BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — The fight to keep longtime residents in Williamsburg has been going on for generations. In a Brooklyn neighborhood that has experienced major changes in housing, development and rents, one nonprofit has spent more than five decades trying to make sure longtime residents are not pushed out.
Southside United Housing Development Fund, better known as Los Sures, was founded in 1972 after residents of Williamsburg organized around serious housing problems, including landlord abandonment, deteriorating buildings and illegal evictions. The organization has since become one of the longtime community groups working on affordable housing and tenant rights in Brooklyn.
The story is especially important as New York City housing affordability remains a major concern for renters. Williamsburg has transformed dramatically over the years, with new development and rising demand changing the neighborhood’s housing market.
From abandoned buildings to affordable housing
When Los Sures began its work, parts of South Williamsburg were struggling with severely neglected housing. According to the organization, residents faced abandoned properties, reduced city services and illegal evictions.
Community organizers believed that simply moving residents elsewhere would not solve the problem. Instead, they worked toward community control of housing and the preservation of homes for people who already lived in the neighborhood.
By the mid-1970s, Los Sures had started managing city-owned properties. Over time, its work expanded into housing rehabilitation, affordable housing development and tenant organizing.
Today, the organization says it has been involved in the rehabilitation and construction of more than 5,000 housing units in more than 340 buildings and cooperatives.
That long history has made Los Sures an important part of the conversation surrounding Williamsburg gentrification and displacement.
A neighborhood that has changed
Williamsburg is now widely known for restaurants, nightlife, waterfront development and expensive real estate. But longtime residents remember a very different neighborhood.
Los Sures Executive Director Juan Ramos told CBS New York that the community once had numerous rundown and burned-out buildings. Community leaders said some landlords neglected properties rather than investing in them, creating difficult conditions for tenants.
The challenge today is different, but the concern remains similar: Can longtime residents afford to stay in the neighborhood as property values and housing costs rise?
For many housing advocates, displacement is not only about losing an apartment. It can also mean losing access to family networks, schools, local businesses, cultural institutions and community relationships.
More than housing
Los Sures’ work extends beyond apartments.
The nonprofit provides social services, tenant organizing, senior programs, food assistance and neighborhood safety initiatives. Its food pantry serves more than 1,000 families each week, according to CBS New York.
The organization also operates a senior center and works with residents on issues involving tenant rights, immigration, education and civic engagement.
That broader approach reflects a growing idea in affordable housing policy: keeping people in their communities requires more than simply building apartments.
Residents also need access to food, social services, transportation, community programs and legal or organizing support.
Affordable housing remains a major issue in Brooklyn
The pressure on affordable housing is not limited to Williamsburg. Across New York City, housing advocates and community organizations continue to push for additional affordable apartments and stronger protections for renters.
Los Sures has also participated in larger affordable housing projects in North Brooklyn. In the Broadway Triangle area, Los Sures joined other nonprofit organizations in a development plan designed to create hundreds of affordable apartments.
The organization says its goal remains centered on helping families stay connected to Williamsburg while expanding affordable housing opportunities.
A fight that continues
More than 50 years after its creation, Los Sures’ work shows how neighborhood organizations can play a long-term role in protecting residents during periods of major urban change.
Williamsburg will likely continue to evolve. New buildings, businesses and investments will keep arriving, while housing affordability remains a concern for many New Yorkers.
For Los Sures and the residents it serves, however, development does not have to mean displacement.
The organization’s history is ultimately about residents organizing around a simple question: How can a neighborhood grow without forcing out the people who helped build its community?
That question remains at the heart of the Brooklyn affordable housing debate in 2026.