Brooklyn Communities Collaborative Announces New Fellowship to Train Property Managers with a Public Health Lens

Property Management and Stewardship of the Built Environment Fellowship Aims to Create Jobs and Improve Health Outcomes for Brooklynites 

Brooklyn, NY (November 11, 2022) – Today, Brooklyn Communities Collaborative (BCC), a non-profit focused on strengthening health and wealth in Brooklyn and East New York Restoration LDC, an organization dedicated to sustainable living, are pleased to announce the 2022-2023 class of 15 Property Management and Stewardship of the Built Environment Fellows. The fellowship establishes a highly-trained group of community members from Central and East Brooklyn prepared to create stable, supportive neighborhoods that build health, wealth, economic democracy, and racial equity. BCC is covering all costs and provides a honorarium of $1,000 per fellow over the course of the training and placement period, and training will be provided by The New York Real Estate Institute. Funding for the program was provided by a grant from The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF), a private, nonprofit organization committed to improving the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

The Property Management and Stewardship of the Built Environment Fellows are: Darrell Adams, Alliah Asramon, Femi Brown, Jonathan Chevalier, Chawana Dunn-Holloway, Christine Emmanuel, Sha’linqua Fuller, Kaylah Glenn, Kane Jacob, Shonnet Miggins, Liv Mullings, Quetuwrah Perkins, Howard Solomon, Tayshaun Williams, and Aaron Yaw.

“Safe, affordable, and stable housing is a key component of overall health and wellness. We’re excited to announce our community-driven cohort of fellows who are dedicated to improving quality of life in Brooklyn,” says Gretchen Susi, Ph.D. and BCC Deputy Director. “By providing the training and skills needed to effectively manage properties in Brooklyn, we will empower residents to improve health outcomes in their own communities.”

Participants in the Property Management and Stewardship of the Built Environment Fellowship will receive the New York State property management certification. Additionally, the program provides workshops on stewardship, with a focus on social determinants of health, community building, and climate resilience perspectives. Once trained and in the field, fellows will be prepared to serve residential properties in Central and East Brooklyn. 

The program aims to:

  • Improve residents’ overall health by lowering building complaints about maintenance, mold, leaks, pests, heating/cooling, etc. to levels that are on par with or lower than the City average.
  • Decrease hospitalizations for childhood asthma than in comparable developments
  • Decrease rates of hypertension and diabetes by enabling residents’ use of common space for fitness and physical activity
  • Support mental health by providing special opportunities for increased social cohesion and related mental health benefits – especially important given the current mental health crisis
  • Lower stress levels and improve physical safety by facilitating higher rates of security and public safety than in other comparable developments
  • Decrease residents’ self-reported stress levels by fostering greater transparency about processes, access to resources and sense of stability

“East New York Restoration LDC is proud to partner with Brooklyn Communities Collaborative to create jobs, train skilled property managers, and fill much needed roles,” said Colette Pean, Executive Director at East New York Restoration LDC. “The Fellowship will empower community members to preserve their neighborhoods and ensure more Brooklynites have access to safe housing.”

For more information about the BCC, please visit: https://brooklyncommunities.org/ 

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About Brooklyn Communities Collaborative  

Brooklyn Communities Collaborative (BCC) is a not-for-profit based in New York that works with local institutions and stakeholders to address longstanding health inequities in the borough. BCC was founded in 2019 with the goal of leveraging the financial power of anchor institutions and community resources to address the economic factors that improve the social determinants of health – whether it’s supporting housing stability, advancing economic empowerment, expanding care management services, or strengthening CBOs in the area. BCC builds upon years of collaborative efforts with anchor institutions and community partners in Brooklyn. Visit www. https://brooklyncommunities.org/ for more information.  

About East New York Restoration LDCEast New York Restoration LDC is committed to making East New York Clean & Green. Through our Green Champions program young people have learned about renewable energy and built a solar-powered shed; attended solar installation classes; learned how to recycle and held Earth Day teach-ins. East New York Restoration has brought new garbage cans to Pennsylvania Avenue and weekly street cleaning at some of the dirtiest crossroads. Our team is working in community gardens to increase composting. Visit https://www.enyrestoration.org/ for more information.