Data is essential to understanding the state of affordable homeownership in New York. We use data visualizations, maps, and more to identify and assess existing and emerging neighborhood needs and to create innovative programs to help middle- and working-class homeowners. Are you a reporter working on a story or a policymaker who needs help understanding trends in your community? Contact us for data requests at press(at)cnycn.org

Scroll through to see some of the work we do with maps and data.

Foreclosure Trends in NYC

To further our mission of promoting and protecting affordable homeownership, the Center closely monitors foreclosure trends in the five boroughs. The Center monitors foreclosure filings by tracking “lis pendens” filings — literally, legal notices filed with the courts that announce that lenders are beginning foreclosure actions against homeowners. The lis pendens marks the start of the legal process of foreclosure. The data presented here shows lis pendens filings in the city over the past 18 months.

Each year, the City sells tax liens on thousands of properties that have unpaid debts — including property taxes, water/sewer bills and more. Once a lien is sold, paying the debt can become an overwhelming financial burden for families already behind on their bills, and unpaid liens can lead to foreclosure. The Center created the Lien Sale Tracker to show which communities are most at risk. Use the tracker to view the number of one- to four-family homes on the Department of Finance’s lien sale list by Community District. The tracker shows how many households in each area have liens that are scheduled to be sold.

 

Mortgage Lending

The Center also tracks various homeownership trends to guide and support our policy work. In analyzing mortgage lending, our policy experts track how lending patterns relate to factors like race and income levels. The map below shows majority black homeowner neighborhoods in eastern Queens, eastern Bronx, and the north shore of Staten Island, where many residents remain saddled with mortgage debts far greater than their home values. These “underwater” mortgages are an indicator of increased foreclosure risk and financial distress in neighborhoods.