Help for Homeowners in Council District 14

Last week’s Homeowner Resource Fair attracted more than 40 households to community space at 2270 Walton Avenue near East 183^rd Street.  Co-sponsored by University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP) and City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, the fair targeted neighborhoods that have not received much attention during the recent foreclosure crisis.

While apartment buildings dominate the landscape of City Council District 14, there are more than 2,000 one-to-four family homes spread throughout its neighborhoods.  These neighborhoods had some of the highest rates of subprime lending in the City during the last decade, and there have been about 170 foreclosure filings within the district since July of 2008 (about one in every 12.5 private homes).  

Despite the torrential downpour that plowed through the Bronx at around 5:30 that evening (and leveled trees in parts of Brooklyn and Queens), turnout and feedback were impressive for a homeowner event in the west Bronx. 

Attendees were able to speak directly with staff from the Department of Environmental Protection regarding water billing issues, while foreclosure prevention counselors from the West Bronx Housing and Neighborhood Resource Center and the Parodneck Foundation also met individually with homeowners.  Free weatherization kits and information were handed out by the Weatherization Assistance Program of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition.

Customer Representatives from DEP had their computers with them and were able to access and review the accounts of 26 homeowners that evening.  Attendees received assistance with usage clarification, payment plans, and metering and leakage problems.

Councilman Cabrera was on hand for the duration of the event and heard from homeowners on a number of issues. “Homeowners in the district face unique challenges such as high water bills and foreclosure issues; just to name a few,” stated the Councilman.  “When I get the chance to partner with organizations like University Neighborhood Housing Program that help remedy some of these issues, I welcome the opportunity.”

Homeowners that were unable to attend the fair but have issues regarding foreclosure, water billing, or are interested in weatherization are urged to call the UNHP outreach line at 718-933-2539 for assistance and referrals.

Bronx Homeowner Help

Bronx Homeowners have at least two opportunities to get some help if they are struggling with mortgage payments, need to straighten out water billing issues, or are looking for help with improvements and weatherization.

Tomorrow (Thursday) evening at Fordham University, a panel of experts will be on hand to offer legal advice to homeowners with their mortgages as part of Bronx Week. One-on-one counseling will also be available to help homeowners. It's a great resource for homeowners who are in foreclosure or are in danger of falling behind on payments and need help dealing with their lender regarding loan modifications or reductions in principal. The fair is on the 2nd floor of the McGinley Center and runs from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. For more information, call 718-590-8088.

Next week Tuesday, May 18, will be another homeowner fair, featuring DEP staff who will be on hand to help straighten out water billing issues with Bronx homeowners. This event will take place at Concourse House, 2751 Grand Concourse from 5:30 to 7:30. Homeowner counselors and weatherization staff will also be on hand, and homeowners will receive a free weatherization kit. For more information, contact UNHP at 718-933-2539.

Speaking of water bills, City Limits has an article out on what happens to delinquent homeowners who end up in the lien sale process. While the City Council is looking to exempt more seniors from the lien sale process (the 2010 lien sale just went through this week), DEP Commissioner Holloway wants to change the enforcement mechanism for delinquent single family homeowners from shutoff of service (which costs about $3,000) to adding them to the lien sale list.

IBO: Drilling for Natural Gas in the Catskills Could Lead to Higher Water Bills in the City

The City's Independent Budget Office has a new report out on the impact drilling for natural gas in the Catskill/Delaware watershed would have on water rates, mainly because of the need for another filtration plant. The plant currently under construction in Van Cortlandt Park is only for filtering water from the Croton watershed -- the source for only about 10% of the City's water.

The State is considering allowing private companies to begin drilling for natural gas in upstate New York, while the City is shelling out more than $630 million between now and 2017 on "filtration avoidance" by protecting the Cat/Del watershed, where 90% of our water comes from. If the companies are allowed to drill, they will utilize a procedure known as hydraulic fracturing that would likely lead to contamination in the watershed and the need for another, even larger filtration plant.

Bronxites make a stink about water rates but wonder if the Water Board is really listening

Reporting and Opinion by Gregory Lobo Jost

Two members of Mayor Bloomberg's Water Board sat mostly silent in the auditorium of the Bronx Library Center on Kingsbridge Road yesterday afternoon. Their executive director (and acting DEP Commissioner) had left before even the first testimony was heard to attend to something that must have been very important upstate. (One wonders if they planned the hearing in the Bronx for that time so Mr. Lawitts could be a bit closer to his meeting 100 miles north of the City). The impending 14% water rate increase kept those in attendance agitated and the two board members mostly silent, save the new board chair Alan Moss's (in photo at center) recollections of growing up on Pelham Parkway to open up the hearing. Most of the talking by anyone on stage was done by the hearing officer (in photo at left).

