DC 37 Municipal Employees Housing Program marks first anniversary: 1,100 members housed - $20 million in loans

Unique union program has housed the homeless, arranged emergency housing, and helped working families buy their first homes or move into affordable rental apartments.

Since its first standing-room-only seminar one year ago, the DC 37 Municipal Employees Housing Program (MEHP) has launched more than 1,100 city workers on the road to affordable housing. The union has accomplished this in a city where housing costs continue to rise while DC 37 members earn an average of $30,000 per year.

"This is just the beginning of what we want to accomplish," said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. "This historic program has helped unlock the door to affordable housing for DC 37 members currently required to reside in the five boroughs. We will unlock more doors when residency is expanded to include nearby counties. Our members work hard for the city every day. We want to be sure they have an affordable place to live and that they can hold onto their homes at a time when foreclosures are on the rise in poor and working class communities, especially communities of color."

The innovative housing initiative for DC 37 members resulted from a letter Ms. Roberts sent to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January 2005. The program allows DC 37 members, and all municipal workers, preference for 5% of units in city-sponsored lotteries for affordable homes and apartments, and as first-time home buyers, they could be eligible for down payment grants of up to 6% of purchase price or on average $20,000 through HPD. The program also offers homebuyer training and education covering credit, budgeting, predatory lending, home maintenance and repair through NHS.

Some DC 37 members have purchased their first homes through this unique program, which has qualified members for a total of $20 million in loans during the first year. Others have prequalified for affordable mortgages and down payment assistance. More than 300 members are currently enrolled in a financial fitness/savings club in preparation for purchasing a house, co-op or condominium or renting an apartment.

This first-of-its-kind program has facilitated refinancing and reverse mortgages, assisted with Mitchell Lama conversions allowing members to purchase their apartments, and made referrals to the New York City Housing Authority for members who qualify for Section 8 housing. The program has also found housing for homeless members and their families who were living in shelters and helped one family displaced by a serious fire to relocate to a new apartment.

DC 37 is the city's largest public employee union with 121,000 members and 50,000 retirees.

The DC 37 Municipal Employees Housing Program operates in partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS). The program is funded in part by Amalgamated Bank.