Bridging Access to Care (BAC), a community-based nonprofit providing social support services to underserved communities in Brooklyn, opened a new service site within Flatbush Gardens, an apartment complex in Flatbush.
The partnership with Clipper Equity, the housing complex’s owner, demonstrates how wellness-oriented multi-service organizations like BAC can address New York City’s widespread housing and mental health crisis through creative solutions, a press release said.
“Being homeless is a traumatic experience. BAC's role in this partnership is to immediately engage those who return to the community from the shelter system starting the day they pick up their apartment keys,” said Nadine Akinyemi, chief executive officer at BAC.
Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Flatbush Gardens includes 59 buildings with 2,500 units and 10,000 tenants, with about half receiving government housing subsidies. In partnership with Clipper Equity, BAC’s role is to provide onsite behavioral health screening and social support services to new tenants who have been referred by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Homeless Placement Unit to move into 250 units designated for the Article XI Tax Incentive Program. Clipper Equity is providing BAC with in-kind office space in Flatbush Gardens.
“I’m thrilled that Flatbush Gardens is now home to Bridging Access to Care’s new service site,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Organizations like Bridging Access to Care are essential to the well-being of our neighbors, offering mental health services as well as social support. The integrated services that will now be modeled at Flatbush Gardens will be an example for other institutions across the city seeking to uplift New Yorkers."
Akinyemi said BAC will create Community Ambassador positions that will be filled by residents trained as community health workers, who are the main contacts with new tenants.
BAC will also provide a wide range of services on-site, including behavioral health and health screening, chronic health care coordination, prevention education, harm reduction, HIV/Hep C/STI testing and linkage/referral to services.
Between February and July 2024, BAC onboarded over 120 households for stable housing at Flatbush Gardens and connected many to services within and outside BAC. The preliminary assessment of 45 individuals showed that –
- 53% were living in the shelter system for over a year
- 33% are without a primary care doctor
- 33% are interested in job search services
- 38% are living with at least one chronic health condition
- 31% need food assistance
