NHS Brooklyn | Newsletter | Winter 2024
Dear Friends,
We’re off to a great start in 2024 and couldn’t be more excited as we enter our 42nd year of building communities and transforming lives across Brooklyn!
In this newsletter, you’ll learn about new programs we’re offering, important initiatives we’ve launched or been part of recently, and upcoming events to kick off the year.
Whether you’re a homeowner, home buyer, small landlord, tenant, or some combination of these, don’t hesitate to let us know how we can support you in obtaining, maintaining, and keeping your home.
Sincerely,
Tonya Ores
Chief Executive Officer
Home, Property, or Business Damaged by 9/29 Rain & Event? Act now!
If your home or business in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, or Staten Island was affected by the significant flash flooding event on September 29, 2023, you may apply for low-interest disaster loans from the US Small Business Administration, but don’t delay! The filing deadline to submit an application for economic damage is September 4, 2024.
For more information and to apply, please visit the SBA Disaster Loan Portal and click "Disaster Assistance Loans."
Canarsie & East New York Town Hall
Forgive the pun, but that sinking feeling was all too real for Canarsie and East New York homeowners who attended a Town Hall on November 29 to discuss—you guessed it--the issue of their homes sinking.
Called by Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymember Jamie Williams, Assemblymember Nikki Lucas, and Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse, the Town Hall featured speakers from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the NYC Department of Buildings, who discussed the issue and answered questions from the audience and elected officials.
Unfortunately, the problem of homes sinking in these neighborhoods is not new, as Assemblymember Williams made clear when she read aloud a 1988 New York Times article on the topic that mentioned that homes had been sinking since at least 1966. Homeowners at the event pointed out similar problems with their homes sinking that they, or their neighbors, have experienced over the years, and expressed frustration that the hazard has not been addressed.
Housing nonprofit NHS Brooklyn, which has an office at 9701 Avenue L in Canarsie, partnered with Millenium Development and Canarsie Community Development to promote the event, which was held at Hebrew Educational Society in Canarsie.
Reducing Property Taxes: Now’s the Time!
If you’re a homeowner, you know that January means you’ll be receiving your Notice of Property Value (NOPV) from NYC Department of Finance (DOF). Your NOPV states what your property tax will be for the next year as well as other information about your property.
But did you also know that you may be able to lower your property taxes by applying for exemptions, correcting errors, and challenging the assessment of your property? You can, provided you do so by March 15. That's why we teamed up with DOF and Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse on January 25: to offer a workshop where homeowners could learn these strategies and meet with DOF representatives to explore their options. “Thanks to NHS Brooklyn and the NYC Department of Finance for their expert assistance in helping folks to lower their property taxes, get answers to their housing questions and access essential resources to navigate the complexities of homeownership in New York City,” said Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse, who hosted the event at her office.
Be sure to subscribe to our website to receive emails about our upcoming events like this and more. To view your property’s Notice of Property Value and for a list of in-person and virtual events where you may meet with DOF representatives, go here.
Resiliency Retrofits for Property Owners: Prevent Costly Water Damage
Brooklyn homeowners may be eligible for up to $50,000 in a 50/50 Loan/Grant to undertake flood mitigation measures and other climate-ready improvements to protect their homes with the Resiliency Retrofits Program.
Projects that could quality include flood mitigation measures, such as elevating electrical equipment, using flood-resistant materials, installing flood vents, sump pump, or heat pump, adding a backwater valve, and more. The loan portion of the program carries a low interest rate: just 1%.
Energy upgrades are also eligible. These include hot water tanks and high-performance windows. To take advantage of this aspect of the program, homeowners need to undertake one flood mitigation item as part of the overall project.
For program details, eligibility rules, and an application, go here.
Community Support Network Outreach
NHS Brooklyn is a member of the Community Support Network, a pre-crisis healthcare referral campaign overseen by The Fund for Public Health in New York City and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Through online, community-event, and street-level outreach, our Community Health Workers are raising awareness of and connecting individuals and their families to physical and mental health resources.
We direct those we meet to primary care, insurance, preventive care, and treatment for any medical or mental health conditions before they reach a crisis level. If an individual is found to be in crisis, we will provide a higher level of assistance; however, no person information is collected from the residents we meet.
