Castle Hill Houses

Bronx

NeighborhoodStat

For over a year, a team of residents from Castle Hill 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 team has identified a need to improve feelings of safety within Castle Hill, specifically in relation to neglected areas such as 530 Olmstead Avenue, where the team is in the process of renovating basketball courts and scheduling activities to help provide safe spaces for the community to gather.

In 2019, the Castle Hill 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.

MAP Agency Partners

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 Castle Hill 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 Castle Hill Houses ongoing campaign, contact your MAP Engagement Coordinator Luis Rosa at rosal@courtinnovation.org or 347-691-1977

Community Stories

Record Setting SYEP Enrollments

Castle Hill Houses 

Unity is Key

Castle Hill Houses 

Infrastructure and Maintenance

Residents of Castle Hill are impacted by the poor maintenance of public spaces and infrastructure throughout the development, including cracked sidewalks, improper waste disposal, overgrown medians and green spaces, and inadequate outdoor play areas. There is a need to improve these physical conditions through a collaborative strategy for engaging residents and MAP partners in community stewardship, advocacy, and information-sharing.

Youth Development

Young residents of Castle Hill feel the impact of isolation and trauma as a result of the crime that takes place at 530 Olmstead Avenue and surrounding areas and support for these youth and their families is greatly needed. The NStat team seeks to address this concern holistically, through the revitalization of physical spaces, increased outreach and engagement efforts, and more intentional connection to youth development partners.

Justice

Castle Hill residents report feeling unsafe in areas with potential hazards such as poor lighting and broken locks, which often attract gang and drug activity. There is a need to activate and maintain safe spaces for community gatherings, to integrate youth development resources into events, and to facilitate positive interactions with the NYPD officers stationed nearby.

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 Castle Hill on Thursdays! 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 provide different training opportunities for those 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.
  • Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Community Center offers free and engaging programming to Castle Hill youth and teens. The community center is located at 625 Castle Hill Ave!
  • 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. These 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