Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC)

Youth and human services the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (chldc) served 4,474 children in high quality, comprehensive afterschool and summer camp programming in fy23. We engaged young people in evidence-based literacy building programming, arts and cultural activities, recreation and sports and community service. Our organization implemented several strategies and models to strengthen the social and emotional competencies of our youth. At our beacon school-based community centers at jhs 218 and ps 214 we served 2,464 children and adults with education, recreation and leadership Development programs, including our counselors in training initiative which is the first rung our internal ladders of leadership which enhances the leadership skills of our youth and trains them for careers in youth Development at our organization. In fy23 our middle school student success center (msssc) educated 559 middle school students about the high school choice process and its importance to pursuing higher education and supported over 200 eighth graders and their families through the city's complex high school choice process, enabling 94% of our students to secure admission to high schools with graduation rates above 75%.

Community Development, housing counseling & advocacy and community center - it was an amazing first year at our long dreamed of Cypress Hills east new york community center at chestnut commons. Our beautiful new space enabled us to build partnerships with kingsborough community community, brooklyn conservatory of music, per scholas, hot bread kitchen, and growbrooklyn - - to name a few - - enabling us to extend credit bearing college courses, new workforce training programs, a community music school and a free income tax prep site. We were able to offer sports and recreation classes for 355 young people and adults and start up a silver saturdays program for 50 older adults providing computer classes, recreation and a nutritious meal. During the year, we also responded to the emerging need of asylum seekers in our community and organized resources fairs and food distributions with Local community based organizations to address basic human needs. Chldc made progress on a robust pipeline of affordable housing Development and preservation projects, which are in the pre-development phase and getting closer to construction loan closings. We partnered with the eny community land trust to organize residents of a long forgotten part of the community known as the hole which lacks basic infrastructure, floods frequently and attracts dumping. The two organizations have engaged residents, elected officials and government representatives to plan for massive infrastructure upgrades and the future of the area. Our organization, along with the pratt center and impacct brooklyn also launched an energyfit initiative to retrofit and electrify small homes in the community. Chldc joined a city-supported effort known as nyc benefits to enroll low income new yorkers in public benefits such as snap and fair fares and succeeded in helping 985 east new yorkers secure public benefits. We hosted our Cypress Hills farmers market with grownyc and helped 1,142 community members gain access to healthy food. In fy23, our housing counselors assisted 199 renters and homeowners in securing housing subsidies/benefits and repairs, avoiding foreclosure and eviction and preventing displacement. Chldc offered in-person tenant counseling, foreclosure prevention, financial literacy and homeownership stabilization support throughout the year.

Career & education, small business support and community organizing - chldc served 1,088 residents and small businesses through our career & education programs in fy23 which includes the summer youth employment program and sector specific job training programs, including transportation, health care, it, culinary and construction skills. Chldc provided organizing support to the Cypress Hills business partners merchants association to plan clean-ups, graffiti removal days, lighting upgrades and to advocate for a business improvement district on fulton street to sustain their safety, sanitation and revitalization efforts on the commercial corridor. In fy23 we also initiated the Cypress hills/east new york community kitchen at our community center. The state-of-the-art industrial kitchen is both a small business incubator and a teaching kitchen. We are providing start-up caterers, bakers and restaurateurs with a modern production kitchen as well as technical assistance with licensing, business planning, financing, and marketing. We are also partnering with hot bread kitchen to teach women culinary skills to work as line chefs and bakers in new york city's hospitality industry. Chldc mobilizes Local residents and merchants through the east new york coalition for community advancement to demand housing, transit and economic justice for the community. Last year, 500+ residents participated in meetings and actions to stop the displacement of black and latinx, low and moderate-income people from eny. The coalition includes other community-based organizations, clergy members, homeowners, renters and merchants. They are also advocating for transit equity and investments in the broadway junction hub, which includes a bus depot, the subway stop and a long island railroad stop. Our community organizing team at chldc also supports youth activists in a grassroots group "future of tomorrow" that is seeking reforms in the state's and city's suspension and policing policies in public schools. Chldc is incubating the east new york community land trust, which is advocating for community control of public land in the neighborhood.

College success programs - chldc runs a suite of programs that support young people in east new york in aspiring to college, applying to college and financial aid, matriculating into college and persisting until graduation. In fy23, we provided college access and persistence services to 2,344 high school and college students across two school-based student success centers (ssc) and our community-based college steps office. We provide early awareness groups, college knowledge workshops, in-person college trips, one on one intensive admissions counseling, essay writing help, financial aid help and support around selecting the "best fit" college. Through our college persistence program, we worked with 1,672 college students to transition into higher education, select courses and majors, secure academic and other support services on their college campuses, navigate oftentimes-bureaucratic systems and transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions as appropriate.