News

By Yanick Landess, HOC Manager

Don’t let COVID-19 distract you from your homeownership goal.

Coronavirus is a serious pandemic. I want to let you know that I am here to help you cope and respond appropriately to this catastrophic health issue.  I want to let you know that I have seen and lived through many disasters in my life: hurricanes, death of parents, illnesses, divorce, etc.  They can turn your life upside down IF YOU LET THEM.  I became a HUD certified Housing Counselor and a Certified Credit Coach to help people figure out what are the best decisions they can make that will affect them positively.  How to change the financial behaviors that will dig their holes deeper into positive ones. So, are you ready for COVID-19?  Yes, you are. You have what it takes to survive and thrive.

If you have participated in my Home Buyer Education workshops or my Financial Fitness workshops at NHSSF, you already know what to do: restructure your spending plan, reduce your expenses, stretch your dollars as much as possible, keep your credit in good status.  I have been teaching the importance of savings for raining days for the past 10 years.  COVID-19 is a whole rainy season. You need to have your umbrella ready. COVID-19 is not only impacting your health, it is also impacting your finances tremendously. How prepared are you?  How many months can you survive on your savings? On your stimulus check?   If you are a renter and you have lost your job,  what’s your back-up plan?  You need to talk to your landlord and negotiate. If you still have your job but your income is reduced, can you survive on your new check amount?  If you have not lost your job, do you still want to buy a home and stop renting?   Are you staying on track to becoming a homeowner?  How close or how far are you from your homeownership goal?

To help residents during COVID-19, we added new classes:

• April 13, 2020 at 1:00; 3:00, and 5:00pm:  Emergency Workshop “How to cope financially with COVID-19 – Kimberly Henderson, CEO of NHSSF as speaker (English) & Yanick Landess(Creole)
• April 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm:  Tenants Workshop – What is an eviction moratorium with a guest-speaker from a partner-agency Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., Sean Rowley, Esq.
• April 14, 2020:  Post-Purchase Workshop: How are Homeowners coping with COVID-19?
• April 17-18, 2020 & April 25:  Home Buyer Workshops (HUD Certified)

To register for our virtual classes, go to:  www.nhssf.org

You can contact us for services: info@nhssf.org

Phone: 305-751-5511 or 786-916-4676

We know this is an unprecedented time of uncertainty and anxiety for our residents. We also know that many of our residents are suffering from job losses, furloughs and reduced hours. Fortunately, there is help available. 

Direct Payments 

The federal government will be making one-time cash payments directly to our citizens. These payments should be issued during the month of April either by check or direct deposit. How much will you receive?

• Individuals earning less than $75,000 will receive $1,200.
• Married couples earning less than $150,000 will receive $2,400.
• If you have children, you will receive $500 per child.
• Individuals earning more than $75,000 and less than $99,000 – and couples earning more than $150,000 and less than $198,000 – are eligible for a lesser amount.

Enhanced Unemployment Benefits 

If you have lost your job, you can apply for state unemployment benefits: http://www.floridajobs.org/Reemployment-Assistance-Service-Center/reemployment-assistance/claimants

Congress is enhancing state unemployment to provide more income and to cover more people.

• Adds $600 per week for four months on top of state unemployment.
• Adds up to 13 weeks of additional unemployment benefits to those already enrolled but who are nearing the end of benefits.
• Expands the program to include a number of workers not normally eligible to receive unemployment benefits. This includes:
  • Freelancers
  • Independent contractors/gig workers
  • Self-employed
  • Those with limited work history
  • Employees who are still employed, but whose hours have been reduced

It is important to apply as soon as possible.  To help expedite aid, the federal government is funding the first week of benefits to encourage states to waive traditional waiting periods, but it may still take a couple of weeks to be processed

We’re Here to Work with You 

We understand there may be a delay in your ability to access these benefits.  If that’s the case, please talk to us.  We are offering a number of rent flexibility options – payment plans, waived late fees and other options.

We’re all in this together and all deserve safe and clean housing.  We are thankful for the hard work of our employees in keeping our community operational and all they continue to do to prepare for and mitigate the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, we rely on rental payments to pay those workers and to cover our mortgage, utilities, maintenance and more.

If rental payments stop flowing, community stability and safety will be disrupted, just when peace of mind is most needed. We remain heartened by the stories of neighbors helping one another.  Communities working together to stay safe is what will get us through this crisis, and we are here for you.

Coronavirus Update

During these unprecedented and unforeseen times, we must make changes to our operations to accommodate the directives sent by local government regarding COVID-19.  The NHSSF staff is committed to serving you, and we have taken steps to move as many of our services online as possible. We made this difficult decision in order to protect the health and safety of our employees and clients.

Until further notice, Neighborhood Housing Service of South Florida offices will not be open to the public. The housing orientations, financial education and first-time homebuyer workshops, as well as any other group or individual meetings will take place through video conferencing and telephone calls until the national emergency is withdrawn. If you need assistance, please call us at 305-751-5511 or send us an email to info@nhssf.org. We will get back to you throughout the day.

Please be safe and follow the directives from local officials and the Florida Department of Health.