Community Housing Innovations

CHI Announces new service for Westchester and Long Island Homebuyers

With opportunities for affordable home ownership the best in a decade, CHI announces a new free home-buying service through its nonprofit affiliate, CHI Realty. With just an email address, homebuyers may sign up to receive access to the entire Westchester and Long Island Multiple Listing Services. They may customize their searches through “Alerts,” that provide notification of new properties the moment they are listed. To find out more, Click Here.

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Mayor Joseph Delfino and Community Housing Innovations
Host Ribbon-Cutting for Minerva Place Condominiums

Community Housing Innovations (CHI) and White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino hosted a ribbon-cutting for Minerva Place Condominiums, celebrating the city’s most energy efficient residence. The units, which are being purchased by homeowners who are part of the local workforce, were developed, constructed and marketed by Community Housing Innovations, Inc. Minerva Place represents CHI’s efforts to make housing affordable to families earning up to 100% of the Area Median Income—up to $105,300 for a family of four. Often, these workers fall between the cracks in a county like Westchester because they make too much for traditional affordable housing options, but the market rate is out of their reach.

“I’m really looking forward to having a place of my own and to making it comfortable,” stated Claudette Edwards, a registered dietician who has lived in rental apartments in White Plains for the past twenty years and is purchasing a Minerva two-bedroom unit. “I think it’s really wonderful that people who want to live in While Plains can afford to purchase a place in Minerva – it’s affordable.”

“It’s important to provide options for those local workers who make too much for affordable housing options, but who want a place of their own in an expensive county like Westchester,” said Alexander Roberts, Executive Director of Community Housing Innovations. “Minerva Place Condominiums represents a combination of two of my passions –workforce housing and energy efficiency.”

In order to make the units affordable to families below 80% of the area median income, the agency is providing down payment assistance of up to $30,000 for those lower income applicants.

Minerva Place Condominiums is praised as the most energy-efficient residence in White Plains, featuring the city’s first GeoExchange system for heating and cooling. Eight wells, each 360 feet deep, draw energy from the earth for heating and cooling, using a ground source heat pump system.

“I’ll be honest, when I first learned of Minerva Place, I didn’t even know what a GeoExchange system was, “Claudette Edwards explained. “I just thought the condo was great and I was excited that I could afford it. But, then a relative of mine explained how a GeoExchange system worked and I was really excited. It’s good for the environment.”

In addition to a GeoExchange system that uses the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool the building, Minerva Place Condominiums features energy-efficient construction techniques, insulation, plumbing and lighting upgrades that are projected to save homebuyers approximately 30% on energy costs, compared to a typical new development.

The 14 units consist of 11 two-bedroom and 3 one-bedroom apartments with engineered wood floors, stainless steel appliances, built-in dishwasher and microwaves, walk-in closets, Corian or granite countertops in the kitchen, and cultured stone countertops in the bathrooms. The project architect was Warshauer Mellusi Warshauer Architects, P.C. The modular builder was Deluxe Building Systems, Inc. The lender was TD Bank, N.A. White Plains donated land and about $75,000 per unit in subsidy from its Affordable Housing Fund. NYSERDA is projected to contribute about $55,000 toward the energy-saving improvements.

“In these difficult economic times, I am proud to say White Plains has options to elevate families into home ownership,” stated Mayor Delfino. “These condos will fill a critical workforce housing need in White Plains.”

CLICK HERE for more information.

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As homelessness in Suffolk County increases by 30%, Community Housing Innovations is awarded over $1 Million in HUD Funding

In December, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $9.8 million in homeless assistance for HUD’s Continuum of Care programs on Long Island. Community Housing Innovations, which provides housing and human services to low and moderate income families and individuals, was awarded the most funding on Long Island, over $1 million, for its Supportive Housing Programs. The funding was announced just as Suffolk County records a 30% increase in homelessness from October 2008 to October 2009 (1,500 homeless individuals). Long Island remains the fifth least affordable metropolitan area for housing in the United States.

Through HUD’s Supportive Housing Program, agencies like CHI are given funds to acquire, rehabilitate and operate affordable housing for people who are homeless and who live with mental and physical disabilities. To assist the individuals and families in the SHP homes in their transition from homelessness and to enable them to live as independently as possible, HUD also funds ongoing supportive services, including case management.

