Catch v2 - My Blog

Empowering Tenants, Transforming Communities.

Community Assisted Tenant Controlled Housing, Inc. (CATCH) is a New York City-based non-profit dedicated to transforming neglected properties into safe, affordable, and resident-led housing. Since 1991, we’ve worked with residents, local leaders, and organizations to revitalize abandoned and distressed buildings, fostering vibrant communities rooted in equity and sustainability. By utilizing the mutual housing association (MHA) model, CATCH empowers tenants to actively participate in the governance and long-term preservation of their homes, ensuring affordability for generations.

With nearly 800 housing units restored across 50 buildings in neighborhoods like Washington Heights, Central Harlem, and Crown Heights, CATCH has mobilized over $77 million in public and private investment. Each MHA is guided by a board that includes residents, CATCH representatives, and community members, providing a collaborative and inclusive approach to housing management. Our mission is more than providing housing—it’s about creating a foundation for thriving, resident-controlled communities where tenants have the power to shape their future.

Empowering Communities Through Employment

After its first decade of turning around and managing financially distressed real property, and providing decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents, Community Assisted Tenant Controlled Housing, Inc. (CATCH) embarked on an economic development program to establish and sustain operating companies that would provide quality employment opportunities for the residents of the buildings it manages. With a federal grant, CATCH established and capitalized a commercial and residential cleaning company – CleanCATCH Inc. — as a wholly owned, for-profit business subsidiary to provide the best cleaning and building maintenance services at an affordable price. This experimental program lasted about three years and was a valuable tool in learning how to provide residents of CATCH-affiliated housing and other low-income individuals with jobs and self-employment opportunities that fit their skills and experience; that provided opportunities for career advancement, and that provided livable wages.

"Our mission at CATCH is more than just restoring buildings—it’s about empowering residents to take ownership of their communities and creating a legacy of affordable, resident-led housing that stands the test of time."

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