Beulah Housing Development Fund Company, Inc.
Formerly South Bronx Churches
Morrisania Cluster HDFC, Inc.
Bronx, New York
“Your Land shall no longer be called Desolate… but will
be called Beulah; for the Lord delights in you, and you will be reunited with Land.” -- Isaiah 62:4
In the early 1990’s, a group of
ministers and lay leaders involved with South Bronx Churches (a collective of
Protestant, Muslim and Catholic congregations) began discussions about the renovation of
several abandoned buildings around their congregations in the Morrisania section of the
Bronx. Because of the devastation that had
befallen the urban community, Beulah was created to take an active part in the physical
and social renewal of the South Bronx. We do this by creating and providing affordable
housing, developing local leadership, building public relationships, thinking
strategically, then acting to win on issues that enhance their lives.
Since its inception in 1992, Beulah
has created and provided hundreds of affordable housing units. We started with
four buildings in 1992; as of 2003, we now have 30 buildings with over 450 apartment
units. The Beulah Board of Directors is a broad section of clergy, lay leaders, staff,
residents and entrepreneurs who come together for the common good. They are involved in shaping the vision and
direction of the organization.
Beulah is committed to developing leaders among
the residents of their buildings and surrounding communities. Residents from the various buildings compose the
Beulah Strategy Team and several members of this Strategy Team are also voting board
members for the Organization. The Beulah Strategy Team comes together with concerns about
not only their buildings, but for the community-at-large. The Strategy Team works through
a process of identifying the problems, breaking them down into individual issues and then
considers the pros and cons of various actions in order to address the issues. This type
of strategizing teaches the residents the process of critical thinking and enables them to
be leaders in the public realm.
The Beulah Strategy Team has taken on numerous
issues over the years and has developed several programs in response to different
issues facing their communities. Beulah now offers a women's group called Women in Charge,
an after school program and a Clerical and Computer Literacy Training Program.
One of many current
issues the Beulah Strategy Team is working on is to convert a street in which
children are endangered by a lack of traffic control. Their goal is to designate the
street a one-way street and improve the lighting. One step at a time, Beulah is
transforming the neighborhood.
We don’t just renovate buildings; We build communities.
Contact point:
Beulah HDFC, Inc.
94 Brandt Place
Bronx, New York 10453
Phone: (718) 901-3143
E-mail: Beulahdev@aol.com |
