Building Opportunity
Block by Block
From housing and benefits to organizing and neighborhood planning, Cypress Hills is here to help residents stay rooted, supported, and empowered.
Building Stronger Communities Across Cypress Hills & East New York
Community Organizing:
Join campaigns for affordability, schools, and neighborhood justice
Neighborhood Development:
New housing, planning, sustainability, business spaces
Cypress Hills’ Community Development team works every day to help Cypress Hills and East New York residents build stable, healthy, and thriving lives. From affordable housing and homeowner support to public benefits assistance, community organizing, neighborhood planning, and sustainability initiatives, this department connects residents to the resources they need today while helping shape a stronger future for tomorrow. Whether you need help navigating services, staying in your home, or getting involved in local change, we’re here to support our community every step of the way.
33+
Buildings Managed Affordable homes rooted in the neighborhood
440+
Apartments Housing for local families
6
Benefit Counselors Helping residents access support
Decades
of community wins because change happens together
MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT
The provision and availability of a steady, living wage job is the foundation for any community. CHLDC believes that it can leverage the significant stock of manufacturing land in the Cypress Hills /East New York community to help support existing businesses, to animate vacant and underutilized land and, perhaps most importantly, to create the types of jobs that provide a living wage and good benefits. As a result, CHLDC has made it a strategic priority to provide employment and training opportunities for community residents through the development of safe and sustainable industrial spaces.
If you are interested in finding space for your business, or would like more information about our manufacturing development initiatives, contact us.
CONTACT:
Jessica Bartolini
Division Director, Community Development
BASEMENT APARTMENT CONVERSION PILOT PROGRAM (BACPP)
Administered by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, in partnership with Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, the Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program (BACPP) provides eligible low- to middle-income homeowners living in one- to three-family homes in East New York and Cypress Hills, Brooklyn (Community District 5) with low-interest, no-interest, or even forgivable, loans to convert their basement or cellar into a safe, legal, and rentable apartment.
The homeowner is also provided with the technical assistance needed to close on a loan and complete the construction project. This pilot program will help to create safe housing for tenants or occupants while providing homeowners an opportunity to earn rental income.
Additional Information:
For information on loan terms and the program, see the BACPP term sheet,
La versión en espanol de este formulario está aqui.
More information can be found on this website: www.nyc.gov/basementconversion.
This program is no longer accepting new applicants. If you would like to join a waiting list to be notified if similar opportunities open up in the future, please email eny-basement@cypresshills.org.
CONTACT:
Ryan Chavez
Program Director, Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program
2685 Pitkin Avenue 11208 Brooklyn, NY
ENERGYFIT
EnergyFit is a free program that helps small homeowners seal and weatherize their homes, install energy efficiency measures, upgrade fossil fuel appliances to electric, and make critical repairs — improvements valued between $25,000 and $30,000 — so they can cut down on energy use, breathe cleaner air, and keep their home comfortable all year round.
CONTACT:
Wilmer Baez
Project Manager of Small Homes Programs
2966 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208
917-727-8463
EnergyFit Hotline: 718-636-3496
RETROFITTING
Small home retrofits may include addressing moisture and humidity, leaky roofs and windows, damp basements, pest management, water efficiency and green cleaning. These efforts protect the environment, improve the condition of small homes and help homeowners save on their energy bills.
We are currently not accepting any more applications to retrofit homes – please email healthyhome@cypresshills.org if you would like to be notified when this resumes.
If you’re looking for a particular service, but don’t know the name of the program, head to the “How Can We Help You?” form so a program staff member can contact you directly.