A grant program aimed at helping New Yorkers in times of need is making a difference for one Bronx homeowner who faced an unexpected and costly repair.
Muhammed Conta had recently moved into his Bronx home with his wife and their 8-month-old baby when he was hit with a costly repair. He says the city's Department of Environmental Protection notified him of a water main break connected to the line supplying water to his house.
"They concluded that the leak is associated with our water main — the line that supplies water to our house," Conta said.
Conta says he was told the repair was his responsibility, with a price tag he could not afford - $17,500.
"They gave three days' notice for it to be fixed, but we could not honor that because we didn't have the money at the time,” he said.
As a new homeowner, Conta says the expense would have been nearly impossible to cover on his own.
"It was very stressful for us — me and my wife," he said.
Relief came through Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City, which helped Conta apply for a grant to cover the repairs. He says the program made a critical difference for his family.
"You'd be surprised how many people don't know this kind of help exists in this city," Conta said. "I definitely want people to know about NHS."
Through a $1 million partnership with Airbnb, the nonprofit has worked to accelerate funding for vulnerable New Yorkers, helping families repair credit, address urgent home maintenance issues and remain in their homes.
"Airbnb is proud to partner with Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City to support homeowners at this time of great housing insecurity across the five boroughs," said Warren Gardiner, Senior Manager of Public Policy at Airbnb. "Mr. Conta is just one example of the many homeowners NHSNYC has helped since we announced our multi-year $1M partnership last fall to help New York City residents keep their homes and build financial stability."
For more information on the program, click here.
