HPD and Center for NYC Neighborhoods Launch Comprehensive Campaign to Protect and Empower At-Risk Homeowners in Jamaica Queens

HPD and Center for NYC Neighborhoods Launch Comprehensive Campaign to Protect and Empower At-Risk Homeowners in Jamaica Queens

 HPD and the Center for NYC Neighborhoods launched a major public awareness campaign in Queens to protect at-risk homeowners amid rising foreclosure pressures citywide. The event marked the rebrand and relaunch of the Homeowner Help Desk — a centralized, multilingual resource connecting New Yorkers with trusted, free support to prevent foreclosure, deed theft, and displacement.

Editor’s note: State Senator Scarcella-Spanton recently helped pass legislation that gave homeowners more rights than squatters.  Surprisingly, this had never been changed before, and the laws as they were did harm to owners of homes which had been occupied by non-paying tenants. The Mayor’s Office recently announced that the HomeFirst down payment program was available to homeowners in the city.  

Elected officials, housing leaders, and more than a dozen community partners joined for a press conference and on-site resource fair at the Jamaica YMCA, where local homeowners accessed counseling, intake services, and guidance on navigating homeownership challenges. Featured speakers included HPD commissioner Ahmed Tigani, CNYCN CEO and Executive Director Christie Peale, Homeowner Help Desk Program Manager Jovan Ellis, and Queens homeowner.

NYC Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Protect At-Risk Homeowners

HPD and the Center for NYC Neighborhoods unveiled the newly rebranded Homeowner Help Desk, a one-stop shop of resources and answers to help New Yorkers improve affordability, avoid displacement

As the affordability crisis causes a spike in foreclosure rates, HPD and the Center are launching a monthslong campaign to ensure NYC’s at-risk homeowners are equipped with the tools to stay in their communities

QUEENS, NY — The Center for NYC Neighborhoods (the Center) and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) launched a months-long ad and promotional campaign to highlight the Homeowner Help Desk – a one-stop shop of resources and answers to help at-risk New Yorkers protect their homes, improve affordability, and stay rooted in their communities.

The campaign will work to expand awareness of the Help Desk and make it easier for homeowners to access support in their own communities. The Center and HPD’s comprehensive outreach will include expansive neighborhood engagement, as well as a digital, radio, and out-of-home ad campaign. The efforts will initially target the city’s communities most impacted by displacement, deed theft, and foreclosures, including the North Bronx, Central Brooklyn, South Jamaica, and East New York.

New Yorkers can also sign-up here today to get a copy of the Homeowner Handbook – a resource of the Help Desk that helps New Yorkers navigate the responsibilities of homeownership – sent directly to them in the coming months.

To celebrate the campaign, elected officials joined HPD, the Center, local advocates and homeowners at the Jamaica YMCA in Queens for a press conference and resource fair, where dozens of local homeowners were able to access on-site intake services, receive information about preventing foreclosure and deed theft, and connect with trusted local counselors.

“Homeownership in New York City carries a wide range of experiences. Some residents are navigating financial strain, others are building on generations of family stability, and many are stepping into homeownership for the very first time. No matter the circumstances, every homeowner deserves support, and we are committed to providing it,” said HPD Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “At HPD, together with our partners across the administration, the City Council, the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, and our community-based organizations, we are proud to launch this Homeowner Help Desk public awareness campaign, highlighting the citywide platform dedicated to preventing deed theft, foreclosure, displacement, and the many challenges homeowners face. There is more work ahead to make every community safe, thriving, and healthy. Let’s get to it.”

“Homeownership remains one of the strongest tools for building generational wealth, but without access to the right information and resources, too many New Yorkers risk losing their homes,” said Christie Peale, CEO & Executive Director of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods. “Through our relaunch of the Homeowner Help Desk with HPD, we are meeting New Yorkers where they live by providing a true community resource that is free, trained and trusted, and that helps homeowners navigate challenges, and find solutions to get ahead of problems.”

In addition to Council Member Nantasha Williams and the Office of the Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Friday’s resource fair featured more than a dozen of the Help Desk partner organizations, including: Build-Up Justice, Chhaya CDC, City Bar Justice Center, Grow Brooklyn, Housing and Family Services of Greater NY, JASA, Neighborhood Housing Services of NYC, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, New York Legal Assistance Group, and Staten Island Legal Services.

“Today’s launch was crucial in raising awareness about available homeownership resources and fostering connections for homeowners,” said Jovan Ellis, Program Manager for the Homeowner Help Desk. “Every homeowner who came through the doors today had the opportunity to speak directly with housing counselors and partner organizations who can make a difference. That’s what the Help Desk is at its core – empowering homeowners by connecting them with experts who can provide resources and protect what they’ve worked so hard to build.”

The new branding and relaunch of the Homeowner Help Desk is intended to make the resource more accessible for New Yorkers, and will be available in seven languages. For further information and to learn more about the Homeowner Help Desk and its available resources, visit homeownerhelp.nyc.

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About the Homeowner Help Desk

The Homeowner Help Desk (HHD) is a citywide initiative of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods in partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development. HHD connects homeowners to free, trusted advice and resources to help prevent foreclosure, deed theft, and displacement. Homeowners can learn more or get help at homeownerhelp.nyc

About the Center for NYC Neighborhoods 

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods promotes and protects affordable homeownership in New York City so working- and middle-class families can build strong, thriving communities. We carry out our mission to promote and protect affordable homeownership through the lenses of racial equity and climate change. Established by public and private partners, the Center meets the diverse needs of homeowners throughout New York state by offering free, high-quality housing services. Since our founding in 2008, our network has assisted over 200,000 homeowners, and provided more than $60 million in funding to community-based partners. Visit cnycn.org to learn more.

About the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest city housing agency, responsible for the creation and preservation of affordable housing as well as enforcing the housing and maintenance code across all five boroughs. From responding to over 800,000 housing maintenance problems to financing over 28,000 new affordable homes and connecting more than 15,000 New Yorkers with affordable housing in FY 2025 alone, HPD’s work touches every corner of the city’s housing landscape. Stay up to date by following @NYCHousing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and visit nyc.gov/hpd for more information.

Banner Image: At the grand opening celebration. Image Credit – HPD