiling, and exterior repairs. In Level II, students learn the basics of roofing, stair repair, molding installation, simple plumbing, electrical skills, and more.
Students who graduate the seven-week course receive a Certificate of Completion.
To join the waitlist for the next set of courses, please submit this form.
Town Hall: Are Homes in Canarsie and East New York Sinking?
New York potholes are nothing new, and every so often we learn about a sinkhole in the street. But homes sinking is new, and has been happening in Canarsie and East New York.
That's why, on Thursday, November 30, elected officials and community nonprofits will hold a Community Town Hall to hear from residents and offer resources and recommendations.
Residents of these communities as well as of any others where subsidence of the ground is a concern are urged to come.
Click here to register and receive a reminder.
Questions? Contact us at info@nhsbrooklyn.org
Let Us Care for Your Property, So You Don't Have To
“Investing in property management is not just about protecting the value of your asset. It’s about investing in the community where it’s located,” says Dionne Christopher, director of the program. Christopher heads up a team at NHS Brooklyn that relieves busy, absent, and senior property owners of the work, stress, and time needed to manage a property. They even answer those 3am emergency calls!
Program services include but are not limited to:
an analysis of operating expenses and recommendations to reduce them
securing estimates from licensed, insured contractors and managing their work
counseling on refinancing, reverse mortgage, and foreclosure avoidance
rent collection and tenant referrals for affordable units.
A professional network of licensed, insured contractors handles projects big and small for a fraction of what owners of buildings with five or more units pay. These include:
Construction and small repairs
Roofing, plumbing, and electrical work
HVAC, furnace, and boiler maintenance and repair
Seasonal cleanups, snow/tree removal, and landscaping
Masonry, pointing, and concrete work
Weatherization, waterproofing, and window repair and installation
Asbestos, mold, and lead removal
Security upgrades
Pest treatment
Counseling for mortgage matters and property insurance
Legal and real estate referrals.
Interested? Call 718-469-4679 during regular business hours or email pm@nhsbrooklyn.org for more information and an application.
Stay Safe & Be Prepared for Emergencies
Know Your (Evacuation) Zone!
If told to evacuate for any reason, do not wait. Get out!
If you live within a mile of water, you are at increased risk for flooding. Get flood insurance, keep a go-bag ready, and know your evacuation zone. Learn more about flood risk and flood insurance by joining one of our monthly "Flood Risk & Flood Insurance webinars." Find upcoming dates and register here.
Sign Up for Emergency Alerts!
We encourage NYC residents to sign up to receive emergency alerts about citywide, boroughwide, and neighborhood disasters and emergencies. Go to www.nyc.gov/notify, download the app, or text NOTIFYNYC (English), NOTIFYSPA (Spanish), or NOTIFYFRE (French)to be instantly enrolled to receive alerts. Choose 5 locations you want alerts for—home, work, school, etc. Alerts are available through the website in 13 languages.
Free Smoke & Alarm Installation
Winter is fire season, so it’s extra important to have a smoke detector.
The FDNY and FDNY Foundation, along with the American Red Cross, are offering free smoke alarms and installation to keep you and your neighbors safe. One for each room of your home or apartment! Learn more and register here.
No, thank YOU!
Staff Updates
Tonya Ores named Chief Executive Officer
We are pleased to announce that NHS Brooklyn’s Board of Directors has promoted Tonya Ores from Executive Director, a position she has held since 2003, to Chief Executive Officer. Prior to serving as our Executive Director, Ms. Ores held the positions of Senior Loan Officer at NHS of Bedford Stuyvesant, Director of Homeownership Education at NHS of New York City, and Program Director at NHS of Richmond Hill.
New Faces at NHS Brooklyn
Please join us in welcoming our newest staff members!
Jared Grant
Community Health Worker
Monroe Shannon
Housing Counselor, Insurance & Resiliency
Regina Spann
Human Resources Administrator
Jonathan Timal
Community Health Worker
Ayodele Watford
Housing Counselor
Upcoming Events
∎ For Homeowners ∎ For Tenants ∎ For Home Buyers
∎ First-Time Homebuyer Orientation
Tuesday, November 28
12:00pm – 1:30pm
OR
Tuesday, December 12
6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎∎ Landlord Training
$100 for Future Landlords
$90 for Current Landlords
Tuesday, November 28
6:00pm – 8:00pm
OR
Tuesday, December 12
3:00pm – 5:00pm
∎ Home Insurance: Know What You're Buying (and Not)
Thursday, November 30
6:00pm – 7:30pm
OR
Thursday, December 6
3:00pm – 4:30pm
∎ Town Hall: Homes Sinking in Canarsie and East New York (in-person event)
Thursday, November 30
7:00pm – 8:30pm
∎ ∎ ∎ Financial Coaching & Credit Improvement
Wednesday, December 6
6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ ∎ ∎ Energy Efficiency: Strategies & Resource
Thursday, December 7
6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ ∎ ∎ Flood Risk, Flash Flooding & Flood Insurance
Monday, December 11
6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ Affordable Property Management Program Overview
Wednesday, December 13
6:00pm – 7:00pm
∎ Renter's Insurance: Your Protection Against Disaster
Thursday, December 14
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Date passed? Click HERE for the updated list of Upcoming Events.
Who We Are
NHS Brooklyn is one of Brooklyn’s leading housing organizations, serving low- and moderate-income individuals, families, and communities through homeownership education, financing, and neighborhood revitalization.
What Can YOU Do To Help?
By supporting NHS Brooklyn, you’ll help spare your neighbors and their children the trauma of losing the family home or apartment at this crucial time in our lives.
Here are three easy ways to donate. Choose the one that's best for you!
● Text NHS Brooklyn to 44-321 ● Visit our donation page
● Give on Giving Tuesday (November 28) for more impact! Click here.
However you decide to give, please accept our heartfelt thanks. We cannot do our work without you!
Contact Us
Website
Phone
(718) 469-4679
Offices
Offices open Monday-Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
East Flatbush (Main Office)
2806 Church Avenue (between Nostrand and Rogers Avenues)
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Canarsie (Satellite Office)
9701 Avenue L (corner of Rockaway Parkway)
Brooklyn, NY 11236
© 2023 by Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn
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