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PACC Events
Legal Clinic
If you are having
issues
with your landlord, come
find out your rights...
Thurs April 19 & May 17
6-8pm
201 Dekalb Avenue
Call 718-522-2613 x24
for more info
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Realtor Breakfast
Wed., April 25, 2007
218 Gates Avenue
btw
Classon & Franklin Ave
Call
718-522-2613 x22
for more info
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Quarterly Breakfast
Wed., May 16
8:30 - 10am
btw Classon & Franklin Ave
Call 718-522-2613 x22
for more info
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First Time Home
Buyer Workshop
May 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30
Call 718-522-2613 x10
for more info
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In this Issue
>
Community Residents Winning Repairs
>
Fulton BID Ballot Collection
>
PACC is awarded
Deutsche Bank America
Foundation's Working Capital VI
>
Extraordinary Woman of Brooklyn
>
PACC Breaks Ground on 48-unit low income
Development
.............................................................................................
Community Residents Winning Repairs
Pratt Area Community Council and
neighborhood residents have long advocated for reform to the city's
housing code violation system. With the goal of creating real
solutions for distressed buildings, PACC has been working with
neighborhood organizations, the City Council, and the City of New
York's Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to develop a pilot
program called Targeted Cyclical Inspection Program (T-CEP). Cycling
into each council district, the program tackles buildings with
severe violations in up to 30 buildings. PACC began working with
Council Member Letitia James this fall to identify and direct
resources to the most troubled multifamily buildings in Council
District 36.
The result has been 30 buildings
receiving roof-to-cellar inspections, with city inspectors
uncovering thousands of violations in long-neglected buildings. PACC
organizers have been actively working with residents to create
vibrant tenant associations to champion tenants' rights to safe and
healthy apartments. Now the buildings are at a key stage where all
stakeholders must work to develop comprehensive plans to insure
quality repairs are made – or negligent landlords face serious
consequences, including potential litigation and civil penalties.
"Unfortunately, some Brooklyn families are living in very dangerous
conditions and outreach efforts go unanswered by certain landlords,"
explains PACC tenant organizer Juanita Edwards. "PACC is working
with the tenants to make sure residents and the surrounding
community are protected, and the problems get solved."
This new round of T-CEP inspections
and tenant organizing builds on the victories achieved last winter
in Council District 35. Due to the strong efforts by PACC and
Council Member Vann's offices, HPD applied pressure at 22 buildings
with severe health and safety violations. At one building located on
Dekalb Avenue and Throop Avenue, PACC organizers were also able to
uncover and challenge discrimination and harassment of residents.
Tenant leader Lisa Soberal, a mother of four working two jobs
explains, "We had to come together. We were being treated without
respect, without any dignity. I want my children to proud of our
home and proud of me for working to make our building safer, more
healthy."
For more information on and other
tenant organizing project at PACC, please contact Juanita Edwards in
Community Organizing at 718-522-2613 ext. 24.
.............................................................................................
Fulton BID Ballot Collection
Pratt Area Community Council (PACC)
has been working with a steering committee of local property owners,
merchants, and residents to undertake the extensive planning process
required for the creation of a new Business Improvement District
(BID) in the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill section of Fulton Street.
The boundaries of the Fulton Street BID will be on Fulton Street
from Rockwell Place to Classon Ave and all side streets facing
Fulton Street such as Lafayette Ave, Greene Ave, and Putnam Ave.
A BID is the most sustainable way
to provide for the extra services that quality retail corridors
need, like sidewalk sweeping, holiday lighting, graffiti removal,
beautification, security and marketing. Moreover, a local board of
merchants, property owners, residents and elected officials governs
a BID, so decisions on services are made locally. There will be many
ways for all stakeholders to be involved.
The Fulton Street BID Steering
Committee is at the last phase and the most important part of the
BID process and that is to get the votes in. This means that we
still have a lot of work to do to get the count up to the needed 51%
of positive votes.
To assist PACC in this process, we
ask that if you are a property owner on Fulton Street or facing
Fulton Street between Ashland Place and Classon Avenue, please be
sure to answer telephone, mail or email correspondence from Pratt
Area Community Council.
