BROADWAY HOUSING COMMUNITIES INC

SINCE 2003, BHC HAS PROVIDED HIGH QUALITY ARTS-INFUSED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR RESIDENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN. TOGETHER, BHC'S TWO EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE OVER 250 CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO AGE FIVE AND THEIR FAMILIES. INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE CRITICAL TO THE HEALTH OF OUR ECONOMY AND THE WELLBEING OF OUR CHILDREN, YET NEW YORK STATE HAS FALLEN TO 24TH NATIONALLY FOR STATE FUNDING PER CHILD.THE IMPACT OF THAT NEGLECT FALLS MOST HARSHLY ON THE YOUNGEST IN POOR AND NEW IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. RECENT RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT PARTICIPATION IN HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS BOOSTS THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MOST DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND CONTRIBUTES TO A 20-50% REDUCTION IN INCOME-RELATED SCHOOL READINESS GAPS. BHC HAS LONG RECOGNIZED THE VITAL ROLE OF HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION TO SUPPORT POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING THE FORMERLY HOMELESS, THOSE LIVING NEAR OR BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE AND NEW IMMIGRANTS WITH LIMITED OR NO ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS.BHC'S DOROTHY DAY EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER AND SUGAR HILL MUSEUM PRESCHOOL OFFER FULL DAY CENTERBASED PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS AND HOME-VISITING PROGRAMS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS THAT PROMOTE SCHOOL READINESS, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.CRITICAL SERVICES AT BOTH CENTERS INCLUDE INTENSIVE PARENTING EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK AND TOOLS FOR PARENTS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN'S ORAL AND LITERACY SKILLS, ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM THAT PROVIDE CULTURALLY-COMPETENT EARLY LITERACY INTERVENTION TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE ENORMOUS WORD GAP BETWEEN LOW-INCOME AND MORE AFFLUENT CHILDREN, IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIAL NEEDS, MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS AND COORDINATED MEDICAL SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN, AND ONGOING SCHOOL PLACEMENT SUPPORT.

BHC HAS DEVELOPED AND CURRENTLY OPERATES FIVE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT PROVIDE PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR NEARLY 700 CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS AND WEST HARLEM, TWO HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS WITH THE CAPACITY TO SERVE UP TO 250 CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO FIVE AND THEIR FAMILIES, THREE COMMUNITY ART GALLERIES, AND A NEW CULTURAL INSTITUTION, THE SUGAR HILL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF ART & STORYTELLING. REFLECTING BHC'S LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND WITH A KEEN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MULTIPLE CAUSES OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS, THE SUGAR HILL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF ART & STORYTELLING IS DEDICATED TO THE COGNITIVE AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AGES 3-8 AND THEIR FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE GROWING UP IN POVERTY. THE MUSEUMS CURATORIAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WELCOME YOUNG CHILDREN TO ENGAGE WITH, LEARN FROM, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURAL LEGACY OF THIS COMMUNITY. BHC'S APPROACH TO SERVING VERY LOW INCOME AND FORMERLY HOMELESS SINGLE ADULTS AND FAMILIES IS DISTINCTIVE BOTH FOR ITS INTEGRATED TENANCY INCLUSIVE OF THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AS WELL AS THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF TENANTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR OWN HOUSING. A 24/7 FRONT DESK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN PLACE AT EACH OF BHC'S FIVE BUILDINGS PROVIDES AROUND-THE-CLOCK SECURITY SERVING AS THE "EYES AND EARS" OF EACH BUILDING AND A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNITY-BUILDING. THE FRONT DESK ALSO PROVIDES PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT FOR TENANTS, MANY ENTERING OR RE-ENTERING THE JOB MARKET. FRONT DESK STAFF DEVELOP VALUABLE SKILLS INCLUDING BASIC COMPUTER AND EMAIL SKILLS VIA A BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WHICH ENABLES REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION WITH ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. BHC'S FIRST FIVE BUILDINGS PRIMARILY SERVE SINGLE ADULTS. WITH THE 2003 OPENING OF DOROTHY DAY APARTMENTS, THE FOCUS WAS BROADENED TO INCLUDE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN GREATEST NEED. DESIGNED AS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO SERVING HIGH RISK FAMILIES, THE BUILDING SERVICES INCLUDE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM SERVING 51 RESIDENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN, LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS, EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY FOR RESIDENT ADULTS AND CHILDREN FROM K-12 AND INTO COLLEGE. A COMMUNITY ART GALLERY WITH A YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR OF CULTURAL AND CIVIC EVENTS INCLUDING EVENING AND WEEKEND PROGRAMS CELEBRATES LOCAL ARTISTS AND ENRICHES RESIDENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY. THE EDUCATIONAL PARADIGM PILOTED AT DOROTHY DAY APARTMENTS IS REPLICATED AT BHC'S FIFTH AND MOST AMBITIOUS COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE. KNOWN AS THE SUGAR HILL PROJECT, THIS MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT IS LOCATED IN HARLEM'S SUGAR HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND PROVIDES 124 UNITS OF PERMANENT HOUSING AFFORDABLE TO FAMILIES AT THE LOWEST INCOME BANDS, INCLUDING 25 UNITS SET ASIDE FOR HOUSEHOLDS EXITING THE HOMELESS SHELTER SYSTEM. TENANCY, LIKE AT DOROTHY DAY APARTMENTS, IS INTEGRATED AND INCLUSIVE OF THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. STAFF ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH RESIDENT ADULTS, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AND PROVIDES SERVICES AS NEEDED THE SUGAR HILL PROJECT INCLUDES A LICENSED EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER WITH THE CAPACITY TO SERVE UP TO 200 CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO AGE FIVE AND THEIR FAMILIES IN CENTER- AND HOME-BASED PROGRAMS. GRACED BY FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS, ABUNDANT LIGHT AND INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PLAY SPACE, THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER IS LOCATED AT GROUND LEVEL AND ADJACENT TO THE SUGAR HILL PROJECTS CULTURAL CAPSTONE, THE SUGAR HILL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF ART & STORYTELLING. THE INCLUSION OF A CULTURAL INSTITUTION AT SUGAR HILL IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF OUR SERVICE MODEL WHICH ENGAGES FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN CREATING VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. THE MUSEUM OFFERS 17,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBITION, ART MAKING AND GATHERING SPACE AND SERVES A BROAD AUDIENCE OF BUILDING RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SCHOOL GROUPS AND EDUCATORS AND VISITORS FROM NEAR AND FAR.