Asian Americans for Equality - a leading social service, hous-

ing and community development organization - has always

come to the aid of New Yorkers in times of crisis. From 9/11
to Hurricane Sandy, AAFE has served as a critical resource to
hard-hit communities struggling to overcome adversity. In the
immediate aftermath of the devastating storm, we mobilized
to help at-risk residents, aided cleanup eorts, provided small
business support and created opportunities for neighborhood
renewal. Confronting the loss of power in our Manhattan of-
ces as Sandy struck, AAFE sta rushed to a makeshift head-
quarters powered by a gasoline generator. From this command
center, the organization coordinated relief as a rst responder
and scrambled to meet the immediate human needs facing our
communities. Many of our primary constituents in Queens,
Southern Brooklyn and Staten island confronted heavy losses
to their homes and businesses. AAFE was tested unlike any
time since September 11th. In its 39th year, the organization
brought all of its experience and dedication to bear on behalf of
the people who needed us most.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Following a Con Ed plant outage in Lower Manhattan, AAFE conducted
door-to-door checks of over 1,000 low-income tenants living in 500 AAFE-
owned aordable apartments, delivering food, water, ashlights and news
updates to people in need.
Working closely with other not-for-prot organizations and local elected
ocials, AAFE collected and distributed food to hundreds of homebound
residents, including. Sta made followup visits, drawing on our lists of
seniors living in rent-regulated buildings. We supported relief eorts at
Knickerbocker Village, a community of 4,000 residents on the Lower East
Side that lacked power and heat well into November.
AAFEs real estate team conducted building damage assessments and
pumped a large quantity of water from 77 Avenue C, one of our aordable
housing properties ooded by seawater. e organization raised funds to
replace a gas boiler and to provide 16 electrical heaters and utility subsidies
to tenants.
Recovery & Renewal
After Superstorm Sandy
AAFE on the Front Lines
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
As emergency relief eorts were underway, AAFE moved quickly
to activate two emergency loan programs in support of homeown-
ers and small businesses. e move was a deliberate and forward-
looking response aimed at providing solutions beyond the immediate
food aid our communities required. AAFE was able to respond
more quickly and eciently than local government agencies.
Renaissance Economic Development Corp., our small business af-
liate, announced an emergency loan fund for small business owners
citywide, providing loans up to $30,000 for small rms in desperate
need of immediate working capital for repairs, inventory replacement,
and cash ow.. e rst loan checks were cut just two days after the
disaster -- an emergency stop-gap as business owners waited for
FEMA and Small Business Administration loan programs to be
activated. So far, 160 businesses from all over the city - but especially
Brooklyn, Queens and Staten island - have received $3.2 million
from Renaissance.
e AAFE Community Development Fund, our homeownership
aliate, announced an emergency loan fund for homeowners across
the city. e program helped pay for repairs, lling a gap created
when insurance companies, inundated with calls from homeown-
ers, failed to deploy inspectors and adjustors. Since the storm, 20
emergency loans were granted to homeowners totaling $400,000.
AAFE has developed partnerships with other community develop-
ment organizations in hard hit areas: Margert Community Corpora-
tion in Far Rockaway; Astella Development Corporation in Coney
Island; and the Kings Bay Y and Turkish Cultural Central Brooklyn
in Sheepshead Bay.
Augmenting our storefront oces, AAFE opened an Emergency
Help Center in partnership with One Flushing in Queens and
State Assemblyman Ron Kim oering one-on-one services in
Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean and Japanese. Since
November, it has served over 200 walk-in clients with FEMA regis-
trations, SBA business and residential loan applications, and more.
Su Mei
Wing Shoon Seafood Restaurant,
Manhattan
The restaurant on East Broadway lost $3,000 in live
lobsters and fish after the power went out on the
Lower East Side. I lost my entire inventory and
important equipment because of Superstorm
Sandy.
Victor Chi
L&R Footwear Inc, Queens
Over 80% of our inventory got dam-aged by
Sandy and we estimate that we suffered total
losses of at least $200,000. AAFE provided a lot of
help and we are so grateful for their assistance.
estaurant, Man-
SMALL BUSlNESS SPOTLlGHT
MOVING FORWARD
AAFE is now focusing on the long-term re-
building efforts in Coney Island, Sheepshead
Bay, and other parts of Brooklyn severely
damaged by the storm. Working closely with
Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Enter-
prise Community Partners, Brooklyn Com-
munity Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation,
and local, state, and federal agencies, AAFE is
providing low-interest loans, targeted
technical assistance, and one-on-one financial
counseling to homeowners and small busi-
nesses. Additionally, AAFE will be reviewing
claims submitted by small contractors for
home repair jobs. Our staff will check the
general validity of work claims, analyzing
contractor track records, in an effort to pre-
vent homeowner victimization by predatory
contractors. Depending on demand, AAFE
technical assistance staff will also support
homeowners in dealing with banks holding
insurance payout funds in escrow. AAFE has
been working to align its long-term work on
behalf of hurricane victims with the National
Disaster Recovery Framework.
AAFE: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The community was extremely disoriented after the storm. We knew right
away that aside fiom staffing disastei ielief, we needed to piovide immediate
assistance to small businesses and homeowneis. Small businesses in paiticulai
weie especially impacted by the loss of sales. Restauiants, foi example, lost
theii entiie inventoiies. Wholesale businesses and waiehouses on the
wateifiont flooded. A low-inteiest loan of $30,000 made a big diffeience foi
these small businesses that needed immediate assistance."
-Chris Kui, AAFE Executive Director
"ln my op|n|on, tHere are
tHree b| |ssues tHat we are
lac|n |n terms ol recovery.
C||ents are be|n
adv|sed to e|evate tHe|r
Homes, l|ood |nsurance
rates are sky H|H now,
and peop|e need
u|dance and d|rect|on on
How to nav|ate tHe
bureaucracy. lt |s
|mportant lor //lL C0l
to be tHere because
peop|e |n tHe commun|ty
trust us. 0ur pHys|ca|
presence sHows tHat
we are comm|tted lor tHe
|on Hau|.'
baque| Co|on,
Hous|n Counse|or,
lL C0l
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS
Asian Americans for Equality is extremely grateful to the following funders
for their generous support, enabling AAFE to provide much needed services
immediately after the storm and now as we move toward recovery.
Asian American Real Estate Association
Bank of America
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
Brooklyn Community Foundation
Capital One
Citibank
Deutsche Bank
Enterprise Community Foundation
Ford Foundation Good Neighbor Committee
Freddie Mac
Korean American Community Foundation
LISC - NYC
New York State Affordable Housing Corporation
New York City1BSUOFSTIJQ'VOE
Robin Hood Foundation
NeighborWorks America
United Way of New York City
For more information about our
Recovery eorts or to donate,
please contact Peter Gee at (212)964-2288 ext.131
or email peter_gee@aafe.org.
ABOUT AAFE
AAFEs mission is to advance the rights of Asian Americans and
all those in need. Over the last three decades, AAFE has evolved
from a community advocate to a community builder. From
low-income renters on the Lower East Side to homeowners, both
struggling and aspiring, in Flushing and Sunset Park, AAFE is
preserving and expanding aordable housing opportunities amidst
incredibly challenging market conditions. And despite deep
cuts in government resources, we are helping more immigrant
youth and families than ever prepare for college and become
civically engaged. AAFE serves all ve boroughs of New York
City. We have oces in Manhattans Chinatown/Lower East Side;
Flushing and Elmhurst, Queens; and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
We touch the lives of over 10,000 low- and moderate- income
New Yorkers each year.
For more information, please visit www.aafe.org