Housing Now: Faith Communities’ Call to Action
Conference Speakers and Trainers
Keynote Address: Faith in Housing
Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller serves as the city’s budget watchdog and chief accountability officer. Comptroller Lander’s background in community organizing and urban planning, as well as his Jewish values, informs his work to make government work better for all New Yorkers. Lander served for 12 years in the City Council, where he co-founded the Council’s Progressive Caucus and worked alongside community advocates to win transformative changes for a more just and equitable city. Prior to serving in public office, Lander spent 15 years in the nonprofit sector creating and managing affordable housing, advocating for tenants, and organizing around community development as the director of the Fifth Avenue Committee and the Pratt Center for Community Development. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Meg Barnette, President and CEO of NonProfit New York, and their children, Marek and Rosa, where they are members of Kolot Chayeinu synagogue in Park Slope.
Panel Discussion: Faith-Based Perspectives on Housing
Isaac Adlerstein serves as the Executive Director of Broadway Community a Morningside Heights-based human services agency that serves individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty through a broad range of programs including a shelter, a soup kitchen, a food pantry, on-site medical services, and more. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Isaac has formally been involved in homeless services since 2017, when he began his work at the Interfaith Nutrition Network (The INN), Long Island’s largest homeless services agency. At The INN, Isaac regularly volunteered at the agency’s flagship soup kitchen and assisted Guests with securing employment, housing, and other resources. He ultimately joined The INN’s staff and led projects to develop more effective case management and reporting tools. Isaac has also worked with Paul’s Place in Baltimore, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, and Commonpoint Queens.
Rev. Peter Cook serves as Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches which represents 7,000 congregations across the state of New York. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Reverend Cook received his BA from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and an MA in Liturgical Theology and an MDiv. from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. Prior to serving the Council, he served as Senior Minister at First Congregational Church in Burlington, Vermont and The Plymouth Church in Framingham, Massachusetts and Pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Waukegan, Illinois. Throughout his ministry, Peter has been a strong advocate for the development of affordable housing, leading to the Council’s Who is My Neighbor Community Development Initiative to help faith institutions use their property to better serve their community.
Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper is Co-Founder of Bricks and Mortals and the Rewired Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church. She has pioneered work with the New York City New Sanctuary Movement to protect those immigrants being detained or deported unjustly as well as making Judson a home for Occupy and Occupy Faith. She has continued Judson’s legacy as a haven for women who insist on the right to choose an abortion and opened the building to countless groups, including Hudson River Clearwater, Domestic Workers and Sex workers organizations, while maintaining its work on harm reduction kits, support for GLBTQ people and especially for homeless gay youth. She has initiated cooperation with NYU, especially through its Spiritual Life Center, now across the street, and has pioneered multifaith liturgy with the campus ministries at NYU. She has presided over a growing congregation and Sunday School and developed a community ministry program that has over seven years a total of 43 year-long interns who are prepared to do Judson’s brand of public ministry from a parish base.
Annetta Seecharran is the Executive Director of Chhaya CDC. For two decades, Annetta has championed positive change locally and internationally. Her leadership roles include Director for Policy and Advocacy at United Neighborhood Houses and Executive Director of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!). A Guyanese immigrant to New York City, Annetta holds an M.A. in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University, a B.A. in Political Science from Manhattanville College, and executive management certificates from Columbia Business School and Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of the New York Immigration Coalition.
Workshop Trainers
Adama Bah an immigrant rights advocate, came to the U.S. in 1990, at the age of two. She lived in the States and attended public schools. Then, at sixteen, her whole world changed. The FBI raided her apartment and handcuffed her, along with her father. She was detained and told she was “illegal.” Her father was deported. Adama was allowed to stay but forced to drop out of school and support her family. Now Adama tells her story to call attention to the plight of others like her.
Rev. Getulio Cruz, Jr., is the Bi-Lingual Pastor of Monte Sion Christian Church (MSCC) on Manhattan’s Lower Eastside. He is a Co-Chair of Manhattan Together – Metro IAF, a broad-based, multiracial, politically independent, and grassroots, citizens, and aspiring citizens, power organization, consisting of religious and non-religious dues-paying institutions that trains leaders and turns problems into issues to be acted on with success. This allows them to improve the quality of life in their communities and strengthen their member institutions.
Rev. Alisa W. Cupid is the Program Director of Allen Women’s Resource Center, an emergency shelter for Survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. She also serves on the ministerial team at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York. Alisa holds a Master of Divinity and Certificate in Theology, Women, and Gender from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration from the University of Akron School of Law. Alisa’s theological education and legal experience drive her passion for advocacy and social justice.
