Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) formed in 1978 to organize the residents along Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn to rebuild their community due to the local impacts of redlining and in the wake of a failed Urban Renewal project. At that time, nobody imagined the tidal wave of gentrification that would ultimately overtake their Park Slope community. While thousands of low- and moderate-income residents have been able to stay in the area due to FAC’s permanently affordable housing and other interventions, gentrification has displaced even more. Now, the organization is deploying its hard-won knowledge and skills to advance economic, social, and racial justice in Gowanus, Red Hook and Sunset Park and beyond, so they remain diverse, vibrant communities where residents have both the opportunities to achieve their goals and the power to shape their communities’ future. FAC’s constituents, many of whom live in geographic pockets of extreme poverty in these mixed-income communities, are approximately 53% Latinx, 26%, Black, 12% White, 9% Asian/Pacific Islander and other races/ethnicities. FAC assists them by developing and managing affordable housing and community facilities, offering student-centered adult education, creating economic opportunities, ensuring access to economic stability, and organizing residents and workers.
FAC continuously surveyed community residents, including many tenants in their buildings, to collect critical information and inform FAC’s responses as the pandemic wore on. In addition to the impact of the virus itself—which brought illness, death, fear, anxiety, separation, and isolation—FAC found that mental health issues worsened, domestic violence, and tenant harassment grew. FAC tenants who had been sober for years relapsed into chemical dependency. The needs of undocumented residents became more acute as stimulus payments were not made available and existing benefits were left on the table due to the public charge rule. FAC has lost ten tenants and six program participants to COVID.
In response to the needs, FAC joined with its affiliates Brooklyn Workforce Innovations and Neighbors Helping Neighbors to raise and distribute emergency cash assistance. They also partnered with the Red Hook Container Terminal to distribute tons (literally) of food to several thousand people including public housing and rent stabilized residents, with a focus on seniors, FAC’s tenants, food pantries, mutual aid groups and local businesses feeding first responders.
Throughout the COVID crisis FAC has been a first responder for the 454 low- and moderate-income families living in their 44 buildings. FAC’s front-line property management staff have provided ongoing disinfection, PPE, maintenance, security,
and direct supports for tenants. FAC and its affiliate NHN have also been active in informing at risk tenants and homeowners of their rights as related to the eviction moratorium, the suspension of housing court and repairs. FAC staff prevented 40 illegal evictions. They connected 380 households to SNAP benefits, health insurance, unemployment benefits, and tax preparation services. 359 individuals were provided with digital literacy training and over 200 people received computer tablets, Chromebooks, or hot spots to connect them. 113 people received adult education and 141 received ESL training. They directed people to COVID-19 testing, other medical/mental health services, financial counseling, test and trace information and more recently to vaccinations. Like most of our grantees, during this time, FAC helped recruit residents to complete census information; they reached out to more than 90,000 individuals.
CCF has helped FAC to be more data driven increasing program coordination, impact and organizing campaigns that build local power.
