About Us

Churches United is the collaborative power of parishes working for a common cause. Our membership parishes have joined together because our mission is of vital concern to their parishioners: to promote the preservation and development of affordable housing for families and individuals who cannot otherwise afford housing.

Churches United was founded in 2003 as a direct response to the crisis in affordable housing in north Brooklyn. The group was formed by organizing the seven Catholic parish communities in Williamsburg and recruiting and developing local leadership. In following months, Churches United expanded into Greenpoint to its present membership of 14 parishes, representing thousands of families. The vast majority are Hispanic earning low- income. Some have roots in the neighborhood that go back generations and some are among the most recent arrivals to the US.

One of our primary goals is to empower the community through information, accessibility, and action. We are committed to the idea that when tenants, workers and neighborhood leaders advocate effectively in their interest they can influence and inform policy decision making. 

Another objective is to assure that existing programs, including the gains made from our activism, will benefit the low-income tenants struggling to make ends meet. Over the years we have been active with the distribution of city-lottery housing application forms, Section 8 voucher forms, tenant advisory services, and so on.

Our advocacy efforts are generally carried out by a core group of volunteers who we refer to as our parish leaders. This group of lay parish leaders meet at our offices once a month. We discuss and debate affordable housing issues and related topics in the neighborhood and develop and expand our agendas of action.  We believe leadership development is especially important because it helps prepare the people who will remain active in our community for many years to come.

Projects that Churches United has worked on include:

 

Greenpoint/Williamsburg Waterfront Rezoning

 

 

Candlelight vigil in support of affordable housing, 2005

 

 

 

 

In 2003, when rezoning of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront was underway, City plans did not address the issue of affordable housing and the impact of gentrification on community residents.  However, largely motivated by Churches United’s mobilization of tenants at rallies and community hearings, the City reached an agreement for 33 percent affordable housing with the potential development of thousands of affordable units.

 

Rev. Donald J Kenna Court

 

Martin Dunn at the mic for a CB1 planning meeting reviewing Rev. Donald Kenna Court.  Seats were filled with project supporters.

 

 

Nonprofit partner with Dunn Development to build Rev. Donald Kenna Court, a new all-affordable 157-unit apartment building in east Williamsburg.

 

Tenant Services and Assistance

 

Tenant services provided by Churches United have included numerous workshops attended by thousands for applying to affordable housing lotteries, receiving Section 8 vouchers, and other housing information.

 

The New Domino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Churches United's collective strength has profoundly influenced the development plans currently under review by the City for the old Domino Sugar Factory. In 2007, parishioners rallied and supported a petition circulated by Churches United for certain affordable housing/median income targets. CPC Resources, the project developer, responded by incorporating important elements outlined in the Churches United petition.  Since then, Churches United has built upon our relationship with CPC Resources to begin the establishment of an innovative jobs program with great potential to benefit the community.