Alisha Bryant finds few things more rewarding in her job than telling applicants they’ve been approved for a new affordable home in New York City.

The lifelong NYCHA resident notes that one of her responsibilities as a housing lottery specialist is giving residents the exciting news about their successful housing application.

“The best part is letting applicants know, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been approved,’” stated Ms. Bryant, who grew up at Redfern Houses and has lived at Carleton Manor in Far Rockaway, Queens, for 15 years. “It feels amazing and it motivates me to work harder to help as many people as I can.”

Ms. Bryant began her job with Fifth Avenue Committee, a community-centered affordable housing organization in Brooklyn, more than three months ago after graduating from the free Housing Career Pathways program. The  City initiative is facilitated by Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI), in collaboration with NYCHA’s Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES), the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and Enterprise Community Partners. The skills training program aims to connect public housing residents, HPD-affiliated residents, and other low-income New Yorkers with career opportunities in affordable housing development, management, and preservation. Over two sessions, 26 New Yorkers have graduated from the program and there have been 20 job placements so far.

“BWI is proud to have developed this impactful pathway to good jobs in affordable housing, in partnership with NYCHA, NYC Housing Preservation and Development, and Enterprise Community Partners,” BWI Executive Director Aaron Shiffman said.

Ms. Bryant recalled how she was working two jobs and attending college when a family member suggested she enroll in Housing Career Pathways to pursue her interest in real estate. When she saw the program flyer, Ms. Bryant was intrigued.

“I wanted to find something more stable so I could spend more time with my child and have something I feel more comfortable doing,” she said about joining the program’s second cohort last fall. “I knew that this was my foot through the door to earn the opportunity to get this position, and to also gain skills to be prepared for this position.”

Noting her passion for helping others, Ms. Bryant said she was drawn to a career in affordable housing as a way to assist fellow New Yorkers in overcoming housing instability issues.

“Everyone needs a home,” she said. “I see a lot of families who don’t have a home at all, and it feels great to help give them the opportunity to get the home they want.”

Aisha Lino, a classmate from the fall cohort, said she was inspired by the Housing Career Pathways training to learn more specifics about the affordable housing application process, including helpful information for applicants. As part of the training, participants were taught about fair housing laws and housing discrimination policies.

“I was able to help out family and friends with those laws and the different things I learned in class,” said Ms. Lino, a former longtime resident of Taft Houses in Manhattan. “It’s about learning the knowledge and spreading it to people around you.”

Shanna Castillo, NYCHA’s Senior Director for Resident Initiatives, noted that “NYCHA residents are well positioned to be impactful in affordable housing industry careers, supporting affordable housing landlords, applicants, and tenants in various roles within this growing industry.”

The four weeks of training at Brooklyn Workforce Innovations covered topics such as an introduction to the city’s affordable housing industry, job readiness skills, using Microsoft Office and Google Suite, and data management. Following the training classes, residents are connected to a two-week paid internship and receive job placement support. The aim is to provide a pathway to the housing industry through entry-level, administrative roles that can lead to higher-paying jobs such as property manager.

BWI’s Customized Training Program Manager Korey Grumm said, “Alisha and Aisha are two of the dozens of Housing Career Pathways graduates I’ve had the honor to work with over the past year, and I couldn’t be prouder to see what they’re accomplishing.”

HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. added: “We’re so thrilled to be able to connect New Yorkers like Alisha and Aisha, who have firsthand experience with government-assisted housing, with a career in the industry. It’s a win for them and a win for us because of the insight and compassion they bring to this work.”

Ms. Lino completed her internship at Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation and has been working for three months as a leasing and compliance specialist for the nonprofit affordable housing developer. She has been applying the various digital skills she acquired through the training and is pleased to be assisting community members with their annual recertifications.

“It’s really different from any other job I’ve had,” she explained. “I’m getting to know the ins and outs of the industry and help people in the public.”

Thanks to her training, Ms. Bryant said she learned about the Housing Connect application portal, the affordable housing lottery process, and customer service skills, including assisting applicants with proper documentation. She was hired as a lottery specialist after completing an internship with Fifth Avenue Committee and believes the role is providing the “foundation” for a future career in property management.

“I feel like this is a great place for me and a great opportunity to grow,” she said. “I hear from applicants all the time who say how happy they are to be moving to a home.”

Ms. Bryant, who expects to earn an associate degree from DeVry University in June, said she has encouraged some of her family members to enroll in the next cohort of Housing Career Pathways. Former classmate Ms. Lino was also quick to describe the program’s impact on her career path.

“It gave me a career to want to go into,” Ms. Lino said. “Now I have a more focused career goal in mind.”

Interested in the Housing Career Pathways program? The next session begins February 20, 2024. To find out more, register for a virtual information session here.

Featured photo caption: Housing Career Pathways graduates from the second cohort celebrate the completion of their training with representatives from NYCHA, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and Enterprise Community Partners.

This FREE SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM aims to connect New Yorkers residing in NYCHA public housing and Section 8 and HPD’s affordable housing with well-paying career opportunities in administrative affordable housing roles.

TRAINING TOPICS:

• Info to the NYC affordable housing industry
• MS Office Suite and Google Suite
• Data Management
• and more!

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• 18 years or older; legally eligible for work in the U.S,
• High School Diploma/GED
• NYC resident
• Must be available for the entire training schedule.
• Preferred: Residents of NYCHA public housing, HPD affordable housing, and/or New Yorks with vouchers ( CityFHEPS, Section 8, EHV)

TRAINING DETAILS

• Training start date: February 20,2024
• Length of training: 4 weeks + 80 hours paid internship.
• location: Brooklyn, NY with internships hosted city-wide!

Information Sessions are hosting Via Zoom from 1/16/24 to 2/8/2024.  Register by visiting bwiny.org for details and the info session calendar.

FOR QUESTIONS: bwc@bwiny.org