By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Are your credit card applications being denied? Are you having difficulty being approved for a mortgage? Are you being turned down for affordable housing even though you meet the income requirement?

We are here to help.

DC 37 is holding a personal finance course to offer members guidance on their finances so they will have excellent credit scores to qualify for lottery housing, credit and home purchases.

About 70 people from the union and the community attended the first class, which was held on Jan. 9. Director of Community Outreach Paul Rodriguez encourages anyone interested in attending the remaining classes to register for the course.

The second class will be on Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Rooms 2 and 3 at DC 37 headquarters at 125 Barclay St. in Lower Manhattan. The class will help you understand your credit and debt profile, the basics of borrowing, and how to establish new credit.

The third class is on identify theft, budgeting and banking, and money management. The session will help you understand emotional factors that affect your spending. The class will be on Jan 30.

Registration for the classes begins at 5:30 p.m. Classes start at 6 p.m.

You can also register online (http://bit.ly/2zlzdpDC37) and by phone (212-815-1502) or email (RaulRodriguez@DC37.net).

The first course offered an overview of credit. It discussed how to increase your credit score and protect your credit rating.

Charrisse Smith, a certified financial education with over 15 years of experience in helping people improve their credit rating, is the course instructor.

The DC 37 Blog is an official online publication of District Council 37, AFSCME, which represents 121,000 public service workers in New York City and surrounding areas.