“Today’s Dream’s, Tomorrow’s Realities…”
Ocean Bay Community Development Corporation (OBCDC) was established by local leaders in 1999 explicitly to work with and improve the socioeconomic status of NYCHA and other low-income residents in the surrounding area. OBCDC serves the NYCHA community in Far Rockaway which is home to more than 10,000 Rockaway residents in 3,576 apartments in 60 buildings on five campuses, all within a four-mile stretch of Far Rockaway.
Our mission is to provide opportunities for socio-economic improvement that will create a healthier, safer, more prosperous, better educated and revitalized community.
OBCDC has been focused on providing “wrap-around” social services to residents in NYCHA housing since our beginning. Initially, OBCDC functioned as an information and referral organization, identifying critical resources and services in the community and sharing them with the residents living in NYCHA housing. Our efforts to identify local supportive services led us to understand the severe dearth of resources, which constrained the community’s revitalization capacity. In addition to providing referrals, we now establish partnerships with social service agencies, strengthening and expanding the resources available to the community.
We are also a direct service organization, developing resources that help to revitalize and transform the community – including work with seniors and youth. We continue to increase our services for seniors; including computer training, access to Senior Services and transportation to local doctor’s appointments, community services and activities. OBCDC is a certified NYCHA-REES partner: the Office of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES) gives us direct access to residents who need our services to improve their economic opportunities.