The Lead Community Organizers at PACC thought; put your most passionate Tenant Leaders together to share ideas and their similar experiences and see if they can help each other and themselves. Out of this simple concept, PLG—PACC Leadership Group was born. A group for the community run by the community. While housing rights is the main issues that brings this group together, PLG has noticed other community issues that need to be addressed as well. While we can work as tenants and activists to fix housing issues, these changes are only cosmetic. If we do not address community issues at it’s core change will not be true effective and lasting.

PLG is a continuing conversation and journey with the mission to save our homes while developing our communities. We want to hold onto each neighborhoods’ individuality which makes them unique. PLG has devised four committees that will endeavor to maintain and/or improve our homes and communities:

1) Politics & Housing: will provide knowledge on how we can become more politically savvy. How to utilize our elected officials. How does politics on the City, State and Federal levels impact us and our community? How can we organize to stop real estate from taking over our communities. Also, addressing normal housing complaints and issues that bring most people to PACC & PLG looking for assistance.

2) Education & Neighborhood: Concerns helps to provide our neighbors with information on free or low-cost educational opportunities. Be it for self improvement or career advancement. There are times when our neighborhood needs our help; who do you report that pot-hole to? That neighbor didn’t shovel their snow again? When is your Block Party this summer? This committee endeavors to answer those questions.

3) Seniors & Health Care: How do we take care of our golden assets, our Senior Citizens? Are nursing homes doing right by them? Are Seniors happy and engaged? Are they receiving proper health care? Are elected officials forgetting about them? We need to explore these questions, answer them, and if need be, fix problems where they arise. Health care utilizes knowledge, common sense, and how to take better care of ourselves. Focusing on HIV/AIDS, Hypertension and diabetes—the number one killer of African-American and Latinos in the United States. How can we change our lifestyles and habits so we can live longer and share that knowledge with the community? Let’s get this information out to our neighborhoods and stay informed.

4) Youth & Young Adult Leadership is focused directly on our children. We want to keep them off the streets and out of trouble. This directive is designed to help assist parents find and assist their children with participation in programs that are both engaging to our children’s minds and bodies. We look for sports and educational activities that are either free of cost or low cost for parents. Our goal is to involve local PTA, Religious groups and local elected officials with our search for activities to engage our youth. We want to keep our youth and young adults how to care about their communities and to be responsible civic citizens.

We believe that with these committees along with our dedication to improving and saving our homes and communities we can keep the borough of Brooklyn one of the most diverse and welcoming places for families in New York.