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Objectives

The Housing Preservation, Construction and Policy Program is rooted in CSC's mission of preserving affordable, environmentally healthy housing and community/cultural spaces. The objectives CSC has pursued and will continue to pursue include:

1. Transfer of city-owned residential and cultural buidlings via the DAMP Program.
2. Facilitate the transition to co-op ownership for Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association (CSHMA) buildings.
3. Advocate for inclusion of eligible privately owned buildings in the Third Party Transfer Program.
4. Preserve and strengthen rent regulations.
5. Slow the deregulation of rent regulated housing.
6. Improve public oversight and performance of housing agencies.
7. Increase public funding for housing programs by lobbying in coalition with other housing organizations.
8. Initiate development of new low/moderate and middle income housing.

Strategies

1. CSC provides organizing and technical assistance to tenants and owners of city owned and privately owned distressed buildings in order to transfer ownership.
2. CSC promotes government programs to responsible building owners and low income Housing Development Fund Companies (HDFCs) such as low interest loans, weatherization funds, J-51 tax abatements and building management training to preserve and upgrade affordable housing.
3. CSC publicizes ways in which affordable housing is being lost and advocates better enforcement of housing laws.
4. CSC participates in city-wide coalitions to effect housing policy changes.
5. CSC sponsors renovation and new construction of affordable housing in partnership with government agencies, developers and non-profit organizations.

Scope of Programs and Services

Public/Private and For Profit/Non-Profit Partnerships: CSC works closely with its for-profit affiliate, the CSMHA, which we created in 1991. We have worked closely with the CSMHA and with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development to carry out the renovation of the 20 buildings in the CSMHA Program, all of which were originally city-owned properties.The CSMHA manages the 20 buildings, which are in the original Cooper Square urban renewal area, 19 of which have completed substantial renovation during the past decade.They include:13 Stanton St., 83 2nd Ave., 9 E. 3rd St., 13 E. 3rd St., 21 E. 3rd St., 23 E. 3rd St., 25 E. 3rd St., 27 E. 3rd St., 57 E. 4th St., 63 E. 4th St., 65 E. 4th St., 67 E. 4th St., 69 E. 4th St., 71 E. 4th St., 73 E. 4th St., 75 E. 4th St., 56 E. 4th St., 58 E. 4th St., and 60 E. 4th St.The last remaining building to be renovated in 77 E. 4th St. It is scheduled to begin substantial renovation in June, 2001.

The 20 buildings in the CSMHA Program comprise 307 apartments of low-income housing. The cost of renovation has averaged over $65,000 per unit. Renovation funds have been provided by NYC capital budget monies and by HUD's Hope II Program. The housing will be preserved in perpetuity as low-income housing.

CSC has facilitated the CSMHA Program during the past decade by holding meetings with tenants and the CSMHA, enabling the tenants to have input into design issues prior to finalizing architectural plans. CSC has assisted in coordinating temporary tenant relocations, and has kept tenants informed about progress of renovation while they lived off-site.

Sponsoring new construction/gut rehabilitation of low/moderate income housing:CSC has sponsored new construction of 146 units of project-based Section 8 housing (10 Stanton St.), and the gut rehabilitation of a vacant 22 unit building which is now a cooperative (16-18 2nd Ave.) for formerly homeless families. Currently, CSC is developing a 54 unit apartment building (29 E. 2nd St.) with supportive services.60% of the units will be rented to persons with psychiatric histories and the other 40% will be rented to low income individuals. All of the units will be efficiency studios. CSC continues to seek opportunities to sponsor, co-sponsor and develop low, moderate and middle income housing despite a dwindling number of potential development sites on the Lower East Side.

Technical Assistance to Tenants in Cultural Buildings: CSC is working with 5 primarily cultural buildings on E. 4th Street (62 E. 4th St., 64 E. 4th St., 66-68 E. 4th St., 70-72 E. 4th St., and 59-61 E. 4th St.) to ensure the long-term viability of the more than one dozen theaters, dance companies and arts organizations occupying these city-owned buildings. CSC is taking a lead role in developing a plan for the disposition of these buildings, assessing the scope of renovation work needed, mobilizing political support for the cultural and community organizations based on the block, and negotiating with HPD regarding the terms of ownership transfer.

Advocating for Ownership Transfer of Privately Owned Buildings:In response to HPD's Third Party Transfer Program, which aims to transfer ownership of distresed privately owned buildings with substantial reat estate tax arrears to 3rd party owners, CSC has allocated tenant organizing resources to buildings that may be candidates for Third Party Transfer. HPD has allocated over $x million for renovation of buildings in this program in FY 2002. Our staff has successfully advocated for placement of one building into the program in the past year, and we will advocate for transfer of ownership to a qualified non-profit housing management company. CSC will continue to pursue opportunities to preserve affordable housing by bringing other distressed buildings in this program.

Advocating for Stronger Affordable Housing Policies: CSC's housing organizing and housing development staff works in conjunction with the organization's 500 members to publicize the loss of affordable housing on the Lower East Side/East Village (ie., through deregulation of rent stabilized housing, illegal rent overcharges) and the inadequate production of new low, moderate and middle income housing. The policy activities that staff include the following:

1. Community Awareness: CSC's housing staff educate residents about housing laws, enforcement responsibilities of agencies and ways to stop landlord abuses. CSC holds periodic workshops about housing issues.
2. Political Awareness: CSC informs politicians about the need to strengthen the rent laws and demands better enforcemnt of the various housing laws and building codes.
3. Coalitions: CSC works with numerous non-profit organizations locally and city-wide to strengthen affordable housing policies.
4. Media awareness: CSC publicizes housing issues and theneed for stronger enforcement of affordable housing policies through local newspapers and other external communicatins.
5. White papers: CSC periodicaly conducts studies about the impact of policies at the local level or the practices of local landlords, and distributes the findings.
6. Candidates forums: Although CSC is a non-partisan organization, we may hold candidate forums for local races so that the community can make more informed choices about the candidates.

Additional Information

To find out more about HPD's housing preservation loan programs, visit the City of New York's website.

To find out more about the state housing agency responsible for administering rent regulations, visit DHCR's website.

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