Watch for us at transportation hubs, business corridors, schools, libraries, and other public places. You'll also find our flyer in the windows of over 130 businesses who support the campaign. Find more information and links to the resources we share, go here.
Resources, Applying for Medicaid & Estate Planning for Family Caregivers
(Click Image to Watch the Webinar)
Over 150 residents joined an important webinar on January 30 designed to educate caregivers about Medicaid, estate planning, and asset protection. Resources and referrals for caregivers and their loved ones were also presented. Professionals from NHS Brooklyn, New York Legal Assistance Group, and the NYC Department for the Aging were among the speakers.
If you missed the webinar or would like to hear it again, click the screenshot above or here view it on YouTube.
To speak with a counselor about estate planning or housing needs, please submit a request here.
NHS Brooklyn Awarded $25,000 by Ponce De Leon Foundation
NHS Brooklyn was among the 27 organizations recognized by Ponce De Leon Foundation for their impact on the community. We received $25,000, the second highest award, for making a difference in the community with our homeownership preservation initiatives.
Emergency Preparedness: Sign up for NotifyNYC
All NYC residents should sign up with NYC Emergency Management for NotifyNYC to receive emergency alerts about citywide and hyperlocal disasters and emergencies. Go to www.nyc.gov/notify to choose 5 locations you want alerts for—home, work, school, etc. Available in 13 languages, including ASL, so tell a neighbor, too!
Free Smoke Alarm & Installation
Using candles, cooking a lot, using extension cords; overloading power strips and electrical sockets; and ebike batteries can all cause fires. That’s why it’s extra important to have working smoke and CO2 detectors. Thanks to the FDNY, the FDNY Foundation, and the American Red Cross, you can get free alarms installed in every room of your home or apartment. Learn more and register here.
Testimonial from a First-Time Home Buyer Education Client
Good morning Ms. Cummings & Clarence,
I got a closing date scheduled for 12/19/23. I want to thank both of you for the amazing work that you do (helping dreams come true) and for helping me. It’s been an amazing journey for me and you both traveled part with me, starting with the pandemic online seminars, first in-person class, all the paperwork and phone calls. Words cannot express my gratitude.
Thank you so much.
C.W.
Staff Updates
CEO Tonya Ores wins 2024 Woman of Distinction Award
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn has chosen our CEO, Tonya Ores, to receive a 2024 Woman of Distinction Award for her advocacy of affordable housing. The ceremony will take place at Brooklyn College’s Don Buchwald Theater within the Leonard and Clare Tow Center for the Performing Arts, 2920 Campus Road, Brooklyn, NY 11210. Date and time to be confirmed, but we'll be there, and hope you'll join us to celebrate!
NHS Brooklyn Board Vice President nominated for a Caribbean Impact Award
Raul Van Rossum, Vice President of our Board of Directors and Broker at Citizens International Realty, has been nominated for a Caribbean Impact Award for his outstanding work in the community supporting homeownership. Hosted by Schneps Media, the event will take place on March 20, 2024, at 6pm at Terrace on the Park in Queens. Congratulations, Raul!
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
Happy Black History Month!
In-Person. Save the Date!
April 2024 Second Annual Real Estate & Property Management Conference
June 2024 Annual Housing Resource Fair
Webinars
∎ For Homeowners ∎ For Tenants ∎ For Home Buyers
∎ First-time Home Buyer Orientation
Tuesday, February 13 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ ∎ Landlord Training
Tuesday, February 13 | 3:00pm – 5:00pm
$100 for future landlords, $90 for current landlords, $50 for repeating students.
∎ Affordable Property Management: Program Overview
Thursday, February 15 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
∎ Tenants: Know Your Rights!
Wednesday, February 21 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ ∎ ∎ Financial Coaching & Credit Improvement
Thursday, February 22 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ ∎ Landlord Training
Tuesday, February 27 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
$100 for future landlords, $90 for current landlords, $50 for repeating students.
∎ Home Insurance: Know What You're Buying
Wednesday, February 28 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ ∎ ∎ Flood Risk, Flood Insurance & Flood Recovery
Tuesday, March 5 | 6:00pm – 7:30pm
∎ Renter's Insurance: Your Protection Against Disaster
Thursday, March 14 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Contact Us
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. Contact us for assistance with any service or program here.
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
© 2024 by Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn