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Marcus Garvey Apartments in Brownsville, a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, was constructed in 1974 under the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, and it includes 32 buildings and common courtyards over seven city blocks. L+M Development Partners completed renovations on the 625-unit property in 2016 and continues to engage residents through its relationships with local nonprofit organizations and a longstanding afterschool program.
L+M has supported many nonprofit organizations through its grantee program, which creates a partnership between L+M and local nonprofit organizations that directly engage residents through programming centered on education and youth, health and wellbeing, workforce development, and social justice.
L+M’s most recent cohort of grantees that serve Marcus Garvey residents, includes Brownsville Community Justice Center, Brownsville Community Sports Zone, Brownsville Think Tank Matters, Grand Street Settlement, and Project EATS. Collectively, these nonprofit organizations have engaged residents from Marcus Garvey and the surrounding community through workforce training programs, such as OSHA 30, community events, social enterprise training, youth sports programs and youth fellowships in community health and farming.
The Marcus Garvey Apartments Afterschool Program and Summer Camp are thriving and much-loved initiatives that have provided invaluable support to the residents of the affordable housing complex since September 2016. These two programs, both located at the Marcus Garvey property, have been in continuous operation for seven years and served over 415 children through engaging group activities, team-building exercises, and mentorship opportunities, as well as structured fitness activities and sports programs.
The programs are run by Grand Street Settlement and funded by L+M. The success and impact of the programs and camp are evident in the achievements and growth of its participants and their families each year, as well as the results from annual surveys. Every year, family satisfaction in the program exceeds 90%, with 89% of caregivers saying that the program has been helpful to their child, and 85% saying that it helped their child academically. The program doesn’t just help the children who participate, nearly half of the families reported that having their child in the program helped someone in the family go on interviews, get a job, or work longer hours.
Most recently, L+M completed work on Marcus Garvey Extension Phase 1, a 342-unit development that includes 52 supportive housing units dedicated to families coming out of shelters, with non-profit Women in Need (WIN) providing onsite services. There are also an additional 52 supportive housing units for people re-entering the community after incarceration, and the Osborne Association is providing services and programing for these residents.
These relationships with nonprofits show that L+M’s collaborative approach with neighborhood organizations can effectively engage residents and make programing and services more accessible for residents, by locating either at their residence or very close to where they live.
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