December 18, 2019

Press Office: hpdmedia@hpd.nyc.gov

Citi Community Development supports expansion of HPD’s Housing Ambassadors Program, helping community-based service providers connect New Yorkers with affordable housing opportunities

NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced today the release of a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking qualified nonprofits and community-based organizations to participate in an accessibility expansion of the Housing Ambassador Program. The expansion focuses on building HPD’s network of Housing Ambassadors, to offer enhanced assistance for New Yorkers with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency who are applying for affordable housing. The expansion is made possible with support from Citi.

“We’ve been creating desperately needed affordable housing at record pace, and we must make sure that all New Yorkers can access everything we have to offer. With this new funding, we’re able to empower our dedicated community partners to better serve New Yorkers with disabilities, bringing us another step closer to becoming a more inclusive, fairer city,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “I thank our partners at Citi for their support that will allow for us to go further in our work to meet New Yorkers where they are, and deliver results that can impact their lives for the better.”

“Every New Yorker has a right to housing that is safe, affordable and accessible,” said Victor Calise, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. “HPD has done an excellent job of creating units that meet the needs of people with various disabilities that live within our great city. The Housing Ambassador Program is an invaluable asset for constituents with disabilities to assist them in finding and applying for homes that best suit their needs. We look forward to working with HPD and our mutual partner, Citi, on the Empowered Cities initiative which includes employment, financial empowerment and housing.”

“With an estimated 800 languages spoken and nearly one million people living with a disability, New York City’s families have diverse needs. However, those needs should not become an obstacle to access vital services like affordable housing,” said Bob Annibale, Global Director, Citi Community Development and Inclusive Finance. “Whether a New Yorker has a disability or has limited English proficiency, the expanded Housing Ambassadors Program will help provide them with an accessible pathway and quality services.”

NYC Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., said, “I welcome HPD and Citi Community Development’s partnership to strengthen the Housing Ambassador Program and ensure the inclusion of New Yorkers with disabilities or limited English proficiency. All New Yorkers benefit from breaking down barriers to affordable housing and we must continue to take steps that nurture greater innovation and inclusion as we proactively work to overcome the obstacles to securing affordable housing.”

The expansion more than doubles HPD’s investment in the Housing Ambassador Program, which connects New Yorkers in need of assistance applying for affordable housing with community-based organizations and service providers across the five boroughs that HPD trains in the application process. The Agency currently partners with 47 Housing Ambassadors who operate in 17 languages, and the expansion of the program seeks to support more organizations working with New Yorkers with diverse needs, specifically people with disabilities.

Housing Ambassadors identified through the RFEI will receive funding to hold events and provide services in locations that are accessible to people with disabilities. Funding will include support for a range of services, including braille embossing, procurement of wheelchair accessible space, ASL interpretation and assistive technology for deaf or hard of hearing. Selected Housing Ambassadors will also receive funding for language access services not already available from HPD.

All affordable housing developments under the Mayor’s Housing New York plan set aside a portion the units for New Yorkers with disabilities. Since 2016, the City has marketed nearly 30,000 affordable units, over 2,000 of which have been designated and prioritized for people with mobility, vision, and hearing disabilities.

Deadline for submissions to the RFEI is January 15, 2020. For more information on the RFEI, visit the HPD website. Respondents to the RFEI will also be considered for HPD’s Ready to Rent Program, which helps New Yorkers prepare to apply for affordable housing by providing free one-on-one financial counseling and assistance with affordable housing applications.

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