Monica Dean, Director of Housing, is responsible for developing and implementing programs to build capacity and expand opportunities for underrepresented firms owned by people of color; or nonprofit mission-based institutions in the real estate industry. She will develop affordable housing policy and goals, establish programs to grow capacity in the affordable housing industry, and position LISC as a premier lender in the affordable housing space, statewide. She has decades of experience working with low-income residents and property management companies to ensure residents have the resources and services they need to live self-sufficient. Monica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Johnson C. Smith University, a Master’s of Education degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Tufts University.
Edward Garcia, is the Co-Organizing and Development Director at the NWBCCC, overseeing our housing department including the public land campaign, and community development committee. Edward has nearly a decade of tenant organizing experience and has extensive experience managing housing outreach and development projects. Edward lives in the Bronx and has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Minor in Community Change Studies from the City College of New York.
Marc Greenberg is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and housing. Since the Assembly’s establishment in 1985, Marc has been addressing homelessness through advocating public policy solutions and other strategies in partnership with an ever broadening network of faith communities, other advocates, housing and service providers, elected officials and those who have experienced homelessness.
Peter Gudaitis, is a leading practitioner, trainer, strategist, and speaker at the intersection of disaster and public health emergency management, the faith sector, and community resilience. With over 20 years of field and executive experience throughout the disaster life cycle. Leading organizations and coalitions through small and large-scale relief operations through long-term recovery. Management of philanthropic grants and government (local, state, and federal UASI, CDBG-DR, SSBG-DR) contracts up to $27M – for mitigation education and preparedness training, disaster case management, financial assistance, pandemic test & trace, and temporary housing services.
Celeste Hornbach has worked as a tenant organizer and social housing developer in New York for the past ten years. She presently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor to New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
Whitney Hu is a community organizer based in Sunset Park. She’s passionate about issues pertaining to mutual aid, anti-gentrification and displacement, food sovereignty, and immigration justice. She is currently the Director of Civic Engagement and Research at Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH) and previously worked in the New York City Council.
Joanne Kennedy, Co-Chair of Manhattan Together. Joanne has also been comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable as part of the Catholic Worker community in NYC for the past 25 years.
Joe Loonam is the Housing Campaigns Coordinator at VOCAL-NY, a 20 year old non-profit building power to end to homelessness, mass incarceration, overdose, the drug war, and HIV/AIDS. He began his work at VOCAL-NY when he was in high school, in a misguided attempt to stay out of trouble. In the interim he has organized transit riders, tenants, and residents of his life long home of Bay Ridge Brooklyn.
Brianna Soleyn, Ally Director at East New York Community Land Trust. Brianna is a lifelong New Yorker, raised in Canarsie Brooklyn. She currently works as a tenant organizer with IMPACCT Brooklyn and is a student in the CUNY Hunter Masters in Urban Planning program. She cares deeply about equitable, community-led social housing models and community-controlled urban planning solutions.
Samuel Stein is a housing policy analyst at the Community Service Society. Prior to joining CSS, he worked for such housing and labor organizations as Tenants & Neighbors and the Service Employees International Union local 32BJ. He holds a Ph.D. in geography from the CUNY Graduate Center and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Hunter College.
Rev. Dr. Terry Troia has been at the helm of Project Hospitality since 1985, first serving as our Executive Director and currently as President and CEO. Reverend Troia has served on several city and statewide boards including the NYC Supportive Housing Task Force. Reverend Troia serves on the board of directors of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, Homeless Services United, Coordinated Behavioral Care, Staten Island Family Health Care Coalition, and the Staten Island Inter-Religious Leadership, a network of local religious leaders committed to upholding the biblical charism of hospitality and justice. She is a member of New Brighton Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Port Richmond Proud, and the Staten Island Immigrant Council. Since Hurricane Sandy hit the shores of Staten Island in October of 2012, Reverend Troia has been at the forefront of the relief efforts. She is currently serving as President of The Staten Island Community and Interfaith Long-Term Recovery Organization.
Jared Watson is a tenant organizer with Fifth Avenue Committee. He works with rent-stabilized tenants across Brooklyn to form tenant associations, educate tenants on their rights, and fight for better conditions and tenant power. Jared lives in Sunset Park.
