Explore Our History

1964
Joining Forces

Pratt Area Community Council, now IMPACCT Brooklyn, was formed by three civic-minded individuals — Reverend Richard Johnson, Amos Taylor and Furman Walls. Other organizations and individuals soon joined. Working together under the PACC banner, the people of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, the Wallabout Community, and later Bedford Stuyvesant, fought for decent, affordable housing, tenants’ rights, and economic renewal. Their efforts got attention and results from politicians, bureaucrats, recalcitrant landlords and private agencies.

1966
Winning Police Protection
IMPACCT Brooklyn was winning important concessions from New York City government — 7,000 petition signatures won stepped-up local police protection.
1967
Opening a Library
IMPACCT Brooklyn’s Library Committee submitted 5,000 signatures to Brooklyn Borough President Abe Stark, asking that the Brooklyn Library open a Clinton Hill branch. It opened in 1974.
1970
Advocating for Housing Preservation
IMPACCT Brooklyn’s Housing Committee was established to create innovative ways to save deteriorating housing stock. An Anti-Demolition Committee was formed, galvanizing funds and volunteers to seal vacant properties quickly and properly. PACC advocated for a change in New York City policy, away from demolition and towards preservation, and instigated federal policy to arrange for the sale of federally financed abandoned buildings to local residents and the city seal-up program.
1980s
Developing Staff & Services

When housing abandonment was an epidemic, IMPACCT Brooklyn established a full-time, professionally staffed office and concentrated on keeping people in their homes, developing and preserving affordable housing, protecting tenant rights, and helping community residents become first-time homeowners or improve the properties they already owned.

Block Watch Program — funded by DYCD to patrol the neighborhoods of Ft. Greene, Clinton Hill, and Bedford Stuyvesant.

1980
Building Alliances

IMPACCT became a member of the newly formed NYS Neighborhood Preservation Program.

Roy Crouch became executive director. He served until 1988.

1982
Putting Down Roots
IMPACCT purchased 201 Dekalb Avenue, which remains our administration and finance office today.
1984
Redeveloping Properties
IMPACCT Brooklyn encouraged the formation of tenant associations, particularly in buildings where conditions had become intolerable. When the Mohawk building was vacated following a serious fire, PACC partnered with the Mohawk Action Committee to redevelop the site, which re-opened in 1984 as the first sale of a city-owned building requiring community reinvestment dollars.
1985-1990
Increasing Safety
Established a Block Watch program during a time of despair in Central Brooklyn. The program was funded by NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)
1985-1993
Working with Developers
Working with various developers in four projects, our first nonprofit sponsorship — Fort Greene Houses — saved a total of 450 units.
1985-1994
Boosting Home Ownership
IMPACCT assisted tenants in eight city-owned buildings purchase their own apartments through HPD’s Tenant Interim Lease Program.
1988
Renovating a Building
IMPACCT Brooklyn acquired and renovated its first building at 105 Quincy Street, home to 12 low-income working families.
1990
Increasing Our Services
PACC began what is now our HUD-certified First-Time Home Buyer Workshop classes.
1991-1994
Managing Buildings
IMPACCT became a 7A Administrator for five abandoned multi-family buildings.
1996
Establishing Economic Development Office
Opened our Homeowner Services and Economic Development Office at the corner of Bedford and Hancock. This location remained open until September 2015.
1999
Celebrating Success
IMPACCT celebrates its 35th Anniversary at BAMCafe, Brooklyn NY.
2002
Creating Supportive Housing

Creating Supportive Housing
IMPACCT Brooklyn opened the Gibb Mansion —our first supportive housing project — now home to 50 formerly homeless residents who receive supportive counseling services.

Steve Aronson became executive director, serving until 2004.

2003
Saving Lives
IMPACCT publishes Politics of Poison, a study of high lead levels found in apartments throughout northern Bed Stuy. The findings from this study help get Local Law One passed.
2003-2007
Renovating Homes
IMPACCT gut-renovated 31 brownstone row houses in Bed-Stuy and Clinton Hill, selling 11 of them to existing tenants as part of our affordable homeownership program.
2004
Continuing Impact

Deb Howard became executive director.

IMPACCT celebrated our 40th Anniversary at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

2007
Expanding Affordable Housing
The Dewitt Condominiums at 483 Washington became our first new homeownership opportunity, with the completion of 16 brand new, affordable condo units.
2008
Building Alliances for Businesses
IMPACCT organized merchants and property owners to form the FAB Alliance (Central Fulton Street BID), encompassing 24 blocks of Fulton Street in the Fort Greene/Clinton-Hill area.
2009
Making Banking Convenient

IMPACCT played an integral role in the opening of a Banking Development District Branch of Capital One, on a stretch of Fulton that had no banks within 27 blocks.

Celebrated our 45th Anniversary of Building Communities at The Irondale Center, Brooklyn, NY.

2014
Achieving Milestones
IMPACCT celebrates our 50th anniversary at our “Great to Be Gold Gala” at the Grand Hyatt in NYC. A development milestone— 1,000 units of affordable housing — is achieved.
2015
Renaming the Organization
PACC renamed itself IMPACCT Brooklyn to emphasize our impact across many neighborhoods. We also moved to a new office at 1000 Dean Street, which has more space for workshops and counseling sessions.

Remaining Committed to Success​

PACC is now an award-winning nonprofit with a dedicated staff of more than 75 people, who work out of four offices. We fight to preserve project-based Section 8 Housing, work to prevent foreclosures, organize against lead paint hazards, educate residents through workshops and counseling, provide loans and grants to homebuyers and small businesses, and create business retention and revitalization activities.

Making Brooklyn Equitable - The Right To Fair Housing
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