Organization Details

Housing: * Tenant and Block Associations: We organize residents to advocate for improvements and repairs in their buildings, and around safety and sanitation issues on their blocks.

* Help with Housing Concerns: We help landlords and tenants to understand their rights and responsibilities under the Housing Code, to secure housing benefits and to mediate difficult housing situations.

* Home ownership Counseling: As part of the New York Mortgage Coalition, we connect prospective home buyers with ten banks dedicated to increasing minority and low income home ownership and help buyers understand mortgage products and credit reports and obtain affordable mortgage products, closing costs and down payment assistance grants.

* First Time Home buyers Workshops: We run a free, four part workshop series teaching smart home buying practices - - qualifying for a mortgage, savings and budgeting for home ownership, legal aspects of home buying, inspection of the house prior to purchase and much more.

* Foreclosure Prevention Counseling: Help for homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments to negotiate repayment agreements, clear up debt and avoid foreclosure.

* Home Repair Loans: We package low interest rate home repair loans and grant applications to weatherize homes.

Community Development: The Community Development Division develops and maintains affordable housing and community facilities to stabilize the neighborhood through construction and renovation of distressed or underutilized properties.

* Cypress Hills Community School Permanent Facility project: Substantial renovation of a 52,000 square foot former industrial facility into the 400-seat permanent home of CHCS, a community-founded alternative public school. The building is slated to open in 2010.

* Cypress Hills Home Ownership Initiative Project (CHHIP): Acquisition, rehabilitation and sales of formerly vacant 1-4 family homes to low income, first time home buyers.

* Renovation and maintenance of multifamily affordable rental housing: We have created and currently maintain approximately 200 affordable rental apartments in Cypress Hills and East New York with 300 additional units in development.

* Vacant land development: We are working to construct affordable housing on vacant land parcels in our neighborhood.

Economic Development: * Access to Public Benefits: Our staff assists residents to use EarnBenefits, a computerized screening tool which helps determine eligibility for public benefits such as Food Stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit. We also provide free tax prep assistance to low-income families.

* Small Business Support: We provide technical assistance to local merchants, and organize a merchants association.

* Financial Literacy: Group training for businesses and families on budgeting, savings, financial products, debt and credit and college savings.

Youth and Family Services: * School Aged Child Care: We provide high quality, fun after-school programs to 850 children in several public schools: PS 7, PS 65, PS 89, PS 290, IS 171, and IS 302. We also provide summer camps at PS 7 and IS 302.

* Beacon: The Beacon is a school-based community center which provides adult education, including ESL and GED, after school and summer programs, and recreation, health and fitness for youth and adults.

* Beacon Family Place: The Beacon Family Place provides family counseling.

* Cypress Hills Community Learning Center at IS 171: Offers adult education, including ESL and GED, and after school and summer programs.

Career and Education Programs: * College Success Programs: College STEPS helps local young people each year to apply to and enter college. We provide individual counseling to assist with the admissions and financial aid process, workshops, and college trips. The Student Success Center, located on the Franklin K. Lane campus, offers the same services on site to students on the campus.

* YouthLEAD: YouthLEAD provides GED instruction and employment services for young people, ages 16-24 who are not in school or working.

* Youth Build: Offers GED instruction and job training and experience in construction for young adults. Participants gain experience, while working on CHLDC?s affordable housing projects.

* CHECC: CHECC is located in the Lane High School Campus, and provides drop-out prevention counseling, employment services, and college preparation for students in all five of the schools in the building.

* Cypress Hills Employment Solutions: Employment placement services for adults in Cypress Hills.

* Adult Education: Offers free English as a Second Language classes.

Address

625 Jamaica Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11208
(718) 235-8837