Multi-Faith Prayer Leaders
Karma Acharya Vijah Ramjattan is a spiritually conscious interfaith community activist, artist, organizer, and leader who advocates for social, environmental, and ecological justice. In 2017, Vijah founded the United Madrassi Association Inc. (UMA) and has served as President since its inception. ‘UMA’ is a progressive volunteer-based non-profit organization based out of New York State and is committed to bringing about UNITY-IN -THE-COMMUNITY, within the Madrassi/Tamil Caribbean-Diaspora and with other, Hindu/Non-Hindu Sects, NGOs, NPOs, and grassroots organizations. Through active civic participation, collaboration, and meaningful humanitarian work, Acharya Vijah aims to create a culture of “Devotion-in-Motion”. Acharya Vijah’s areas of interest are in interfaith tolerance, eco-friendly worship, youth development; fostering female empowerment, and creating meaningful platforms for the younger generation to develop a sense of belonging where they can build, maintain and share their identity through hands-on community service.
Venerable You Lin Shih, obtained a Professional Diploma in Buddhism Studies from Fo Guang Shan Tsung Lin University in June 2012, after 3 years of study. For more than a decade, she has solemnly vowed to uphold the precepts for life. Since 2012, Ven You Lin has performed Dharma services in Southeast Asia, most recently at Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple in Manila Philippines. She has led the regularly scheduled and special ceremonies and services online and offline. Ven You Lin works as a speaker and engages in various religious programs such as weekly Dharma services, Buddhist seminars, meditation retreats, etc. She provides Buddhist-related outreach and promotion of Fo Guang Shan, in charge of the construction project of Guang Ming College in the Philippines. She has taught lectures, attended conferences and services, and hosted seminars for the promotion of Buddhism.
Conference Hosts
Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer directs The Interfaith Center of New York, a nationally-recognized nonprofit that works with hundreds of grassroots religious leaders from diverse faith traditions to catalyze partnerships with civic officials to resolve social problems plaguing New York City. Issues include police reform, immigration concerns, and domestic violence. Institutional partners have included the New York Unified Court System, Catholic Charities, UJA Federation, & the National Endowment for the Humanities. Programs include the Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy (2017–), the Social Work and Religious Diversity program (2007–), and the Rabbi Marshall Meyer Social Justice Retreats (1998–). In addition to program work, ICNY advocates for religious freedom and civil rights. An Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of New York, Breyer also serves as Associate Priest at St. Philip’s Church in Harlem. Breyer is the author of The Close: A Young Woman’s First Year at Seminary (Basic Books 2000), chapter contribution in other books, and her Ph. D. is in Christian Ethics from Union Theological Seminary where she wrote her doctoral thesis about Islamophobia and interfaith work.
Hanadi Doleh, Director of Community Partnerships at the Interfaith Center of New York. She has spent her adult life working in and for New York’s Muslim community. She earned a BA in Political Science and MA in International Relations from Brooklyn College, CUNY. Her academic work has informed her understanding of the issues that shape Muslim life in the US and abroad, as well as her social justice activism on behalf of Muslim Americans and other underrepresented communities. Following the completion of her MA, Hanadi worked for seven years at the Park51 Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the NYC Faith Sector Community Preparedness Program with New York Disaster Interfaith Services and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In 2019, Hanadi was a Community Advisory Board Member at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum for their Contemporary Muslim Fashions Exhibit, which was displayed from February 2020 to July 2021. In June of 2019, she received an honor from New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer for her contributions to the civic life of New York. Also, in December of 2019, Hanadi was honored and recognized by the Muslim Democratic Club of New York for her commitment to empowering Muslim communities and people of color through her organizing and civic engagement. In the summer of 2020, she was elected as Vice President of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York.
Dr. Henry Goldschmidt, Director of Programs at the Interfaith Center of New York. He is a cultural anthropologist, community educator, interfaith organizer, and scholar of American religious diversity. He joined the staff at ICNY in 2010, and has helped develop and facilitate a wide range of programs serving religious and civic leaders, social workers, K-12 students and teachers, and others. Prior to his work at ICNY, Henry received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and taught religious studies and cultural anthropology at Wesleyan University and elsewhere. Among other publications, he is the author of Race and Religion among the Chosen Peoples of Crown Heights (2006) and coeditor of Race, Nation, and Religion in the Americas (2004). He is a life-long, fanatic New Yorker, and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and children.
Nicole Krishtul is the Strategic Organizer for Housing at the New York City Comptroller’s Office, working on issues relating to tenants’ rights, inclusive growth, and social housing. Prior to the Comptroller’s office, she worked for the New York City Council. Nicole was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
Aliya Latif is a New York City community organizer, forever student of the civil rights movement and a believer in the power of the people. Professionally, Aliya works as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects for the NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. Currently, she lives in Rego Park, Queens with her husband Ulises Taveras.