CAMBA, Inc. is a
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
-based
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
that provides social services to New Yorkers in need. CAMBA's 160 program sites provides healthcare, education and youth development, family support, legal services and housing services to 45,000 New Yorkers every year.
History
CAMBA, which stands for Church Avenue Merchant Block Association, was founded in 1977 as a merchant association in
Flatbush
Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the nort ...
that worked to reduce crime and beautify the community. Since then, the organization has expanded to offer services to a growing population of
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
and
refugee
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
s.
In 1982, Joanne M. Oplustil became CAMBA's CEO and she continues to serve in that role today. In 2022, Oplustil received more than more than $750,000 in compensation from CAMBA.
Housing services
In the model of
settlement housing, CAMBA created the affiliated nonprofit, CAMBA Housing Ventures, in 2005 to offer affordable and
supportive housing
Supportive housing is a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable, productive lives, and is an active "community services and funding" stream across the United States. It was developed by ...
to New Yorkers in housing crisis.
CAMBA offers housing services that targets those who are currently homeless or who are at risk of being homeless. HomeBase collects a variety of data (from housing court, pending evictions, and other sources) to pinpoint households in Brooklyn and
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
where tenants are facing eviction. CAMBA HomeBase staff will then go into those neighborhoods—oftentimes in an outfitted RV called the You Can Van—and offer housing assistance before a housing crisis occurs.
CAMBA Housing Ventures pairs attractive and sustainable spaces with case management services for low-income and formerly homeless individuals and families.
Adult, drop-in and family shelters are also operated by CAMBA across Brooklyn.
See also
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Homelessness
Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
*
Social services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...
*
Poverty in the United States
In the United States, poverty has both social and political implications. Based on Measuring poverty, poverty measures used by the Census Bureau (which exclude non-cash factors such as food stamps or medical care or public housing), America h ...
*
List of New York City Block and Neighborhood Associations
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website Organizations established in 1977
Non-profit organizations based in New York (state)