The 2023 Habitat House Party

Guastavino’s, 409 E. 59th St, New York, NY
Habitat NYC and Westchester ReStore, 470 Nepperhan Ave, Yonkers, NY

The 2023 Habitat House Party, Blueprint for Housing Justice, was a spectacular night, raising more than $800,000 to advance housing justice across our region.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our dual location celebration in both New York City and Westchester County. Our CEO, Karen Haycox, amplified the need for a Blueprint for Housing Justice—a planned and intentional response to the systemic housing injustices and inequities we see.

We celebrated our 2023 Honorees and their immense contributions to transforming the affordable housing landscape. And we were honored to hear in-person from two homeowners—Ms. Frances Clarke, one of our first Aging in Place program participants, and Ms. Brena Bracy-Seals, a Habitat homeowner of 15 years. Affordable homeownership enabled Ms. Bracy-Seals to build the stability and equity necessary to be in the process of purchasing her second home. She will be able to move her father—who is physically disabled—into her Habitat home, and she will reside in her new home. As she shared with gala guests, “When we think about “legacy”, we often think about providing for future generations. But being able to provide this home for my father—stability and comfort—the peace of mind knowing that he is safe, secure, and taken care of—that is my legacy. And it’s a dream come true. It’s a dream that wouldn’t have been possible without faith, determination, and Habitat for Humanity.” Incredible!

We enjoyed a thrilling Live Auction at our New York City event—thank you to our guests for bidding so generously. And at new our flagship ReStore, the Westchester Retail Experience was truly unique, featuring a Live Auction hosted by Mikel Welch (star of Netflix’s Hack My Home), elegant shoppable vignettes, and complimentary consultations with top interior designers at the Habitat Design Studio.

The night culminated in a thrilling announcement: Next year is Habitat NYC and Westchester’s 40th Anniversary! We’ll be unveiling our 40th Anniversary Campaign soon, stay tuned. Thank you to everyone who made our 2023 Habitat House Party a success—thank you for your donations, time, and advocacy. We’d love for you to partner with us next year, and for many years to come.

Thank you to everyone who made our 2023 Habitat House Party so special. The past year has been eventful, and there is much that we are proud of. Thank YOU for being part of our mission to advance housing justice across New York. The ripple effect of your support—your donations, time, advocacy and expertise—is immeasurable.

View all of our 2023 Habitat House Party photos on our Facebook page.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

Eighth Congressional District of New York

Congressman Jeffries has been an unwavering partner with Habitat NYC and Westchester for nearly two decades. His steadfast advocacy for greater funding for homeownership initiatives has led to the 8th Congressional District being home to the largest number of Habitat homeowners in NYC. He also secured $3M in Congressionally Directed Spending for our upcoming Constellation project in Central Brooklyn.

Brandee McHale

Head of Community Investing and Development, Citi President, Citi Foundation

Brandee has dedicated her career to developing forward-thinking initiatives that connect low-income communities and communities of color to jobs, housing and a more economically secure future. Under her leadership, Habitat NYC and Westchester was awarded a $500K Community Progress Makers grant—allowing us to advance racial equity and economic opportunities for underserved communities across our region.

Natalie Kovac

President, ASHRAE NYC Chapter

An experienced project manager and Manhattan College Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board member, Natalie leads ASHRAE NY—an organizational chapter with a long-standing relationship with Habitat NYC and Westchester. In addition to pro-bono support and volunteer engagement, multiple ASHRAE NYC Chapter members have served in leadership roles on Habitat NYC and Westchester boards. Their generosity and dedication to collaboration help advance housing justice for communities in need across New York.

Rose Noonan

Executive Director, Housing Action Council

Rose is an esteemed thought leader in Westchester County’s affordable housing sector — having advised state and local housing officials on designing and implementing affordable housing programs and plans. Graciously lending her expertise to our Westchester County Advisory Council, Habitat NYC and Westchester is also honored to benefit from Rose’s partnership in launching our Plus One ADU program.

Tiffany Zezula, ESQ.

Deputy Director, Land Use Law Center at Pace University School of Law

Tiffany is an expert on land use and housing policy development in Westchester County, supporting land use reforms, and advising municipal governments and volunteer housing committees on building capacity and knowledge for the growth and sustainability of our communities. A consultant with the Housing Action Council, Tiffany has been instrumental in implementing Habitat’s Plus One ADU program.

Marlene Zarfes

Executive Director, Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc.

A preeminent nonprofit housing leader in Westchester County and former corporate attorney, Marlene leads Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc. (WRO), an amazing organization serving Westchester residents seeking to find and/or remain in safe and stable housing. WRO and Habitat NYC and Westchester formalized our partnership in launching the Aging in Place program—joining forces to provide seniors with safety and mobility modifications to their homes so they can remain in their communities with dignity and independence.

Karen Haycox
CEO, Habitat NYC and Westchester

Erica Buckley
Nixon Peabody

Elizabeth Cowan & Anil Fernando

Angelina Fung
UBS

Anthony Gjelaj
Gjelaj Management

Marc Heinrich
City of New York

Adam Hellegers
L & M Development Partners

Andrea Himmel
Himmel + Meringoff

Brian Hsu
Goldstein Hall

Blair Lichter

William Matthews
City National Bank

Anthony Montalto
JB&B