Brownsville Houses

Brooklyn

NeighborhoodStat

For over a year, a team of residents from Brownsville Houses has been meeting with neighbors, city agencies, and community-based organizations to prioritize the community safety issues most important to their development. These teams are at the heart of NeighborhoodStat (or “NStat”).  The NStat team meets regularly and has been trained in surveying their community and generating solutions with concrete implementation plans. Through this process, the NStat team is revitalizing critical hotspots with a range of creative projects and social programing to encourage community use of these spaces and to improve feelings of safety. Focus areas include Dr. Green Playground, PS 125 Playground (a.k.a. “Shadyside”) and a NYCHA outdoor communal space (a.k.a. “the Middle”).

The Brownsville Nstat Team led a participatory budgeting process through Local NeighborhoodStat in which residents were invited to submit their own ideas to strengthen safety and build community through built environment projects and/or social programming. The Brownsville Houses NStat Team collected 499 responses from neighbors. The most popular project and priority for investing $30,000 was a Youth Sports and Mentorship Program designed to engage youth between the ages of 15 and 20. The program will emphasize education and job readiness for young people and will strengthen spaces through sports and parks.

MAP Agency Programs

Since its launch in 2014, MAP agency partners have focused their programming to meet a variety of needs, ranging from support of seniors and kinship caregivers, mentorship of young adults, family-friendly programming of playgrounds, safe spaces for teens, assistance with public benefits, youth employment, and more.

Participate

The Brownsville Nstat Team is currently building a digital network to stay connected to one another during this time and to develop platforms to reimagine digital public space, co-create safety responses, support community building, and convene city agencies to leverage resources and collaboratively solve local problems.

To learn about selected projects, or to participate in Brownsville Houses ongoing campaign, click here.

Youth Development

Strong youth programming is offered through several partners in Brownsville Houses, including RiseBoro Community Partnership and Medgar Evers College. Yet, many young people are not being reached. There is a need for neutral space to host diverse programming in conflict mediation, social skills training, educational and vocational development, and additional opportunities for youth to be civically engaged.

Space Activation

The Brownsville NStat team has identified three neglected spaces in need of improved sidewalks and lighting, better sanitation and trash maintenance, and more active efforts to reduce and treat prevalent open-air drug use, all of which negatively affect perceptions of safety. There is a need for prosocial programming and space activations in these areas and for increased connectivity to partners who can provide treatment for those struggling with drug abuse.

Justice

Brownsville residents are concerned about the concentration of drug use, theft, and violent crime along Mother Gaston Blvd. and Sutter Ave. and within Dr. Green Playground. Poor lighting and sanitation exacerbate these conditions and stoke tensions between youth of nearby developments, as well as with the NYPD officers policing the area. Brownsville residents would like to activate these hotspots with prosocial activities that engage young residents and provide a space for positive interactions with all NYPD officers.

MAP Programs

Please note: In response to the COVID-19 emergency, some programs have been modified. For more information about modified program activities and availability, please click here

  • Human Resources Administration (HRA) Outreach Specialist is based at Brownsville Houses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 4pm. The HRA Outreach Specialist can help with benefits navigation, SNAP, Cash, and Emergency Assistance for rent arrears. HRA also holds pop-up events in Brownsville to make sure as many people have access to public benefits support as possible.
  • Department for the Aging (DFTA) Community Advocate is based at Brownsville Houses on Wednesdays. The DFTA Community Advocate offers Parenting a Second Time Around groups, support groups and individual counseling for seniors and kinship caregivers, intergenerational activities, and more.
  • Conflict Mediation through the New York City Peace Institute offers free conflict mediation for pairs or groups. They also provide different training opportunities for those interested in learning mediation skills.
  • Next STEPS Mentoring for Youth through RiseBoro Community Partnership offers group mentorship for young people between the ages of 16-24 who may have experienced conflict and trauma. During group sessions, young people learn skills and build relationships with each other over hot meals.
  • Free Programs at the Teen Lounge through Medgar Evers College/Research Foundation, which offers free and engaging programming to Brownsville teens at the Brownsville Teen Lounge located at [address forthcoming]!
  • Green Jobs Training through Green City Force (GCF), an Americorps service-year program that trains young NYCHA residents (18-24 years of age) in clean energy and urban agriculture and pays a monthly stipend and metrocard to Corps Members for their service.
  • Shape Up NYC through the Department of Parks and Recreation offers free, drop-in fitness classes in or near MAP developments. Shape Up classes don’t require any advanced registration or fee and are conveniently located for MAP residents to engage with each other and enjoy low-barrier fitness activities.

Contacts