Hundreds of local residents gathered at Brooklyn College on Saturday, June 6th, for the annual Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) Housing Fair. The bustling event served as a critical hub for tenants, prospective buyers, homeowners and those seeking affordable housing, pairing them directly with industry experts, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Hosted by the Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn CDC, Inc. (NHS Brooklyn), in tandem with the Flatbush Development Corporation (FDC) and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the fair offered a comprehensive mix of educational workshops, one-on-one counseling and an expansive exhibit hall.
“Our Housing Resource Fair really started last year, and we have this event every year,” Angela Davidson, director of corporations at NHS Brooklyn, said. “It takes a lot of planning, but we start as early as January because we want to make sure we’re providing much-needed resources to the community.”
One of the day’s most sought-after features was the private counseling area. Here, residents sat down for confidential, one-on-one sessions to tackle complex financial and housing issues, including property taxes, foreclosure prevention, landlord-tenant disputes and affordable housing lotteries.
Educating future homeowners remains a cornerstone of NHS Brooklyn’s mission, a point Davidson emphasized when discussing the financial backing available to qualified attendees.
“One of the resources we had today was our First-Time Homebuyer Program, where we educate people on the process of becoming a first-time homebuyer,” Davidson noted. “We also talk about grants that they may qualify for — up to $100,000 — plus additional funding available through our lending partners.”
Beyond individual counseling, the fair hosted a packed schedule of free, specialized seminars designed to arm Brooklyn families with the knowledge needed to protect their assets and navigate the modern housing market.
The workshops were divided into several key focus areas:
- Homeownership and Finance: First-time homebuyer orientations, mortgage and grant acquisition, and strategies for lowering monthly household expenses.
- Tenant and Landlord Rights: Navigating the legal responsibilities of property management, maintaining rental units and understanding tenant protections.
- Senior Support and Advocacy: Resources specifically tailored for seniors and caregivers, alongside critical anti-fraud education to help vulnerable residents avoid scams.
- Estate Planning: A crucial seminar tackling generational wealth preservation.
“We provided information on affordable housing for seniors, resources on lowering utility bills and ways residents can protect themselves from scams,” Davidson explained. “Our estate planning workshop covered important topics such as powers of attorney, wills, trusts, living trusts and advance directives, including healthcare proxies.”
While the annual fair serves as a major flagship event, representatives reminded attendees that NHS Brooklyn’s resources are available year-round. The organization provides continuous financial coaching, credit counseling, down payment assistance guidance and neighborhood revitalization initiatives to ensure long-term community stability.
With housing affordability remaining a top-of-mind challenge for New Yorkers across the borough, events like the NHS Housing Fair bridge the gap between systemic housing hurdles and real, actionable solutions. By equipping residents with professional tools and financial education, NHS Brooklyn and its city partners continue to build a blueprint for long-term financial security, one household at a time.
