UPDATE Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition Go Bronx-wide Relaunching as “Our Bronx”

By SÍLE MOLONEY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF “Our Bronx” Sandra Lobo addresses those gathered at the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Photo by Síle Moloney

Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our print edition dated March 5.

At its 52nd annual meeting, held at Lehman College on Saturday, Feb. 28, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) announced its new organizational name and identity, Our Bronx, marking the organization’s borough-wide expansion and what was described as its deepened commitment to building power for racial justice and economic democracy across The Bronx.

NWBCCC first hinted at its future boroughwide expansion during its 50th anniversary celebration, with its announced merger with the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative. Representatives for both organizations said the merger brought together more than five decades of organizing with deep planning and development expertise, strengthening a vehicle for long-term economic transformation in the borough.

MEMBERS OF THE Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, now Our Bronx, gather for the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

According to its website, founded in 1974, Our Bronx unites diverse peoples and institutions to fight for racial justice and economic democracy through intergenerational community organizing to transform The Bronx and beyond.

“Our Bronx is what we’ve been building toward for more than 50 years,” said Sandra Lobo, executive director of Our Bronx. “From tenant organizing and community land trust work, to shaping borough-wide economic strategy, to setting new standards for what development must deliver, we’ve proven that when Bronx communities organize, we can win real power, real accountability, and real ownership.”

MARGARET GROARKE, TREASURER of “Our Bronx” provides an overview of the organization’s finances at its 52nd anniversary celebration held at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Photo by Síle Moloney

She added, “The Kingsbridge Armory agreements, our growing community land trust pipeline, and the Bronx CEDS are all part of the same story: we are building the infrastructure for economic democracy. As Our Bronx, we are stepping into our next phase, expanding borough-wide, deepening cross-sector partnerships, and scaling models that keep our people here, create family-sustaining jobs, and put decision-making in community hands, for us, by us.”

More than 200 community members, faith and labor partners, and elected officials gathered at the event to celebrate what organizers said were major 2025 milestones, including what was described as the unprecedented package of agreements for the Kingsbridge Amory. This includes a development agreement and legally-binding community benefits agreement (CBA) which, together, secures “a 20% community ownership stake in the armory, commitments to community space, affordable, commercial and manufacturing space, strong, environmental, sustainability standards, and family-sustaining jobs.”

COUNCILMEMBER Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) addresses those gathered at the 52nd anniversary celebration of the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, now Our Bronx, on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

Signed by 32 Bronx institutions, Our Bronx officials said the CBA is a crowning achievement in a campaign spanning three decades to deliver a community-driven future for the armory.

Elisabeth Bailey Ortega, who had campaigned for the equitable redevelopment of the armory for 15 of the organization’s 30-year campaign, and who previously penned an op-ed for Norwood News on the topic, described the latest redevelopment project, entitled “The Kingsbridge Center / El Centro Kingsbridge,” as “a generational victory.”

ONE OF THE speakers at the 52nd anniversary of Our Bronx held at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, addresses those gathered for the event.
Photo by Síle Moloney

Addressing those gathered at Lehman College, she said in part, “Tonight, I want to honor what we achieved together after decades of persistence.” She said elders laid the foundation, youth brought energy and vision, and workers, tenants, parents and neighbors showed up year after year.

On the organization securing the 20% ownership (125,000 sq. ft.) of what she described as the “massive, historic, public asset,” Ortega-Bailey said for the first time in the history of the armory, it will be used for a manufacturing hub, a community hub, a space for small businesses, for entrepreneurs, workers, young people and residents who she said believe in building wealth and opportunities in the borough. Read more on the CBA details here, as previously reported.

SANDRA LOBO, EXECUTIVE director of the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition discusses the organization’s rebranding to “Our Bronx” at the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

A core theme of the evening was the power of long-term, cross-sector partnerships, which Lobo and others credited for recent victories including the passage of the Construction Justice Act, advanced by what was described as a broad coalition of labor, community, and faith organizations. The bipartisan bill, championed in The Bronx by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa (C.D. 10), Laborers Local 79, and Our Bronx, set a $40 per hour compensation standard for workers on city-funded affordable housing projects. Under the standard, at least $25 per hour must be dedicated to wages, with the balance available for wages, healthcare, or other benefits.

