AnnuAl RepoRt - Camba

executive
message
In 2010, Brooklyn struggled mightily with the effects of the
Great Recession. The borough was particularly hard hit by
the twin crises of unemployment and foreclosure. Brooklyn
began the year with an unemployment rate of 11.0% and it has remained
stubbornly high ever since. Regarding foreclosure, Brooklyn
had the fourth highest number of foreclosure filings of any
county in New York State. Neighborhoods where CAMBA has
a strong presence, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Canarsie, and
East Flatbush were among those hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.
Faced with this environment of economic peril, CAMBA has
stood steadfast with the community, protecting local residents
and creating opportunities for security and self-sufficiency.
CAMBA has been providing foreclosure prevention services
since 2008. In that time, we have helped nearly 100 at-risk households
avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes. Since 2009,
CAMBA Legal Services has offered legal representation to families
facing foreclosure and we continue to provide zealous advocacy
for our clients.
To help address the local employment picture, CAMBA used
funds from the federal Stimulus Act to operate a Dislocated Workers
program. Through this effort, we helped 200 local residents
to find gainful employment at competitive wages. Also this year,
CAMBA’s Workforce Development and Adult Learning programs
successfully partnered with one another to assist job seekers in
need of English as a Second Language training and GED preparation
courses find employment as part of the Stimulus Act. Members
of the community with limited English or no high school diploma
were hit particularly hard by the recession. CAMBA moved
decisively to support these struggling job seekers.
Through CAMBA Housing Ventures, we have continued in
our efforts to provide the community with supportive and affordable
housing. At 97 Crooke Avenue, we began construction
Katherine O’Neill
President
Joanne M. Oplustil
Executive Director
of the Reverend Daniel Ramm Residence, a 53-unit facility that reached 31% on-time construction.
At the campus of the Kings County Hospital Center, CAMBA Housing Ventures continued predevelopment
activities on CAMBA Gardens. This project – which will provide 209 units of LEED
Silver-rated affordable and supportive housing – has already been recognized as a national model
of collaboration between local government and the non-profit sector.
For families with school-aged children, CAMBA provides the resources that parents need so that
they can remain employed while knowing that their children are secure. This past year, CAMBA’s
afterschool programs kept over 2,100 children safe and engaged in creative learning activities while
their parents worked. These and other programs are vital supports for middle and working class
families who otherwise could not ensure that their children would be involved in positive opportunities
in the after-school hours.
The recession has also battered those who rent their housing and CAMBA has been there to
help. This past year, through our efforts, over 2,000 families avoided eviction and remained stably
housed. At CAMBA Legal Services alone, we prevented 295 evictions.
The pages that follow highlight the experiences of CAMBA clients who have turned to the agency
for support in troubled times. We hope you will find them as moving as we do.
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Joanne M. Oplustil
Katherine O’Neill
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