named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Clean Hands Act
Pushes for A1621/S4098 to prevent landlords with housing code violations from evicting tenants, empowering renters to demand repairs.
End of the Line: Housing Survival in New York
Immersive transit-based public program that examines housing displacement by tracing the commutes of essential workers across the metropolitan region.
Guaranteed Income / Cash Assistance
Supports multiple legislative initiatives including Baby Bucks, Reentry Assistance, and Working Families Tax Credit to expand unconditional cash support.
Public Housing Investment & Reforms
Advocates for $5 billion in capital repairs, Universal RAD Vote, and Green New Deal for Public Housing to preserve affordable housing and resident control.
Statewide Right to Counsel
Advocates for legislation (S2721/A1493) to guarantee free legal representation for all tenants facing eviction in New York State.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Housing Policy Advocacy & Tenant Organizing 4 activities
- Advocacy for public housing funding and climate resilienceAdvocates for $5 billion in public housing capital repairs, including $1 billion for upstate housing authorities and $4 billion for 15,000 units in New York City, and for the New York Green New Deal for Public Housing to accelerate appliance upgrades and support climate resilience. Has advocated for increased state and local funding for public housing over multiple decades.
- Advocacy for tenant protections and housing justice legislationOrganizes advocacy efforts for tenant protections, including campaigns for the Statewide Right to Counsel legislation, the Clean Hands Act, Universal RAD Vote, and Good Cause Eviction. Advocates for rent stabilization and eviction moratoriums, and has secured key policy wins such as the Emergency Tenant Protection Act in Ossining and statewide expansion of rent stabilization through the Housing Justice for All Coalition.
- Research and publication of housing and organizational impact reportsConducts and publishes research on housing needs, including the report "Building Westchester's Future: The Need for Affordable and Equitable Housing." Publishes annual reports (2022, 2023, 2024) detailing organizational activities, outcomes, and historical impact.
- Transit-based public education program on housing affordability and commutingOperates a 10-month immersive, transit-based public program that conducts guided journeys across New York City and surrounding counties to illustrate the commuting realities of essential workers and families affected by housing displacement due to unaffordable housing.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Community organizing for financial security, affordable housing, and participatory democracyLeads community organizing efforts across New York State to advance financial security, affordable housing, and participatory democracy for low-income New Yorkers, with a focus on Black and brown communities and women's leadership. Creates infrastructure for deep organizing of Black women across New York State to advance policy reforms.
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Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization 1 activity
- Electoral participation and voter engagementConducts voter engagement initiatives including distribution of voter guides and mobilization of voters to the polls, such as mobilizing 5,600 voters in East Harlem through its Electoral Participation Project.
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Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 1 activity
- Historical legal advocacy and policy winsSued Mayor Giuliani to secure health and safety education and training rights for Work Experience Program (WEP) workers. Secured $17 million in the New York City budget to continue the Transitional Jobs program.
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Organizational Governance & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Leadership development and member-led governanceEngages members in decision-making, campaign design, organizing actions, meeting with officials, and staff hiring. Members hold majority representation on the board of directors, ensuring democratic, member-driven governance.
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Community Service and Charitable Outreach 1 activity
- Pandemic-era mutual aid supportProvided mutual aid support to communities during the pandemic in partnership with Black and Latinx small business owners.
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Policy Advocacy & Research 1 activity
- Public education and policy advocacy through public statements and campaignsIssues public statements in response to state and local policy proposals, including opposition to HUD citizenship verification directives, criticism of Westchester County’s State of the County address, and responses to New York State budget proposals. Engages in public education to promote social welfare and influence policy at city, state, and national levels.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.95M
Contributions & grants$2.81M95%
Program service revenue$25K1%
Investment income$111K4%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$3.27M
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$1.50M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.49M
Cash$2.67M
Investments$1.60M
Liabilities$1.19M
Net assets$4.30M
Liquid reserves15.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +18.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juanita O Lewis | Executive Director | 47 | $183K |
board members · 7
- Charlene Smart — Board member
- Giancarlo A Fernandez — Board member
- Karen Mejia — Board member
- Miriam Lacroix — Board member
- Peter Berstein Irvington — Treasurer
- Sheila Vereen-Massengale — Board member
- Tyletha Samuels — Chair person
relationships · 5
Who they work with
- CVH Power Partner — Collaborates on candidate engagement and political advocacy through the CVH Power initiative.
- CVH Power Partner — Sister organization focused on building political power; non-low-income New Yorkers can join CVH Power to support the broader mission.
- Development Team Partner — Internal team responsible for managing partnership opportunities for the End of the Line program.
- Housing Justice for All Coalition — Member of the Housing Justice for All Coalition, advocating for rent stabilization and tenant protections.
- Poughkeepsie Partner — Collaborates with Poughkeepsie tenants on housing rights education and advocacy.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Experiential and Place-Based Learning to Build Structural Awarenessmethodology: experiential_educationBy using embodied experiences like public transit journeys and physical movement through neighborhoods, the organization makes systemic housing inequities visible and tangible, producing deeper understanding and motivation for action because lived simulation fosters empathy and insight that abstract data cannot.
- Guaranteed Income as Direct Economic Transformationmethodology: guaranteed_incomeBy providing unconditional cash to low-income individuals, the organization addresses economic failure at the household level, producing community strength and resilience because direct financial power enables people to meet basic needs and exercise agency without bureaucratic barriers.
- Housing Justice as Racial and Economic Justicemethodology: racial_justice_frameworkBy framing housing insecurity as a consequence of racialized underinvestment and discriminatory policies, the organization advances advocacy that targets root causes, producing more transformative outcomes because it links material conditions to historical and structural inequities.
- Integrated Civic Engagement for Community Powermethodology: civic_engagementBy combining public education, leadership development, policy research, and advocacy, the organization builds sustained civic participation and collective power, producing policy change because empowered communities with evidence-backed narratives can influence decisions on housing, healthcare, and economic justice.
- Member-Led Organizing for Systemic Changemethodology: member_led_organizingBy centering low-income women of color in leadership, governance, and campaign development, the organization produces more effective advocacy and systemic change because those most impacted by racial and economic injustice are best positioned to lead solutions.