Organization Details:

The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) is the only organization in the nation that is exclusively devoted to serving low-income affordable housing cooperatives. UHAB's mission is to transform renters into homeowners who collectively own and democratically govern true housing co-operatives. We work with residents to create and sustain high quality housing co-operatives that will remain affordable, in perpetuity, to people of modest means

Description and/or History:
UHAB provides support for New York City Tenant Associations and Co-ops
UHAB offers a wide array of technical assistance, management training classes, and emergency support programs tailored to meet the needs of New York's 1600 low-income co-ops over the long term. Almost every day of the week, during working hours and in the evening, UHAB’s experienced staff runs training classes and seminars on all aspects of self-help housing, as well as other issues. Class topics include: Building Your Tenant Association, Managing Maintenance and Repair Needs, Becoming a Co-Op, Drug Elimination, Leadership Development, Computers for Beginners.

Through site visits, telephone contact and meetings UHAB’s staff stays in touch with residents even after their buildings have become resident-owned co-ops. Our staff helps them cope with crises and provides additional training and assistance with challenges such as tax problems and loan packaging and computer training to various co-ops, as well as work on putting more of its materials on-line.

The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board was created in 1973 to support innovative solutions to New York City’s housing crisis. The central idea was helping tenants living in city-owned buildings take control of their property and become homeowners with a long-term stake in their neighborhood.
UHAB developed expertise in training the people who live within self-help housing, providing them with practical skills to run their buildings. It offers tenants the skills to become the owners of their apartments, and while doing so develops leadership, expands employment opportunities and spurs civic participation.

Contact person: Christine Heeg, Director of External Affairs, (212) 479-3324, (email)

Address:

120 Wall Street, 20th Floor New York,, NY 10005 (See a map)

Directions:

Take subway lines 2,3,4,5 to Wall Street, walk east to the corner of Wall and South Streets.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Wall Street