Fifth Avenue Committee, Inc.

FAC is committed to helping community residents secure stable, living-wage employment & career development opportunities. We have assisted thousands of people with training, education, & job referrals.  Our programs are offered at no charge & aim to give all participants the tools for economic self-sufficiency. This includes the Sunset Park Bridge Program, a partnership between FAC’s Adult Education program & our workforce development affiliate, Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI). The Bridge program serves low-income, non-native English speakers, & combines English language learning with industry-accredited job training offering career pathways in two growth industries: commercial driving & cable installations.

BWI provides over 800 individuals with sector-based, targeted skills-training programs rooted in employer demand. All programs serve individuals with significant barriers to employment such as low levels of education, long-term unemployment, or a history of court involvement.

FAC’s Adult Education program provides classes annually to over 400 adults. The classes are designed to respect the participants’ cultural and learning histories & empower them to achieve their goals & improve their community. Our students seek to advance their language acquisition, improve their employment prospects, support their children’s education, as well as improve their reading, writing, & math skills. Our goals are to expand students’ employment opportunities, help them gain high school diplomas, & enroll them in job training or postsecondary education.

Adult Education program offers a range of classes including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), High School Equivalency Diploma (HSE/GED), as well as Digital Literacy & our Bridge Program. According to the New York State Department of Education, FAC performs in the top quartile of adult education programs statewide.

FAC’s Organizing and Advocacy work empowers low-income residents through multiple social, economic, & housing justice campaigns. Our work with tenants directly prevents as many as 200 unfair evictions annually by educating tenants about their rights & providing supportive services to avoid eviction. We provide staff organizing support to tenant associations & advocate for housing justice as part of Stabilizing New York City.

Our South Brooklyn Accountable Development Initiative organizing work brings diverse residents & institutions together to ensure that neighborhood development processes are participatory & representative, & that development policies reflect the needs of low-income communities of color. We organize the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice, a broad-based coalition advocating for equitable development & rezoning outcomes in Gowanus. In 2021, as the culmination of a multi-year campaign, GNCJ won commitments from the city to ensure equitable results for Gowanus.

Community Services at FAC creates an equitable NYC by ensuring economic mobility in New York City by connecting more than a thousand low- and moderate-income New Yorkers with benefits and support each year.

One of the first Robin Hood Benefits Access and Assistance sites in the city, FAC’s Community Services program screens more than 1,000 people annually, connecting those who are eligible with public benefits and entitlements, such as low-cost and no-cost health insurance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), SCRIE and DRIE and other benefits to support family and housing stability. Community Services also offers other services that support a family’s mobility from poverty such as financial and legal counseling, and tax preparation assistance, all free of charge.

Fifth Avenue Committee’s Affordable solar program includes two initiatives - FAC Solar and Barrio Solar. FAC Solar provides access to cost-saving solar power for families living in multi-family buildings regardless of roof condition or homeownership status. The initiative engages property owners, nonprofit affordable housing, investors, and local governments to build, own and operate a portfolio of solar energy for affordable housing.

Barrio Solar is a collaborative pilot program between Fifth Avenue Committee, our affiliate Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and Solar One designed to build economic resiliency for low- and moderate-income homeowners. The project connects homeowners with solar by lowering the upfront costs of installation, reducing homeowners' electricity costs, and combating climate change.