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 Our
housing program is twenty-five years old and constantly evolving. We work with local law enforcement, elected
officials and representatives of various city departments to ensure that
services needed are delivered. Brooklyn Housing & Family Services
provides information, referral and assistance to landlords with single
parents, the handicapped and senior residents with regard to entitlement
programs available to these groups to protect them from homelessness. Our senior citizen program was first
developed in 1982 and has been evolving ever since into a program that delivers
a full range of services in many languages in a variety of locations.
The
tenants of nearly one thousand buildings have been organized. All building residents are given an
opportunity to participate in activities leading to the correction of
building-wide and localized building problems. These
tenant organizations with our assistance have negotiated with their
landlords the solutions to building-wide quality of life and security
issues. When contacts and
meetings are non-productive, Brooklyn Housing & Family Services assists
the tenants in the restoration of their rights and services through all
methods available under the code including court appearances, rent
reduction applications and rent actions.
Brooklyn Housing & Family Services fosters the linkage of the
tenant associations formed into Block Associations and Neighborhood
Associations. Brooklyn Housing & Family Services has
assisted in the organization of nearly one hundred block associations and
thirty neighborhood associations.
Brooklyn Housing & Family Services provides workshops on
organizational set-up, selection of officers, creation of governing laws,
creation of committees and communication techniques. These Tenant, Block and Neighborhood
Associations provide communication between residents, support to each other
and with our assistance prevent the deterioration of the buildings and
surrounding neighborhoods.
Committees formed provide communication, socialization, and a
presence at Community Board and Community Council Meetings. The Block and Neighborhood Associations
formed acquaint residents of other multiple-dwellings in their
neighborhoods with their housing rights and remedies available. This type of outreach within the
neighborhoods fosters neighborhood stability and a general improvement in
the housing stock and the reduction of unfair housing practices. Through our efforts rights are
protected, the maintenance of affordable housing is encouraged, human
rights abuses are discouraged, homelessness is prevented and neighborhood
stability is promoted.
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