Butler Houses

Bronx

NeighborhoodStat

For over a year, a team of residents from Butler 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 Butler 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 focusing on Butler’s quality of life issues such as litter and physical space maintenance, limited high quality outdoor and green space, and strained community connections and relationships due to siloed cultural groups. The team’s Action Plan includes a mural that highlights the rich cultural diversity in the development, upgrades to the playground space, stewardship of green spaces, and multicultural programming to foster strong community networks.

In 2019, the Butler Houses 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 Butler NStat team collected over 688 idea cards and the project selected as top priority for receiving $30,000 was Empowering Our Youth, a social program that trains and empowers youth to create an awareness campaign and placemaking project to promote the Butler Community Center and its resources.

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 Butler Houses 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 the selected projects or to participate in Butler Houses ongoing campaign, click here.

Community Stories

Overcoming Rent Arrears

Butler Houses 

Stewardship and Maintenance

Butler’s underutilized green spaces and play areas are in need of renovation and maintenance. Quality of life issues such as garbage disposal practices contribute to feelings of neglect and isolation, adding strain to community relationships. The Butler NStat team is interested in a coordinated educational campaign to encourage stewardship and proper waste disposal on the grounds, paired with improved maintenance efforts to foster high quality community spaces.

Justice

NYPD Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) work to provide support to families struggling with gender based and family violence, which has increasingly been reported within Butler Houses. However, there is a need for greater connectivity among partners who can support victims and their families without involving law enforcement, and for increased awareness throughout the community about how they can support outreach and prevention efforts.

Employment

Improved access to employment and career-building resources and improved educational pathways can help residents meet career qualifications. There is a need to build existing opportunities within Butler to meet the diverse needs of residents seeking pathways to educational and vocational advancement, including opportunities developed by the DFOY community center and on-site testing for TASC.

Community Events

Butler Houses Youth Clean-Up Day

Butler Houses 

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 Team can help with benefits navigation, SNAP, Cash, and Emergency Assistance for rent arrears.
  • Department for the Aging (DFTA) Community Advocate is based at Butler on Fridays! 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 Institute for Mediation and Conflict Resolution (IMCR) offers free mediation for pairs or groups. They also have different training opportunities if you are interested in learning mediation skills.
  • Next STEPS Mentoring for Youth through The Osborne Association 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.
  • Directions for Our Youth (DFOY) Cornerstone Community Center offers free and engaging programming to Butler youth and teens. The community center is located at 1368 Webster Ave., The Bronx!
  • 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