HOME HEADQUARTERS RECEIVES $100,000 GRANT TO HELP STRENGTHEN AUBURN AND BINGHAMTON COMMUNITIES:
Grant Aids Group’s Central New York Revitalization Efforts
November 2009
Washington, DC – NeighborWorks America today announced that it awarded a special $100,000 grant to Syracuse-based Home HeadQuarters, Inc., a member of the national NeighborWorks network, to help the organization expand its community stabilization work to the Auburn and Binghamton communities.
Home HeadQuarters , was recently named the top producing agency in rehabilitating homes during the last fiscal year, having led all of the 240+ organizations in the NeighborWorks network by rehabilitating and improving almost 900 homes for Central New York homeowners. The NeighborWorks America grant announced today helps Home HeadQuarters continue to broaden its work into communities that have been hard hit by the national foreclosure crisis and years of disinvestment, enabling it to bring vacant housing back into productive use and stabilize neighborhood home values.
“We’re ready to get moving with the help of this grant from NeighborWorks America,” said Kerry Quaglia, executive director of Home HeadQuarters, Inc., “This money will help advance our on-going planning and revitalization efforts throughout Central and Upstate New York with a special emphasis on the cities of Binghamton and Auburn.”
“The work that Home HeadQuarters has done in other communities is impressive and we look forward to working with them on improving the housing stock here in the City of Auburn,” said Auburn City Mayor, Michael D. Quill. “We welcome their housing and community development expertise and look forward to working with them.”
“Home HeadQuarters has played an important role in our efforts to revitalize our neighborhoods,” said Matthew T. Ryan, Mayor of the City of Binghamton. “This new grant will allow the organization to expand their important work even further.”
The grant to Home HeadQuarters is one of five grants totaling $550,000 that NeighborWorks America recently made to NeighborWorks organizations. The other grants were made to: NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania ($100,000); NeighborWorks Homeownership Center, Sacramento Region ($150,000); Community Development Corporation of Long Island ($100,000), and Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation ($100,000). All of the grants are aimed at stabilizing communities in the wake of the national foreclosure crisis through the delivery either of increased foreclosure counseling services, housing rehabilitation or mortgage lending programs.
About NeighborWorks® America
NeighborWorks® America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks network ― more than 230 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.
About Home HeadQuarters, Inc.
Home HeadQuarters is an independent, not-for-profit housing and community development organization dedicated to creating housing and related opportunities for Central New York families and individuals. Home HeadQuarters works to provide comprehensive programs and services including Nationally-certified homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention, emergency and urgent care home improvement, home and energy improvement loans and grants and real estate development and planning. Home HeadQuarters is the largest community development lender in Central and Upstate New York and consistently ranks nationally as one of the top producers in home rehabilitation and the creation of new homeowners. Since 1996, Home HeadQuarters has assisted more than 3,300 families with major home repair assistance totaling nearly $42 million and provided homeownership education to more than 4,500 individuals helping to generate $123 million in home purchase mortgage financing.
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2009 Block Blitz - N. Townsend St. & Otisco St. August 6, 2009
Watch the video!!
Modular Home Delivered to 521 Tully Street July 9, 2009
A brand new modular home designed by SU School of Architecture students and owned by Home HeadQuarters was set today. The six to eight SU students, as part of a design-build studio, designed the affordable and sustainable single-family home under the direction of architect Lea Ciaverra of lubrano ciaverra design out of Brooklyn. Local not-for-profit housing agency Home HeadQuarters applied for and received funding to the project, managed the foundation and deck construction and has also found a buyer for the $80,000 home. Students will also work on the modular home to finalize trim, light carpentry and siding. Local contractors will be hired to provide electrical and plumbing. The home was built by Haven Homes out of Pennsylvania and will be set by one of their crews.
The new 1500+/- square foot pre-fab home was placed at 521 Tully Street on the city’s Near Westside, the previous site of a derelict and vacant building. The 500 block of Tully Street has the highest concentration of owner-occupants in the Near Westside neighborhood and was the site of a massive “Block Blitz” last year where volunteers through Home HeadQuarters and the United Way painted, added rain gardens, cleaned up propertys and made minor repairs to the existing homes. This many-partnered project is part of the overall Near Westside Initiative which seeks to revitalize the neighborhood for existing and new homeowners.
Workers "deconstruct" Syracuse house July 8, 2009
Syracuse, NY - Workers began "deconstructing" a dilapidated home on Syracuse's Near Westside this morning.
Instead of chucking the wreckage of 319 Marcellus St. into a landfill, local organizations will reuse most of the recyclable materials, said Kevin Stack of Northeast Natural Homes.
Any items in good condition--such as doors, flooring and light fixtures--will be donated to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore program that provides building materials for home construction projects.
June 5, 2009 - Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll, Assembly member Joan Christensen, the Southside Homeowners Association and other community stakeholders help SE Gateway CDC and Home HeadQuarters break ground on the first of four new single-family homes on Syracuse's Southside.
The Clemans move into a Home HeadQuarters' house in Syracuse June 2009
Chris and Carolyn Clemans, of Fayetteville, recently purchased a house in Syracuse's near westside that was rehabilitated by Home HeadQuarters, a not-for-profit organization that aims to revitalize neighborhoods in Syracuse. The couple talked about their decision to move into the city and what attracted them to the neighborhood and the 1940's 2-family house. They hope to move into the house by the end of summer.
NYS Affordable Housing Corporation Approves
$600,000 Grant to Build 15 Affordable Homes in Syracuse April 2009
NEW YORK—Thursday, April 2, 2009--The board of the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC) today approved a $600,000 grant to Home HeadQuarters, Inc. to finance the construction of 15 affordable single-family homes in Syracuse.
“Our grant will help create new homes for working families in Syracuse,” said Priscilla Almodovar, AHC President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our funding reinforces the Paterson administration’s mission of generating affordable housing even in these difficult economic times.”
The AHC grant will be used to build three- and four-bedroom homes on scattered sites throughout Syracuse. The homes will be well insulated, tightly sealed and include high efficiency gas-fired furnaces and hot water heaters as well as energy-efficient windows and doors. Potential homebuyers will be limited to household incomes of up to $50,950 for a family of four.
The total cost of the project is $2.8 million. In addition to the AHC grant, the project will be financed with more than $1 million in City HOME funds, a construction loan of $1.87 million from Home HeadQuarters’ Revolving Loan Fund, a $935,000 community development loan from the City of Syracuse, and homeowner mortgages and equity.
“This AHC funding is the critical component to insuring the development of new single-family affordable home construction in Syracuse,” said Kerry Quaglia, Home HeadQuarters Executive Director. “Home HeadQuarters and our housing partners on this project are excited to begin construction and are honored to have received this funding.”
Cooperative Federal, Home HeadQuarters to Launch Joint Foreclosure Prevention Program February 2009
