Gibb Mansion’s Mission, Gibb Mansion’s Mission, Demographics and SWOTDemographics and SWOT

SWOT ICONS:

Strength(S)

Weakness(W)

Opportunities(O)

Threats(T)

Kevin, Jillian and Vida Collaboration Kevin, Jillian and Vida Collaboration with the Gibb Mansionwith the Gibb Mansion

Our StrengthsKevin - Silk Screen, relief, intaglio, printing, wheel throwing, drawing, painting, watercolor, ceramic construction, basic glaze formulation Photoshop CS4, Premier/Final Cut video editing

Jillian- Making plans/organizing ideas, resourceful with materials, knowledge of different art mediums, and setting up situations where people are able to teach themselves. Metal Work, Jewelry Making

Vida – free lance designer, director of a short play, writer (playwright), crafty, creator and leader of community art projects at Project Cope for individuals that are economic and mentally and/or physically challenged

Gibb Mansion’s Gibb Mansion’s Main Main

SupporterSupporter 

The Gibb Mansion, is Pratt Area Community Council’s (PACC) first supportive housing project. PACC was founded in 1964 by the North Brooklyn communities of Bedford Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Fort Green and the Wallabout Community.

The Pratt Area Community Council mission is to provide a support system by using the diversity of North and Central Brooklyn to address, develop and sustain housing and local businesses. PACC also uses a holistic approach to assist Brooklynites to live independently by providing workshops and a network of information.

PACC’s MissionPACC’s Mission

Gibb Mansion’s Facility and Gibb Mansion’s Facility and SupportersSupporters

The Gibb Mansion is a full facility that provides housing and social services to people of need, most of whom have chronic illnesses. HIV/AIDS Services Administration’s (H.A.S.A) provides the funding for the fifty residents that have HIV. They do not provide support for the 21 residents that are not infected with HIV.

The HIV/AIDS Services Administration’s (HASA) focus is expedite access to essential benefits and social services for persons living with AIDS or clinical symptomatic HIV illness and their families.HASA works closely with communities to make sure that their clients are accommodated with housing, health care and living expenses needed to live comfortably.

StrengthsStrengthsPACC took it upon themselves to support the

rest of their 21 residents that are in need of low income housing. This demonstrates how PACC social services are empowered by their passion and commitment to equally attend to all of their 71 residents

ReflectionReflection• This is very interesting, because rather than

just worry about the HIV residents being discriminated, there is also concern of residents that do not have the chronic illness may face discrimination as well. This is definitely something to be reflective about and grow from.

AffiliationsAffiliations Coalition for the Improvement of

Bedford-Stuyvesant (CIBS) and the Gibb Mansion are working together to implement an initiative to improve Bedford-Stuyvesant’s short and long term goals; from helping house owners that are temporarily in need of intervention to making Bedford Stuyvesant a model for how to green urban neighborhoods.

In 2008 it was announced that homeless from Manhattan's shelters would be transplanted into a few of Brooklyn's-the Atlantic Ave Armory in Crown Heights would carry the weight and the rest would flow over to the Sumner Ave Armory-the Pamoja House. Once again the community was dismayed by the inevitable increase of homeless in the area.

The community has been against the homeless shelter in Bed-Stuyvesant since the 1980s when it was first used as a shelter.

Sumner Avenue Armory Pamoja House

As well as eviction; doubled-up or severely overcrowded housing; domestic violence; and hazardous housing conditions.By Gibb Mansion and CIBS working together helps to limit these ongoing issues in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Number One Cause of Homelessness is a Lack of Affordable Housing

The grounds of the Gibb Mansion are very pristine and well maintained. The interior is also aesthetically pleasing with a soft yellow palette on the walls and thoughtful details such as crown moldings and sconces. Lighting also added warmth to the environment –in short it was much better that we expected.

The director of the Gibbs Mansion’s social services, Nicole Gilbert makes sure everything is operating consistently; such as the administrative, funding and maintenance departments.

StrengthsStrengths

On the ground floor there is a library/internet room that is accessible to the residents seven days a week with ample time to utilize- until midnight

Workshops for skill-building are part of the Gibb Mansion’s curricula to promote self-esteem and independence

Newsletter

Dining area with a cook!

StrengthsStrengths

A full gym, acupuncturist, art therapist, laundry room, work space is located in the basement, which has been designed tastefully

PACC office is also set up in the basement.

StrengthsStrengths

WeaknessesWeaknesses

Bedford Stuyvesant does not have a thriving socio-economic community as of yet

 

Bedford Stuyvesant’s Bedford Stuyvesant’s Statistical Demographics and Statistical Demographics and WeaknessesWeaknesses It is not surprising that former President Franklin D.

Roosevelt’s New Deal earlier displacement of African-Americans and low-income minorities in areas such as Brooklyn still places these groups within a negative socio-economic disposition today. Even worse is that the negative impact of the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation (H.O.L.C) zoning of Brooklyn is perpetual, as it has not only heightened discriminative housing issues, but also increased the lack of funds and loans for educational and health institutions. These and many other issues offset African-Americans to being more susceptible to diseases, such as HIV infection and full blown AIDs. These high rates are within North and Central Brooklyn as these were the areas hit hard by the H.O.L.C’s bias zoning in 1933. North and Central Brooklyn have a fifty percent higher rate of HIV /AIDS infection than their counterpart South Brooklyn. The highest incidence is in the Bedford Stuyvesant-Crown Heights area.

