Community ownership and collective governance is the path to sustainable and truly affordable neighborhoods.

NWBCCC is committed to a community development model that supports Bronx residents’ to control their homes; builds permanently and deeply affordable housing; and creates community ownership over residential, commercial and green spaces.

Through our Public Land Campaign, we conduct community assessments to identify underutilized or vacant city-owned land, take collective action to transfer it to the Bronx Community Land Trust, and build partnerships to facilitate the development and stewardship of that land in the vision of local residents.

We also regularly meet with residents who seek our support because their building is in tax foreclosure, they have recently learned that their landlord is planning to sell, or some other urgent event threatens their ability to stay in their home. We work with values-aligned developers, investors, and management companies, to stabilize their buildings, while ensuring deep affordability and resident control over their homes.

Bronxites are taking control of their homes and creating models to confront the city's affordability crisis.

A partnership for deep affordability And tenant control: the beck street HDFC Story

664-672 Beck Street HDFC was facing severe debt and structural issues that threatened to displace residents. NWBCCC forged a partnership with the residents and the Mutual Housing Alliance of New York for a $25 million major renovation of the building, while expanding affordability and governance for the residents over their homes for the future.

Often, physical and financial distress like this would mean the HDFC board would have to sell the building and all who lived there would have to move out, or that rehabilitation of the building would require residents to give up control. NWBCCC is committed to a community development model where residents do not need to sacrifice their homes or their collective power to secure a stabilizing outcome. Learn more about how this partnership made it possible.

We work with residents to design strategies that are specific to the unique Challenges and opportunities of where they live.

We take a variety of approaches to accomplish community ownership of homes and land, including acquiring land to develop it to meet community needs, supporting residents to establish democratic governance over their buildings, helping tenants address financial and physical distress through navigating city programs and securing investment, and pursuing collective ownership of homes through legislation.

The Bronx CLT acquires land to build permanently affordable housing.

In Belmont-Crotona, we are developing plans for new cooperative housing. We anticipate the construction of approximately 25 units of homeownership for Bronx residents, all held permanently affordable through the Bronx CLT—the first housing of its kind in the Bronx!

NWBCCC helps residents stabilize and establish democratic governance over their building.

When 785 East Tremont Avenue went through foreclosure due to unpaid property taxes, NWBCCC helped tenants void the sale of this property at auction, averting a potential major displacement event. They also helped residents to regain democratic control of their building governance by adopting new by-laws and electing a tenant-controlled board, and engaged the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development to resolve outstanding debt and permanently stabilize the property.

Tenants pursue legal action and city programs to take ownership of their building.

Throughout a decade-long struggle, tenants of 2201-2205 Davidson Ave have pursued the Third-Party Transfer (TPT) Program to support them to assume collective governance of their building from their negligent landlord, who owes nearly $25 million in property taxes. After announcing legal action in March 2024, they learned the city admitted their building into the TPT Program—a big step in their effort to take ownership of the building.

Bronx tenants and state legislators demand a pathway to collectively own their buildings through the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.

Tenants of 124 East 176th St have joined with state legislators to pass the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) to create the first right of refusal for New York tenants to buy their buildings when a landlord sells. After suffering from decades of neglect from property owner David Kleiner, these tenants want him to sell the building to them or another responsible owner in order to preserve the building and ensure their safety.

The Bronx CLT acquires land to build permanently affordable housing.

Tenants pursue legal action and city programs to take ownership of their building.

We are building an ecosystem to support community ownership of land and housing across our city and state.

As coordinating members of the New York City Community Land Initiative (NYCCLI), we campaign for the legislative and financial infrastructure necessary for community land trusts (CLTs), and other transformative land models, to thrive throughout the city.

The Community Land Act is a set of bills that give CLTs and other nonprofits tools to develop and preserve permanently-affordable housing, community and commercial spaces, and other critical needs. Together, these measures address root causes of our city’s affordability crisis, combat displacement of low-income New Yorkers, and build collective wealth in Black and brown communities.

Download a one-pager on the Community Land Act in English and Spanish.

The Community Land Act includes:

The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) gives CLTs and other mission-driven nonprofits a first right to purchase multifamily buildings when landlords sell. Modeled on successful legislation implemented in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, COPA would curb speculation and level the playing field for nonprofits to expand the supply of permanently-affordable, community- and tenant-controlled housing. Click here for more info on the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act.
Most City-owned land currently goes to for-profit developers, contributing to market-rate development and displacement in low-income Black and Brown communities. Intro 637 would require NYC to prioritize CLTs and nonprofit developers when disposing of City-owned land, to ensure public land is used for permanently-affordable housing and other public benefit. Click here for more info on Public Land for Public Good.
The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Resolution calls on the New York State legislature and Governor Hochul to enact legislation giving tenants a first right to collectively purchase their buildings when a landlord sells.
The City Council must pass legislation prohibiting NYC from resuming the tax lien sale — a Giuliani-era policy that has destabilized and extracted wealth from Black and brown communities — and replace it with an equitable system that engages CLTs to keep New Yorkers in their homes and convert financially distressed buildings into permanently-affordable housing. Click here for more info on abolishing the NYC lien sale.

Tell you City Council Member to pass the Community Land Act!

Take action

Explore our resources on transformative strategies for community ownership and control of our homes and land.

Community ownership and collective governance is the path to sustainable and truly affordable neighborhoods.

Bronxites are taking control of their homes and creating models to confront the city's affordability crisis.

A partnership for deep affordability And tenant control: the beck street HDFC Story

We work with residents to design strategies that are specific to the unique Challenges and opportunities of where they live.

We are building an ecosystem to support community ownership of land and housing across our city and state.

The Community Land Act includes:

Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (Intro 196)

Public Land for Public Good (Intro 637)

Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Resolution (Res 38)

Abolish and Replace the NYC Lien Sale

Tell you City Council Member to pass the Community Land Act!

Explore our resources on transformative strategies for community ownership and control of our homes and land.