Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County, Inc.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For centuries, unjust, racist, housing laws and financing mechanisms prevented communities of color from entering the homeownership market and shaped the geography of the wealth, health, and education inequality we see today. Specifically, in New York City and Westchester County, many low to moderate income families are being priced out of an increasingly expensive rental market. We believe that homeownership is equity, with benefits that span generations and increase the wealth, health, and education of our communities. Using the tools of non-profit developers - community land trusts, limited-equity co-ops, and rental-to-ownership conversions - we are creating an infrastructure for equity with benefits that span generations and increase the wealth, health, and education of our communities.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Home Building Programs: First-Time Homebuyer Program
Homeownership is essential for families to build strength, stability and self-determination. We believe that hard-working New Yorkers deserve access to purchase a safe, affordable home and build equity for their families. That's why developing both single-family homes and multi-family buildings for low-to moderate-income New Yorkers is at the very heart of our mission. Since our founding, we have built or rehabilitated over 500 affordable cooperatives, condominiums, and single-family homes and sold them to first-time homebuyers. All homes currently under construction or in predevelopment will be permanently affordable, in partnership with Interboro Community Land Trust - creating equity-building opportunities for generations and contributing to the stabilization of our neighborhoods.
Home Building Programs: Plus One ADU
In partnership with the NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation, Housing Action Council and select municipalities, Westchester Habitat coordinates the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) on the properties of low- to moderate-income residents of Bedford, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson and Irvington. ADUs or accessory apartments—generate rental income for homeowners, creating housing stability, and serve as a new source of affordable housing for teachers, students, first-responders, non-profit organization staff members and other workers priced out of rental markets. They are also a great way to provide affordable housing solutions for intergenerational families, including independent living for adult children or aging parents.
Housing Preservation Programs: Co-op Preservation Program - Construction Preservation Services
The Co-op Preservation program is a holistic program that provides low-cost/no-cost services to from construction, to technical assistance, monitoring and more to existing low to moderate income housing developments. Our Construction Preservation Services offers existing resident-owned affordable buildings a full suite of high quality construction services at a fair price. These clients also receive many pro bono construction services, including needs assessments, letters of recommendation, and capital repair scoping.
Housing Preservation Programs: Co-op Preservation Program - Technical Assistance
The Co-op Preservation program is a holistic program that provides low-cost/no-cost services to from construction, to technical assistance, monitoring and more to existing low to moderate income housing developments. Technical Assistance offers consulting services to the Boards of existing affordable homeownership cooperatives (known as Housing Development Fund Corporations) stabilizes building operations and potentially enables HDFCs access to public/private funding sources to pay for building repairs or other needs and/or navigate internal governance, budgeting or other issues. These services extend beyond the stabilization of cooperative communities to include long-term monitoring to ensure the buildings remain compliant, sustainable, and successful. Additionally, Habitat also provides free technical assistance services to Buildings who are in NYC’s Tenant Interim Lease program and are working toward ownership.
Housing Preservation Programs: Tenant Opportunity to Purchase and Community Preservation Program
Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Program (TOPP): TOPP aligns technical expertise, public/private capital, and collaboration with communities of low- to moderate-income tenants to transform rental buildings into limited-equity cooperatives. Habitat works directly with both tenants and landlords to facilitate the education, technical assistance, and financing necessary to convert occupied rental buildings to resident-owned Limited Equity Cooperative Housing. This work enables equity-building and democratized homeownership opportunities for tenants in their current homes and neighborhoods.
Community Preservation Program (CPP): CPP utilizes volunteers to paint and make light repairs in publicly used facilities such as senior centers, soup kitchens, gymnasiums, lunchrooms, community gardens, and classrooms for after school programs as well as common spaces in affordable cooperative developments. The program has revitalized more than 200 neighborhood spaces in its tenure.
Housing Preservation Programs: Aging In Place (AIP) and Flood Assistance Program
Aging In Place (AIP): The program fills a critical need for low to moderate income senior homeowners in Westchester County. Aging in Place provides home assessments, repair assistance and modifications needed to ensure these seniors can continue to live where they are with dignity and independence by making upgrades that improve the quality of life, including but not limited to ramps and handrails, widening doorways, modifying bathrooms and showers, and improving lighting and appliances.
Flood Assistance Program: The Program provides emergency home repair assistance to Low Income Rockland and Westchester homeowners effected buy the summer 2023 floods for whom FEMA, individual assistance or other disaster recovery assistance is unavailable.
Volunteer Engagement
Many of our programs depend upon the support of volunteers who donate their time and service. Habitat works with approximately 700 – 5,000 volunteers annually from the construction sites and community spaces across New York to our offices and ReStores. We also offer pathways to deepen engagement with our mission through leadership driven opportunities and special events, including Global Village Builds internationally.
Waste Diversion
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Woodside, Queens is the store that helps build homes and reduce waste! The ReStore accepts gently-used or new donated overstock and second-hand items, such as furniture, appliances, home decor and building materials to sell at reduced prices. By the end of June 2023, the ReStore had diverted 2,854 tons of waste from the landfill. Proceeds support Habitat NYC and Westchester’s work to build and preserve homes for hard-working, low-income families.
Advocacy
Habitat NYC and Westchester plays a critical role in housing policy reform to benefit New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Working with supportive advocates and partners at the local, state and federal level, we advocate for housing policies that drive Habitat NYC and Westchester’s mission of building and preserving our communities. New Yorkers can use their voices to join in our efforts to build and preserve a more equitable city, region, and state.
