Far West Side 1% Loan Program

Homeowners in Syracuse’s Far West Side neighborhood are the latest recipients of 1% loans for exterior home improvements. The low interest loans are made possible through Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative funds which “buy down” the interest rate of Home HeadQuarters FlexFund home improvement loans. Far West Side homeowners are welcome to apply for the loans of up to $10,000. Eligible homeowners must be current on their property taxes and water bills and have current homeowners insurance. For a map of the target neighborhood, an application and specific loan information click here.

Kennedy Street Groundbreaking

Join Home HeadQuarters, the city of Syracuse and SE Gateway Corp. in breaking ground on two new single-family homes on West Kennedy Street on the city’s Southside. The groundbreaking kick off for these two new sites is planned for Friday, June 5th at 11am. Please join us, Mayor Driscoll and other community stakeholders at 217 W. Kennedy to help get these projects started!

Blitzing The Block

Home HeadQuarters recently received an award for its volunteer efforts and coordination of the Tully Street Block Blitz from the United Way who also participated in the event. The full day volunteer extravaganza gave one group of Near Westside homeowners new gardens, new exterior paint jobs and some even enjoyed new siding and sidewalks.

This summer, Home HeadQuarters is looking to focus volunteer efforts on two city neighborhoods—the Northside and Near Westside. This mega Block Blitz day is scheduled for Thursday, August 6th. If you would like to get involved and make an immediate difference in our community, call 474-1939 x249 or email info@homehq.org TODAY! Various sponsorship levels are available and the need for skilled workers is great.

Tipp Hill Neighborhood Assoc. President Wins Resident Leadership Award

When Home HeadQuarters nominated Janice McKenna, Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association President, for NeighborWorks® America’s Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award, we thought we would all need to make do with just the nomination. We, along with countless others, certainly understood the level of commitment and leadership that Janice provides to her neighborhood, but realistically we knew it was a national award with hundreds of nominees from across the country.

This past month, we were all notified that Janice did indeed win the award along with seven other dedicated volunteers from various cities in the United States. Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks® America, announced that, “The important contributions of these volunteers have helped to transform and enrich their neighborhoods and towns, creating lasting benefits for countless residents.”

Join us in congratulating Janice who will receive her official award later this year at a NeighborWorks® America’s Community Leadership Institute.

Local Kids Maintaining Near West Side Properties

Onondaga Earth Corps (OEC), an effort by Cornell Cooperative Extension, SNAG and Southside Interfaith CDC to provide youth development and employment in landscaping and urban forestry, will now be mowing lawns and maintaining landscaping for some of Home HeadQuarters-owned Near West Side properties. This is a new venture for OEC and should promise a wealth of experience for the kids who are mainly from the city’s South and Westside neighborhoods.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Cedric Singleton and Dorothy Huston both winners of Home Depot Gift Certificates. Cedric entered the Syracuse City Living raffle and Dorothy participated in the Eastwood 1% Loan Customer Satisfaction Survey. Dorothy told us she plans on buying cinder blocks with her winnings.

This Just In…

It seems that architectural media folks, especially those in various European locales, are creating quite a buzz about the From the Ground Up competition and the winning homes that will be built on the Near Westside. The latest article highlights the Cook + Fox house being built on Marcellus Street this Fall. See Italian magazine europaconcorsi’s article click here.

SHARP Record

In record time, 110 people showed up at Home HeadQuarters to apply for SHARP (Syracuse Homeowner Assistance Repair Program) funds made possible through the city of Syracuse Community Development Block Grant. In less than five days, all SHARP funding for 2009 which provides homeowners with small home repair grants was allocated.