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Mayor Adam Releases Homeowner Handbook, Comprehensive Guide to Help New Yorkers Protect, Maintain Their Homes
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ew York City Mayor Eric Adams on July 27 released the “Homeowner Handbook: Protecting and Maintaining Home in NYC,” a comprehensive guide to help New Yorkers navigate the responsibilities of homeownership and access resources to protect and maintain their homes. An initiative of the Homeowner Help Desk and a partnership between the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, the Office of the New York Attorney General, and local community-based organizations, the handbook builds on Mayor Adams’ $44 million investment in expanding homeownership to help New Yorkers — particularly in lower-income communities and communities of color — build and maintain wealth. “The best way to build wealth is to own a home, and my administration is investing the money and doing the work to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “I will not accept a city where Black and Brown communities and renters are priced out of the chance to build wealth for their children and grandchildren. The Homeowner
The cover of the Homeowner Handbook. Credit: New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Handbook will provide New Yorkers with critical tools to not only own a home, but also protect it and maintain it so they can pass it onto the next generation.” “Homeownership is one of our most important tools to supporting housing stability and building generational wealth. The new Homeowner Handbook will help New Yorkers learn about the
resources and programs available to maintain and stay in their homes,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “Our new citywide housing blueprint, ‘Housing Our Neighbors,’ prioritizes homeownership as a key step in tackling our housing shortage, and we are proud to partner with the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Neighborhood Services, and Brooklyn Legal Services to bring this new handbook to the community.” “New York City is placing homeownership front and center because we know it’s a proven path to building wealth, financial security, and equity for the next generation,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “The Homeowner Handbook is a tool to empower homeowners with the information they need to meet their responsibilities, keep their homes in good condition, and protect their homes if they fall on hard times. I thank the mayor for his leadership on this issue and all our partners for stepping up.” The handbook will help owners of oneto four-family homes identify public entities and homeownership programs, with information on financial assistance
and resources on maintaining and keeping a home. It also includes guidance on regulations, addressing code violations, paying arrears, and complying with local laws. HPD, the Center for NYC The Homeowner Handbook builds on Mayor Adams’ commitment to supporting homeowners and first-time homebuyers, outlined in “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness.” Over the next four years, the administration expects to support 1,200 first-time homebuyers, help 450 households with critical home repairs, and reach 4,000 homeowners through the Homeowner Help Desk. The Adams administration’s recommitment to homeownership comes amid a 20-year decline in the homeownership rate among Black New Yorkers, exacerbated by the 2008 foreclosure crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Homeowner Handbook will be a great resource for current and prospective owners,” said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. “The housing market in Brooklyn is a tough one, and many of our constituents yearn for the practical and technical tools that make asset-building and homeownership possible.”l
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