Landlord Ambassadors Program

Organization Name: Enterprise Community Partners & HPD

Project Title: Landlord Ambassadors Program

Project Location: Citywide (with specific community focus areas in South / Central Bronx, Northern Manhattan, and Central / Eastern Brooklyn

Project Description:
The Landlord Ambassadors Program (LAP) leverages the expertise of non-profit housing organizations to help small- to mid-sized property owners achieve financial, physical and operational stability and leverage the resources available through the affordable housing sector. Enterprise, in close collaboration with HPD, identified three affordable housing non-profits as the inaugural ambassadors: Mutual Housing Association of New York – MHANY Management, Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, and RiseBoro Community Partnership. Through the two-year program, non-profit Ambassador organizations conduct outreach to interested property owners and guide them through the process of applying for a NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) rehabilitation loan program, from the initial application and due diligence to closing on construction financing or tax incentives. Ambassadors also share best practices in building management, helping to further ensure long-term affordability. Additionally, Ambassadors work with a target group of multifamily owners whose properties are at risk of entering the tax lien sale to stabilize building operations for the long term.

Community Impact:
As the cost of living increases citywide, the program helps small-scale landlords understand strategies to withstand swings in the housing market, ultimately protecting low-income households from rising rents and ensuring that valuable real estate assets remain in local ownership. If owners can preserve the affordability of their buildings and maintain cash flow through housing upgrades, they can help tenants stay in place, minimize pressure to sell their buildings, and stabilize communities in the process. Finally, the program provides an additional business line to community based organizations, leveraging their affordable housing expertise toward empowering responsible local landlords.
Since June 2017, the pilot program has successfully closed on HPD loans for three properties with over 100 units combined. By the end of the pilot in June 2019, the program is expected to close on preservation financing for an additional ten properties. These results serve to highlight that Landlord Ambassadors is a promising model for preserving affordable housing and has the potential to be expanded to benefit even more New Yorkers.

Organization Description:
Enterprise’s mission is to provide opportunity for low- and moderate-income people through affordable housing in diverse, thriving communities. We raise and leverage financial resources, shape policy, and provide programs to help communities create and preserve safe, healthy, and affordable homes. We also work to ensure that housing connects people to other resources critical to success, like transportation, quality schools, and health care services.

Team Members:

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), MHANY Management, Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, and RiseBoro Community Partnership.