Foreclosure? West Side NHS Wants to Help

Buffalo Rising 2

In these economic times, the threat of foreclosure is all too common. West Side Neighborhood Housing Services, a NeighborWorks ® charter member can help. One of their most recent awards for $216,000.00 from New York State's Division of Housing and Community Renewal is for foreclosure prevention, and was highlighted nationally on CNN.

According to WSNHS Executive Director, Linda Chiarenza, "This award will pay the counseling fees it takes to renegotiate a homeowner's loan with their particular lending institution. These are not rescue funds for foreclosure loan payment, but we can work with the banks. Our objective is to keep people in their houses."

Chiarenza also said that the agency has Restore Grants. "These are emergency grants for low-income seniors, who fit the eligibility requirements, in order to make quick repairs to things like a broken waterline, a furnace that dies, leaky roofs. We need to see a deed, and that the taxes, water bills and mortgage payments are up to date, along with general documentation that would prove they are income eligible.

In addition, WSNHS has Neighborworks Loans for owner occupied homes. "These are loans and grants for owner programs," Chiarenza said. "We have something to fit everyone. The best part about the loans is that we can help anyone. This is low-interest money to buy, fix and stay."

If foreclosure is your fear, however, call WSNHS at 885-2344 or email and find out if they can help. "If you're not sure you've got the best deal from your bank, we can do what we call a 'mortgage check-up'. People should feel free to come in and ask us about it. Everything we do here is discrete," Chiarenza stated.

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2 Comments Leave a comment

RaChaCha

March 13, 2009 2:08 PM

May I offer some additional background:

http://artvoice.com/issues/v7n48/news_briefly/board_games

http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2008/11/28/west-side-neighborhood-housing-services/

http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/tag/harvey-garrett/

http://buffalopundit.wnymedia.net/blogs/archives/7456

http://archives.buffalorising.com/story/harvey_garrett_ousted_from_wsn

http://archives.buffalorising.com/story/hoyt_pulls_funding_from_west_s

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/513107.html

... and recommend two additional contacts:

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/tour/buffalo.html

http://www.erie.gov/da/

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

Dick Kern

March 19, 2009 5:21 PM

In order to regain community confidence, the 14 staff at WSNHS must be much more productive, open & accountable.

During the heat of the Harvey Garrett 'expulsion' incident Linda Chiarenza printed a new "December newsletter", a departure for historic lack of any contact with "$2 members", a mere 14 of whom voted in annual elections last November. The WSNHS boad itself has 14 "members". and mnany of the staff are likely "members" as well.

How many '$2 members' from the community are there now?

When will the next newsletter be out? If quarterly, one should have appeared in March.

See:
http://wsnhs.org/Newsletter_Dec2008.pdf

They also have apparently still not sold their former 2 family house at 807 Prospect, now an extensively remodeled single family assessed at $43K, purchased in 7/02 for a mere $7K. It was vacant & finally listed for-sale with a hand printed hardware store sign in the front window when I came thru Bflo to my HS reunion in 9/07.

The agency has acquired & rehabbed an average of less than two houses annually over the past decade, as the WS has lost 1000's of homeowners & added 1000's oif vacancies during that period.

I had heard that their 'parent' Neighborworks was doing a site visit over a month ago out of concerns about alleged's inflated stats. Any feedback?

Here are their modest (inflated?) reported stats for last fiscal year . . in which WSNHS counseled merely 31 owners at risk of foreclosure, created few home owners & gave very limited totals in loans for a staff of 14.

I would urge WSNHS to print a current newsletter, with current quarterly performance statistics.

SEE:
http://wsnhs.org/recent_success.asp

Recent Successes at West Side NHS
Fiscal Year 2008 Program Productivity
NeighborWorks® Revolving Loan Fund:
31 Loans Closed: $357,541
15 in Process: $240,068
Counseling and Homebuyer Education
223 Households Counseled/Educated
SHOP Buffalo created 33 new homeowners (Citywide??)
Foreclosure Prevention: 31 Households Counseled
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York Affordable Housing Program
40 New Homeowners
28 Exterior Home Repair
West Side Minor Home Repair Program aided 37 homeowners with free repairs
11 Loan applications totaling $121,590 taken for the City of Buffalo's Loan Programs

**** Kern

Foreclosure? West Side NHS Wants to Help

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