Two charts displays the HIV/AIDS Statistics of Two charts displays the HIV/AIDS Statistics of North and Central Brooklyn in contrast to South North and Central Brooklyn in contrast to South BrooklynBrooklyn

     

REPORTED HIV/AIDS DIAGNOSES AND DEATHS IN 2008 and REPORTED PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) AS OF 12/31/2008, NEW YORK CITYBEDFORD STUYVESANT - CROWN HEIGHTS (BROOKLYN)

N % N % N % N % N % N %TOTAL 268 100.0 202 75.4 66 24.6 236 100.0 6,424 100.0 146 100.0

SEXMale 187 69.8 142 70.3 45 68.2 159 67.4 3,964 61.7 79 54.1Female 81 30.2 60 29.7 21 31.8 77 32.6 2,460 38.3 67 45.9

RACE/ETHNICITYBlack 230 85.8 173 85.6 57 86.4 197 83.5 5,330 83.0 123 84.2Hispanic 26 9.7 19 9.4 7 10.6 30 12.7 765 11.9 15 10.3White 10 3.7 8 4.0 * * 8 3.4 286 4.5 6 4.1Asian/pacific Islander * * * * 0 0.0 * * 27 0.4 * *Native American * * * * 0 0.0 0 0.0 6 0.1 0 0.0Multiracial 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 * * 0 0.0Unknown 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 7 0.1 0 0.0

HIV DIAGNOSES, 2008AIDS

DIAGNOSES, 2008

PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

AS OF 12/31/2008

DEATHS, 2008

Total HIV diagnoses

Without AIDSConcurrent with AIDS diagnoses

REPORTED HIV/AIDS DIAGNOSES AND DEATHS IN 2008 and REPORTED PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) AS OF 12/31/2008, NEW YORK CITYBENSONHURST - BAY RIDGE (BROOKLYN)

N % N % N % N % N % N %TOTAL 19 100.0 16 84.2 * * 16 100.0 512 100.0 7 100.0

SEXMale 15 78.9 12 75.0 * * 14 87.5 368 71.9 * *Female * * * * 0 0.0 * * 144 28.1 * *

RACE/ETHNICITYBlack * * 0 0.0 * * * * 71 13.9 * *Hispanic * * * * 0 0.0 * * 143 27.9 * *White 12 63.2 11 68.8 * * 7 43.8 271 52.9 * *Asian/pacific Islander * * * * 0 0.0 * * 27 5.3 0 0.0Native American 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0Multiracial 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0Unknown 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0

HIV DIAGNOSES, 2008AIDS

DIAGNOSES, 2008

PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

AS OF 12/31/2008

DEATHS, 2008

Total HIV diagnoses

Without AIDSConcurrent with AIDS diagnoses

WeaknessesWeaknesses

Director of the Gibb Mansion, Nicole Gilbert said that it is a challenge to sustain the residents’ interest and commitment to projects

It is very clear that some form of supervision is required, which can inhibit our bond in some unknown factor

It seems like we have to go through the director to get to the residents- so if we had an announcement to make to the residents then that might be tricky.

 

OpportunitiesOpportunities

There are a lot of spaces on the Gibb

Mansion property:◦ Cement courtyard/cement wall◦ Yard/lawn◦ Cafeteria walls◦ Our own room to work in

 The director of the Gibb Mansion, Nicole

Gilbert said they can market our project by creating posters as well as put a posting in their newsletter

 

OpportunitiesOpportunities

The residents were very friendly, inquisitive and bright. After we introduced ourselves a gentleman said how much funding do we have? This is a good question!

 Tenants have already expressed specific ideas and interests in what they want to do.

 Many of the Gibb Mansion residents like the

arts as is evident with prior art projects that are visible on the walls

 We can use their internet and library as

resource 

Pratt Institute is in walking distance to Gibb Pratt Institute is in walking distance to Gibb Mansion so this can make our collaborative effort Mansion so this can make our collaborative effort easier and can enhance both parties to learn easier and can enhance both parties to learn about each other about each other

OpportunitiesOpportunities

Historic value and StrengthHistoric value and Strength

One great fact about the Gibbs mansion is that it is a site, a location, landmark within Brooklyn that not only has present day meaning for being a public service facility, but also historic value as well; this also parallels with Pratt Institute as it is has a historic value and is an institution to serve, enlighten and engage.

ThreatsThreats

Due to chronic illnesses as well as other health related issues such as but not limited to drug addictions there is more sensitivity and safety concerns. Example :residents have already exhibited unpredictable and erratic behavior.

  Crack house is in very close proximity to the Gibb

Mansion which is not good for the residents who have drug problems. It is also a threat to the Bedford Stuyvesant community. 

Challenge of keeping the residents alive and healthy is a constant variable which makes their objective different than ours. They are in constant need of medicine, physician monitoring and the dependency on others until they are hopefully able to move on and live independently.

 

ThreatsThreats

Unpredictability will be an ongoing logistical challenge throughout this project