In Suffolk County, Community Housing Innovations’ partnership program with Phoenix House of Long Island, offering permanent housing with services, was awarded $109,697 of the total $224,968 awarded to the organization’s Suffolk initiatives. In Nassau County, a total of $848,532 was awarded for permanent housing with services for CHI’s partnerships with Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services, Education and Assistance Corporation, and HELPUSA. CHI’s programs have created affordable permanent housing for 160 people--54 single individuals and 31 families who were formerly homeless with disabilities on Long Island.

“In the past year, the problem of homelessness on Long Island has reached epidemic proportions,” stated Rosemary Dehlow, Director of Long Island programs for Community Housing Innovations. “HUD’s recognition of our programs allows us to continue our important work.”

HUD’s Continuum of Care consists of 6,300 local homeless assistance projects throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The goal is to promote programs that help homeless individuals along a wide spectrum of needs, from emergency shelter, to transitional programs and long-term solutions.

-Helps Low-Income Tenants on Long Island Afford Utility Bills-
-Funds Supplied by National Grid and the U.S. Department of Energy-

Community Housing Innovations (CHI), a nonprofit that provides housing and human services for low-income families and individuals on Long Island, has announced completion of the first project in their ongoing initiative to weatherize Long Island’s affordable homes and shelters. The organization has started on the second project, which includes weatherization of two shelters, as well as additional homes. Weatherization steps include installing insulation, upgrading the boiler, sealing doors and windows, and insulating pipes. National Grid and the U.S. Department of Energy have provided funds for these projects.

For the first project, CHI worked with the Association of Energy Affordability to weatherize four homes, with 17 tenants, in Blue Point, Patchogue and Central Islip. The weatherization steps are expected to decrease the utility bills in the homes by 15-20%, making them easier for the low-income tenants to afford. The project used funds from National Grid.

CHI has recently started the second initiative, which includes weatherization of a home and two shelters, with 69 tenants, in Patchogue, Riverhead and Brentwood. This project will use stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, administered through the Supportive Housing Network of New York.

“The emphasis on short-term costs has prevented most low-income housing programs from implementing weatherization initiatives,” said Alexander Roberts, Executive Director of Community Housing Innovations. “Instead, CHI focuses on the cost-effectiveness to the taxpayer and the ‘green’ responsibility to the planet, and therefore takes a long-term view. The weatherization initiatives will payback in 5-7 years, with a 15-20% return. That’s a strong rate of return.”

“I’m glad that my utility bills will decrease,” stated Kim Hill, a tenant in one of the low-income weatherized homes. “But mostly, I’m proud to live in an energy efficient home. I really care about the environment and weatherizing homes is an important step in protecting it.”

CHI is participating in Lord & Taylor’s SHOP SMART.do good! fundraising event.
You get unique savings – We get $5 for every ticket we sell!

Here are the particulars:

CHI is participating in this fundraising event at the following Lord & Taylor stores on the following dates:

CHI keeps 100% of all ticket sales that we sell.
With your ticket, you get a bonus coupon and savings pass that are Lord & Taylor's best offers of the year with very limited exclusions.

On Fundraising Day, there are many ways to save. Each ticket includes a 20% bonus coupon to be used on one special item and a 15% savings pass to be used all day long on regular and sale-priced merchandise storewide including cosmetics and fragrances. Save even more by opening a Lord & Taylor charge account on Fundraising Day and receive an extra 15% off your purchases. Current Lord & Taylor cardholders receive an additional 10% on top of all the other great savings.

Community Housing Innovations’ (CHI) Career Services recently launched CHI Energy, an energy efficiency training program, which helps unemployed and underemployed individuals find employment and career advancement in the high-growth fields associated with sustainability and energy efficiency. Jobs in this sector are expected to increase 25% from 2006 to 2016. President Barack Obama made reducing energy use and increasing efficiency a cornerstone of his economic recovery plan, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and he has committed to overhauling 75% of federal buildings to save $2 billion through energy efficiency. Billions more are earmarked for investment in projects for residential buildings and workforce development in the emerging energy field. The model is unique because it focuses on the administrative and customer support aspects required for propelling business in the energy efficiency arena and connecting the public to much needed local services.

Anyone wishing information on how they may receive government funding to make their home more energy efficient may call CHI Energy at 1-866-LESS ENERGY.