“Fifty Years of Being Told It’s Not Our Turn”: A Haitian-Led Brooklyn Church Opens 89 Homes for Seniors

• The Evangelical Crusade of Fishers of Men opened a $45 million senior residence in East Flatbush
• The seven-storey building at 1488 New York Avenue has 89 units
• About half the apartments are set aside for homeless seniors
• The pastor urged fellow Haitians to see it as a model for their community and homeland

A Haitian-led congregation in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, celebrated the opening of a seven-storey affordable home for older people in April 2021. The Bishop Philius and Helene Nicolas Senior Residence, at 1488 New York Avenue on the corner of Farragut Road, was spearheaded by the Evangelical Crusade of Fishers of Men, the church founded by Bishop Philius Nicolas and now led by his son, Rev Samuel Nicolas, Bklyner reported.

The $45 million building contains 89 units, and around half are reserved for homeless seniors. Applications were processed through the city’s Housing Connect lottery, and two formerly homeless elders had already moved in by mid-April. The church runs on-site social services and community space for residents. Heritage Architecture and Rodney Leon Architects designed the building and Brisa Builders constructed it, with funding support from then Borough President Eric Adams and Jumaane Williams, who backed the project as a city council member.

The opening ceremony included the Haitian and American national anthems. Rev Nicolas framed the building as the fruit of decades of immigrant labour: “It represents 50 years of working as home attenders, 50 years working as cab drivers,” he said, adding: “Fifty years of being told it’s not our turn.” He then spoke directly to his community: “To my fellow Haitians, let’s use this building as an example of what we can continue to do in this country and in our Homeland.”

Williams, by then Public Advocate, said: “This is what we need more of.” Councilwoman Farah Louis added: “We all know housing is a right so this is the opportunity for us to get it right.” Bishop Philius Nicolas thanked his wife Helene, who was unable to attend because of illness.

East Flatbush and the surrounding neighbourhoods are home to large Caribbean communities, including many Jamaican families facing the same rising rents. The project shows what a single immigrant congregation can achieve when it pairs its land and reputation with public money and experienced developers. For Jamaican churches in New York, and for returnees thinking about how churches at home could house elderly members, it is a practical template: a church does not need to become a landlord alone, but it does need a long-term vision.