Habitat NYC Community Fund (the “Fund”)
The Fund is a Federally Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides flexible financing to support, create and preserve Low to Moderate Income Housing. The Fund stabilizes existing housing through the financing of capital repairs, consolidation of municipal arrears/bad debt stabilizing the overall financial health of these developments. This type of intervention often unlocks additional capital from other, often public, sources. The Fund also lends to not-for-profit affordable housing developers, including Habitat for Humanity affiliates, across New York State who develop low- to moderate-income housing.
In addition to providing much needed capital, the Fund, through a contract with its parent company, Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County, provides Technical Assistance or development services to help create and preserve affordable housing, with a particular focus on limited equity cooperative housing.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of community spaces revitalized
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2022: Due to a programmatic pause, no community space revitalization projects were completed this year. 2020: Lower number of community spaces due to COVID-19 restrictions and limitations.
Number of low-income families housed in affordable, well-maintained units as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Home Building Programs: First-Time Homebuyer Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Habitat NYC and Westchester has served more than 500 families through our Home Purchase Program as well as over 1,900 families through our Housing Preservation Program.
Number of Superstorm Sandy-damaged homes repaired
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Habitat NYC and Westchester has completed 65 Sandy-related home repairs. This program was discontinued in 2016.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
- Serve more families and communities in New York City and Westchester County through the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable housing, expanding housing support services and strengthening our outreach to prospective families.
- Work on permanently affordable housing through stewardship of the land and the permanent affordability of the buildings on that land by advocating for and investing in community land trusts.
- Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operational plans.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We will continue to partner with developers as well as city and state agencies in order to acquire properties for development, as well as to identify at-risk buildings to assist through our preservation program. We will build quality affordable homes, a mix of single and multi-family housing, as well as provide construction repairs and technical assistance to low- to moderate-income housing entities.
Habitat NYC and Westchester will work to diversify its base of financial support from corporate, community, individual, and foundation partners and to recruit an expanded base of volunteers to help in the build process. Staff members are also working to expand outreach to prospective homebuyers and to counsel those applicants who don't initially qualify for the program in financial literacy, aiding them in future qualification.
Our core programs and activities include:
- Construction: We build and rehabilitate both single- and multi-family homes for low- to moderate-income New Yorkers.
- Preservation: We provide construction repairs and technical assistance to low- to moderate-income housing entities.
- Community Fund: We disburse low-interest loans to low-income housing entities to pay for repairs, preserve permanent affordability in their building, and/or navigate internal governance.
- Interboro Community Land Trust: We are a founding member of the largest urban city-wide land trust in the US, which retains ownership of land and sells to low-income homebuyers or affordable housing developers through land lease agreements
- Advocacy: We support broad-based, practical policy solutions that stand the best chance of producing and preserving the largest number of affordable homes for New Yorkers.
- ReStore: Sales from our retail store, which sells new and gently used materials, furniture, and home goods, directly support Habitat NYC and Westchester's programs and in addition contributes to a CO2 emission reduction by diverting unwanted household items from landfills.
- Volunteer Program: Each year, we host approximately 5,000 local volunteers on our build sites and projects. Volunteers help build and preserve affordable homes, paint and murals in community spaces, and help create a sense of community through service.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
As the only self-help non-profit homeownership developer in New York City, Habitat NYC and Westchester is peerless in the affordable housing realm. Since 1984, Habitat NYC and Westchester has completed more than 500 homes throughout the five boroughs of the city, serving over 2,400 families, and helping to transform dozens of New York City neighborhoods. Habitat NYC and Westchester has renovated old buildings and homes, created new housing on in-fill lots, created co-ops, and expanded its focus to include the preservation of existing affordable housing units through construction preservation repairs and technical assistance to low-income housing entities. We have worked in some of the most severely affected areas of the city, building affordable homes and reviving communities in neighborhoods where chronic disinvestment and rapid gentrification have created a critical housing need.
Habitat NYC and Westchester is led by a volunteer Board and employs paid staff, all of whom are passionate about the organization's mission. Staff and Board members have a variety of management experiences in a mix of specialty areas across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Habitat NYC and Westchester has a governance policy that meets the highest standards, including those of the New York Non-Profit Revitalization Act of 2013. The Board meets on a bi-monthly basis and the management team meets on a weekly basis to engage in both short and long-term planning. Staff performance reviews are completed semi-annually to ensure the quality of work.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The organization has served more than 2,400 families since its inception in 1984. We have been and will continue to increase the number of families we serve, as well as establish models to keep homes permanently affordable for generations to come.
ReStore: To date, the ReStore has diverted more than 2,854 tons of household items from landfills.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Other
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 03/05/2024
Anthony Montalto
Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B)
Term: 2021 -
Peter J Murray
Dolphin Property Services
Doug Morse
North Lake Capital
Brian Smalley
Apple Bank
Brian Lichter
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Christine McGuinness
ArentFox Schiff
Anil Fernando
Glenview Capital Management
Ron Franklin
Proskauer Rose, LLP
Marc Heinrich
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Andrea Himmel
Himmel & Meringoff Properties
Diana Reyna
Diana Reyna Strategic Consulting, LLC
Daniella Schlisser
Brown Harris Stevens
Mai Schiver
AIG
Marian Zucker
S&P Global Ratings
Dena Faccio
Voya Financial, Inc.
David Garner
Credit Suisse
Ashley Neil Serrao
Tradeweb Markets LLC
Kirsten Sibilia
Dattner Architects
David Stein
Adobe
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/30/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.