Meanwhile, the same two City Council members from the Bronx once again attended the hearing. Councilman Koppell focused his testimony on how DEP could shrink the size of the hike by assuming a better collection rate, given the powers bestowed upon the agency by the City Council to sell water liens on multifamily properties and turn off service for delinquent single family homeowners. Councilmembers, of course, feel duped into giving DEP such powers since it is hasn't resulted in lower rate hikes like they were told. And since we are in a deep recession with the City's jobless rate spiking and foreclosures continuing to stay at or near all-time highs, collections will likely not improve; with each new double-digit water rate hike and the worsening of the City's economy comes the realization that many are unable to pay any of their bills, or must at least make the difficult decision between paying the mortgage, property taxes, heating oil, Con Edison, or water bill -- which would you choose? (UNHP's analysis last year showed 15-20% of homeowners at least one year delinquent on their water bills were already in foreclosure.)

Councilman Vacca made his points about how ironically conservation of water leads to higher water rates, and how the rates are really a hidden regressive tax that subsidize the City coffers. He focused on how DEP's budget continues to grow, while every other City agency must make drastic cuts. He implied that the Mayor may even encourage DEP spending increases because the more the agency pays in debt service on capital projects, the more money goes into the City's budget in the form of a rental payment.

Testimony was also heard from environmental groups who (rightfully) continue to harp on the poor decision making regarding the filtration plant, and from a private affordable housing owner and manager who warned of the toll these repeated increases will have on low income renters in the form of reduced services.

Three members of University Neighborhood Housing Program (including myself) testified as well. Included in my testimony was the suggestion for the Water Board to get a proportional cut of alternate side parking ticket revenue since, according to the Independent Budget Office, water rates subsidized street cleaning to the tune of $30 million last year. While somewhat in jest, I used this point to illustrate how the Mayor avoids raising taxes by bilking water rate payers to pay for City services.

UNHP's outreach coordinator, Jumelia Abrahamson, pointed out to the two present members of the Water Board that "the only thing that has gone up faster than the water rate over the past few years is the foreclosure rate." When this rate increase goes into effect, water rates will have gone up 60% in just four years, and will have more than doubled since 2001. To make matters worse, Councilmember Vacca pointed out that DEP is projecting double digit rate hikes for the next few years as well.

While legitimate suggestions were made on how to shrink the size of this year's increase, it is unlikely the Water Board will take any immediate action. Members who took the Mayor to task on the increase last year are no longer on the board.

Meanwhile, the results of the rate study commissioned last year are yet to arrive, meaning the Water Board does not have any recommendations about improving the structuring of the rate system that it will likely take seriously. If that's really the case, then the most useful suggestion of the afternoon may have come from Community Board 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado, who in the last testimony of the afternoon urged those in the audience to remember this rate increase when it comes time to vote in the fall.

The Daily News also covered the hearing.

Bronx News Roundup April 21

In case you haven't heard, a special election is being held in the Bronx today to determine who will be the next borough president.

Assuming Ruben Diaz Jr. emerges victorious, and assuming he picks Aurelia Greene to be his deputy, two assembly seats will open up. Greene wants her current chief-of-staff, Vanessa Gibson to succeed her in the 77th Assembly District (Highbridge, Morrisania, parts of Morris Heights). Community activist Joel R. Rivera is also running. Until a few days ago, Rivera (no relation to Assemblyman Jose Rivera and his kids) was one of several candidates running for Helen Foster's City Council seat. But in a recent press release, he said the campaign "has decided to switch gears and run for [Greene's] open seat in the upcoming special election in early June." Here's Rivera's campaign Web site. (Gibson doesn't appear to have one.) According to Bob Kappstatter, Diaz (District 85) has tapped his executive assistant, Marcus Crespo, to take his seat.

State Senator Pedro Espada's residency is again being questioned. Check out the video at the end of the post. It's well worth a watch. Espada himself, an unidentified baby, and the BoogieDowner's Erin all make an appearance.

Still on politics, Congressmen Eliot Engel and Joseph Crowley have been using campaign contributions to spend big on food. According to the Daily News, Engel has a particular liking for Hunan Balcony, a Chinese restaurant in Riverdale.

Charter schools in the Bronx and beyond are becoming increasingly popular with parents.

Cops shot and injured an armed man in Mott Haven yesterday.

A pubic hearing will be held at the Bronx Library Center next Tuesday on the proposed water bill hike. Homeowners are expected to be hit with a 14 percent increase come July 1. More here.

Here's the Associated Press' take on the Grand Concourse's centennial year.

The Yankees may be forced to slash their sky-high ticket prices.