Named for the 5th-century Jewish prophet who led his people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the Nehemiah homes were founded as a series of owner-occupied, affordable housing developments located throughout East Brooklyn. This historic development was made possible by the deeply-rooted, neighborhood and congregation leaders of East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC), an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the nation’s oldest and largest network of non-partisan citizen’s organizations.

Beginning in 1982 with 1,100 units in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and now numbering over 5,000 throughout the borough, these neighborhoods represent one of the most successful generational wealth-building programs in U.S. history. 

This collection of oral histories celebrates the leaders and homeowners who have carried out an unprecedented effort to build community from the ground up.