Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Members Brannan and Avilés Announce $2.5 Million Investment to Help Build New and Expanded Headquarters for Homecrest Community Services That[...]

Brooklyn, NY - Today, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Members Justin Brannan and Alexa Avilés joined Homecrest Community Services to announce the Council's $2.5 million in capital funding towards the organization's new, larger headquarters in Sheepshead Bay. The funding will help acquire property and build a new community center as its hub. The multi-year initiative, dubbed 'Home in Homecrest,' will help transition the organization from its long-time rented space to a permanent, owned headquarters, allowing it to significantly expand capacity and services for families, older adults, and youth in Southern Brooklyn.

"Since its founding nearly three decades ago in 1997, Homecrest Community Services has been a lifeline for the diverse communities of Southern Brooklyn, especially our Asian American residents," said Speaker Adrienne Adams. "The need for support, and the increase in demand for services, has outpaced the capacity at Homecrest's current home. To expand its reach, the Council is proud to have allocated over $2.5 million in the budget for Homecrest to transition to a new permanent headquarters. This will allow even more people to access support directly in their neighborhood and benefit from these services. I thank Council Members Brannan and Avilés for their leadership, and I'm grateful that our continued partnership with Homecrest Community Services will help meet the needs of New Yorkers."

"Homecrest Community Services has been a deeply valuable community partner in delivering for our older adults," said Council Member Justin Brannan. "Homecrest cares for our aging AAPI neighbors in a way that keeps them happy, healthy, and engaged into their golden years. That in turn uplifts our everyone in our neighborhoods, creating a safer and stronger home to all in southern Brooklyn. This capital investment is proof of our Council's commitment to supporting some of the best nonprofit, community-based work happening across the city."

"Homecrest Community Service does invaluable work for our community," said Council Member Alexa Avilés. "I am deeply honored to join Speaker Adams and Council Member Brannan in presenting Wai Yee Chan and the rest of their leadership with $2.525 million for capital improvements. We know that the Asian American communities of NYC have been historically under served by our City's budget. Alongside the rest of the NYC Council, I have fought to ensure substantial investments for Asian American serving organizations in my district to right this wrong. No community's needs should be pushed aside, particularly as the federal government wages attacks on our services. I'm proud to be a member of the Council as we fight against those harms. Today's investment is evidence of our commitment to progress."

The new community center, funded by the City Council and state government, will enable Homecrest Community Services to expand and diversify its core programs that serve older adults, youth, and families in Southern Brooklyn. With the larger space, it will specifically be able to host more educational workshops on financial literacy, immigration rights, and workforce development, as well as health screenings and large-scale community events. As a result, the organization will serve more residents annually with enhanced offerings to meet a steadily increasing demand for its older adult programming and direct social services.

The new location will also include state-of-the-art technology and be built to guarantee client privacy. Separate work zones will support strong collaborations amongst staff and partner organizations. In the interim, operations will continue uninterrupted at its current location in Homecrest Presbyterian Church, which has served as the organization's home since 1997.

"We are extremely excited and happy to be receiving these funds. We can now claim some place as a home and look forward to using this opportunity to provide even more services and resources back into the community," said Gregory Gong, Board Chair of Homecrest Community Services. "This will be paramount to our 28 years serving the community. This is dedicated to anyone that has been a part of Homecrest Community Services, whether you were a member, guest, worker, past board member, politician, or community leader."

"Our community has long called Homecrest their second home, and with this project, that name takes on new meaning," said Wai Yee Chan, President & CEO of Homecrest Community Services. "This is more than a building; it's a promise to the people we serve. This investment ensures we can continue to meet the evolving needs of older adults, families, and youth by providing social services, access to resources, and community education-all under one roof. To build a home is to believe in the future, and this new space will help our community thrive for years to come."

"When I learned that Homecrest had been awarded two budgets for the new facility's construction, I felt an immense wave of excitement," said Kit Pang Ng, Advisory Chair of Homecrest Sheepshead Bay Older Adult Center. "The new facility will not only provide a more comfortable environment for our current community members but will also strongly support the growth of new membership in the future. This achievement is just the first step. The Sheepshead Bay Older Adult Center's Advisory Council is committed to strongly supporting all the work to follow."

"For more than two decades, Homecrest Community Services' centers have been a cornerstone of support for the Brooklyn community. Looking ahead, we hope Homecrest can continue to provide additional activity space for our older adults," said Miao Lee, a loyal member of Homecrest Multi-Social Services Center. "We wish that Homecrest can continue to grow, becoming not only one of the best community organizations in our region, but one of the best in the city."

###