If you have any questions about the
Fulton Street BID, some frequently asked questions and answers are
listed on the Fulton Street BID's website (www.fultonstreetbid.bravehost.com
<http://www.fultonstreetbid.bravehost.com>),
or you can call PACC's Economic Development Manager, Dale Charles at
718-522-2613 ext. 30.
I hope you and your neighbors will
choose to support the Fulton Street Business Improvement District to
help make Fulton Street a better place for people to live, visit and
shop.
.............................................................................................
PACC is awarded
Deutsche
Bank America Foundation's Working Capital
VI
Pratt Area Community Council (PACC)
was awarded the Deutsche Bank grant which will allow PACC's staff to
expand its capacity to negotiate joint ventures and other real
estate transaction. Because of the nature of PACC's housing
developments, PACC needs staff workers who have the ability to move
in the architectural and financial environments, as well as the
advocacy and policy arena. The Deutsche Bank grant will expand staff
capacity through classes and trainings so that PACC can effectively
carry out new approaches to housing development.
The other major challenge for PACC, is
organizational capacity building. In recent years, skilled
professionals have been drawn into the for-profit arena and away
from social service world for monetary and other reasons. This
phenomenon is particular trying on nonprofits as the skill-set
required to work in the community development world is more aligned
with for-profit skill-set, and less associated with traditional
grassroots advocacy.
An effective CDC requires staff
workers who have the ability to move in the financial, real estate,
and banking environments as well as the advocacy and policy arena.
PACC is recruiting professionals who are skilled in business, while
also concerned with community building. The pay scale for these
professionals is higher than the traditional nonprofit employee, and
is crucial for both recruiting and retaining the new employee.
The Deutsche Bank grant will allow
PACC to attract these professionals. PACC will apply the $150,000
grant toward the staffing costs of the Housing Director and one
project manager plus fringe for all three years. The grant will
allow PACC to enhance existing staff capacity and enable to PACC to
bring on new staff.
.............................................................................................
Our very own Bonita
Dowling has been recognized by District Attorney, Charles Hynes for
being an...
Extraordinary Woman of Brooklyn
Ms. Bonita Dowling is PACC's Foreclosure counselor
Congratulations!
.............................................................................................
PACC Breaks Ground on
48-unit low income Development
Pratt
Area Community Council (PACC), BFC Partners and Manatus hosted a
groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, January 25th for a new 48-unit
affordable housing project in Clinton Hill which will provide
much-needed housing for low-income households in a neighborhood that
residents have been priced out of due to gentrification.
The
project, known as Quincy 15, is being developed through a
partnership of BFC Partners, Manatus Development Group LLC, and
PACC. All together, these companies have developed over 5000 units
of housing in New York City. Quincy 15 will have 48 rental units for
households earning below $26,588, with 9 units for formerly-homeless
households earning below $15,938. The apartments are generously
sized, at 450 sq. ft. for the 5 studio apartments and 775 sq. ft.
for the 43 one-bedroom apartments. BFC is the lead developer during
construction and PACC will own and manage the affordable housing
rental project afterwards, while also providing social services to
the formerly-homeless households.
Quincy
15 will be a 6-story masonry building designed by ND Architecture &
Design P.C and will feature energy efficiency systems that will
exceed NYS and NYC standards. Quincy 15 is being financed through
Low Income Housing Tax Credits from New York State Division of
Housing and Community Renewal and a construction loan from Wachovia
Bank. In addition to providing the construction loan, Wachovia Bank
is also an equity partner as the syndicator of the Low Income
Housing Tax Credits. Construction is expected to take 18 months.
The
project is also being developed through New York City Housing
Preservation and Development's Inclusionary Housing Program.
The development of Quincy 15 will generate density bonuses to
residential developments in Community Board 2. This will also
include properties to be developed under the Downtown Brooklyn Plan.
Drew Kiriazides, PACC Housing
Director, commends the Inclusionary Housing Program for providing an
affordable housing opportunity for low-income households. "Too
often, housing booms create housing only for market-rate households,
leaving working-class families to fend for themselves. With
Inclusionary Zoning, the City is leveraging the demand for market
housing to create affordable housing for those households who need
it the most."
.............................................................................................
To make a donation or find out how
you can lend your talents and input to the work we do
visit PACC on the web
or contact us at (718) 522-2613 x22.
Have a
question or need information? Please
email us.
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