Based in New York City, Dyan Gershman heads a boutique corporate law firm, Gershman Law, PLLC, that provides counsel related to corporate matters, intellectual property licensing, employment law, and commercial contracts. Active in her community, Dyan Gershman has volunteered for many years with the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity and helped build houses that benefit the underserved.
In 2021, Habitat for Humanity completed a project unique to New York’s urban needs: the 56-unit Sydney House. This multifamily development is situated in the Bronx’s Williamsbridge neighborhood and is designed to meet the needs of families of low to moderate income. A complex project with many moving parts, it was financed within the Housing 2.0 plan of Mayor Bill de Blasio, under the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s homeownership program Open Door.
A prerequisite of Sydney House residence is that one be a first-time home buyer and able to field a 1 percent down payment. Homeowners must additionally complete a “sweat equity” program and take part in homeownership and financial education. In coordination with Habitat for Humanity, the State of New York Mortgage Agency then arranges a 2 percent fixed interest rate mortgage. As one project team member described it, the aim is to provide market-rate living for those who “keep the subways running, who teach and take care of our children.”
