Bronx church sat empty for decades; now it’s becoming a home
Inside the structure, wires hang loose, insulation falls from the ceiling and rainwater leaks straight through holes in the roof. But the organization says that’s exactly where their mission begins.
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A once-abandoned church in Crotona Park is getting a second life — thanks to Habitat for Humanity NYC and a team of volunteers determined to turn the crumbling building into a multifamily home.
Inside the structure, wires hang loose, insulation falls from the ceiling and rainwater leaks straight through holes in the roof. But the organization says that’s exactly where their mission begins.
“Everything from insulation to sheetrock to getting these floors down… that is all going to be volunteer, work” said CEO Sabrina Lippman.
The church sat empty for nearly 40 years. Now, Habitat says the new residence will be geared toward a working Bronx resident who earns too much to qualify for housing assistance, but not enough to purchase a home in one of the city’s most expensive markets.
“We’re excited to bring it back to life so a family could live their lives in it,” Lippman said.
It’s part of a broader initiative to expand homeownership in the Bronx, which has the lowest homeownership rate in New York City.
“When you have more homeowners… they’re more civically engaged… they have healthier homes… they’re able to create and preserve safety in their neighborhoods,” she added.
To keep costs low and preserve pieces of the original structure, volunteers are salvaging as many bricks as possible from the old church — dusting them off, scraping away decades of concrete or chiseling them free one by one.
It could take two more years until the interior of the building is completely remodeled, according to the Lippman.
