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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 023-06
January 20, 2006

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONLINE RESOURCE

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced today the creation of the online Affordable Housing Resource Center, which aims to dramatically increase New Yorkers' access to information from more than a dozen City agencies involved in housing matters. The Affordable Housing Resource Center can be found on the web at: www.nyc.gov/housing. The site will provide information and advice on buying and renting in the private market, legal rights and responsibilities, and health tips.

"During my re-election campaign I pledged that City government would combine all of its existing data on available housing into a comprehensive website that will also include information on legal services, assistance for building owners and information on City services for tenants," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The online Affordable Housing Resource Center fulfills that promise. In the same way that 311 brings together comprehensive information on City services through one telephone number, this website will provide New Yorkers with a single point of entry to affordable housing information."

In 2002, Mayor Bloomberg launched the $3.5 billion New Housing Marketplace Plan, the largest affordable housing initiative in a generation. The plan is being successfully implemented by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Housing Development Corporation and other City agencies. The Mayor's first term saw the preservation and development of 47, 000 units of affordable housing across the City's five Boroughs.

To help more New Yorkers learn about affordable housing opportunities and other critical housing information, 12 City agencies worked together to enact the Mayor's pledge to combine key elements of the City's existing housing data into a comprehensive portal on the City's main website, www.nyc.gov. In addition to current lotteries of housing financed through City programs, this Affordable Housing Resource Center provides information on the following:

  • Apartment and house hunting tips
  • Downpayment assistance
  • Public housing
  • Emergency housing assistance
  • Federal rental assistance
  • Repairs and maintenance
  • Tenants' rights
  • Foreclosure prevention
  • Housing for people with special needs, and
  • Mayoral announcements on housing

"With this new website, New Yorkers will now have unprecedented, one-stop access to housing information and services of over a dozen agencies," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff. "The launch represents not only our Administration's commitment to affordable housing but also to making government more responsive and citizen-centered."

"Mayor Bloomberg's ambitious New Housing Marketplace plan is creating new affordable housing opportunities across the City," said Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Shaun Donovan. "We want as many New Yorkers as possible to more easily access City housing services and be aware of opportunities to enter the lotteries for affordable homes and apartments and to take advantage of the City's downpayment assistance program and homeownership counseling."

"Each year we are setting records in the amount of new apartment construction and preservation that we finance, and it is important for people to be aware that these apartments are becoming available to rent and to buy," said Housing Development Corporation President Emily A. Youssouf. "This website will make it easier for people to find the apartments that are being built and preserved with our financing."

"This site will allow people who are looking for public housing to find out where to go for an application and may also give them other ideas of where they might find affordable housing," said New York City Housing Authority Chairman Tino Hernandez.

The following entities contributed to the creation of the Affordable Housing Resource Center:

  • The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development's mission is to promote quality housing and viable neighborhoods for New Yorkers. The department is the nation's largest municipal housing development agency. Since Fiscal Year 1987, the agency has completed the construction or rehabilitation of over 229,000 units of affordable housing. HPD also encourages the preservation of affordable housing through education, outreach, loan programs and enforcement of housing quality standards.

  • The New York City Housing Development Corporation finances the construction and preservation of billions of dollars worth of affordable apartments in New York City each year.

  • The New York City Housing Authority provides quality, affordable housing to 420,000 low-and moderate-income New Yorkers in 345 developments, and assists another 270,000 low-income New Yorkers through its Section 8 housing assistance program.

  • The New York City Department of Homeless Services provides safe shelter and outreach services to the homeless and helps individuals and families find permanent housing.

  • The New York City Rent Guidelines Board establishes rent adjustments for the nearly one million dwelling units subject to the Rent Stabilization Law. It holds an annual series of public meetings and hearings to consider research from staff and testimony from owners, tenants, advocacy groups and industry experts.

  • The New York City Department for the Aging helps older adults through advocacy, education and the coordination and delivery of services, including housing.

  • The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs works to ensure that tenants are treated fairly by their landlords, and that building owners are charged fair prices for building services and commodities like heating oil.

  • The New York City Department of Finance collects property taxes from homeowners, assesses real property and maintains property records.

  • The New York City Commission on Human Rights protects residents from housing discrimination.

  • The New York City Human Resources Administration provides temporary help to eligible individuals and families with social service and economic needs in order to assist them in leading independent lives.

  • The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities works with city agencies to ensure that the voice of the disabled community is represented and that City programs and policies address the needs of people with disabilities.

  • The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs promotes the full and active participation of immigrant New Yorkers in the civic, economic, and cultural life of the City by fostering communication and connection between City agencies and immigrant communities.

The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) also contributed important information to the Affordable Housing Resource Center and provided a link to its website. DHCR supervises, maintains and develops affordable low-and moderate-income housing.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/ Paul Elliott   (212) 788-2958

Neill Coleman   (Housing Preservation & Development)
(212) 863-8076

Aaron Donovan   (Housing Development Corp.)
(212) 227-9496

Howard Marder   (Housing Authority)
(212) 306-3322




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