“The Construction Justice Act matters because it helps ensure workers receive a dignified wage and strong benefits so the jobs that build our city can actually sustain a family,” said Karla Cruz, executive director of Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET). “For almost a decade, we have worked with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition to build a strong borough-wide ecosystem that supports workers and their families to thrive.”

THE NORTHWEST BRONX Community & Clergy Coalition announces its new name, “Our Bronx” at the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

Cruz added, “Thanks to our shared vision, partnership and persistence, we reached historic victories that will deliver good jobs, real accountability, and development that does not leave our communities behind. We are excited for the leadership NWBCCC will continue to bring borough-wide as Our Bronx, to build on these wins for the future of our people and our City.”

Our Bronx officials went on to say that the 2024 merger between Our Bronx and the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative helped catalyze major initiatives, including Our Bronx’s collaboration with the Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC) to create the borough’s first federally-certified Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).

HUNDREDS SHOWED UP for the 52nd anniversary of Our Bronx held at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Photo by Síle Moloney

Officials said the Bronx CEDS builds on the long-term vision of the Bronx-wide Coalition, a cross-sector collaboration of community, labor, and faith partners working together since 2019 to advance community wealth and ownership.

In 2025, Our Bronx, BXEDC, and the Bronx-wide Coalition gathered input from more than 700 Bronx residents, workers, and small business owners to shape the plan, which they said will help channel investment and institutional decision-making toward shared ownership, quality jobs, and environmental resilience.

THE BOARD MEMBERS of Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (now Our Bronx) are approved by members during a vote at the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

In 2026, they said partners will continue soliciting public feedback to finalize the Bronx CEDS and unveil it at the Bronx Economic Development Summit on June 5 and 6.

For her part, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said, “For years, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition has been laying the groundwork for long-term support of economic growth and opportunities for The Bronx, and this Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy provides an important analysis of the borough that will identify strategies and priorities for how The Bronx can thrive.”

THE BOARD OF directors and leadership of Our Bronx are voted in by members during the organization’s 52nd anniversary h0eld at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Photo by Síle Moloney

She added, “A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy means that every major investment decision should be evaluated based on whether it builds wealth in The Bronx, improves job quality, strengthens local business ecosystems, and advances climate resilience. As borough president, I am committed to being a partner on this initiative to ensure the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy serves as a guide for decision-making rooted in community voice and economic justice for every Bronx neighborhood.”

Meanwhile, Kerry A. McLean, vice president of community development at the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), said, “As partners, we are making history. Built on a foundation of deep engagement and real relationships across sectors through the Bronx-wide Coalition, our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy will be a roadmap toward an equitable economy for all Bronxites.”

THE VARIOUS MEMBERS and leadership of Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (now Our Bronx) are applauded at the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

McLean added, “We have listened to thousands of Bronxites and learned from models across the globe to shape successful strategies that build shared ownership, quality jobs, small business sustainability, and climate resilience into our ecosystem. The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition has played a critical coordinating role in building this vehicle with stakeholders across the borough, and we are excited to see them step further into that leadership as Our Bronx.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Our Bronx and elected partners also highlighted key housing priorities focused on strengthening affordability, responsible ownership, and community ownership of land. In 2025, they said three projects entered the pipeline for incorporation into the Bronx Community Land Trust, including 2201-2205 Davidson Avenue.

A REPRESENTATIVE FROM the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (now Our Bronx) addresses those gathered at the organization’s 52nd anniversary celebration on 2/28/26 at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx. Video by Síle Moloney

Incorporated in 2020 by Our Bronx (then NWBCCC), the Bronx Community Land Trust (Bronx CLT) works to build and preserve safe, healthy, and deeply affordable housing for the borough’s racially and economically diverse residents as well as accessible commercial, industrial, and green spaces. According to Our Bronx, the Bronx CLT advances community leadership, shared wealth, and collective governance over Bronx land to create long-term sustainability, responsible planning, and equitable development that prevents displacement and gentrification.

Our Bronx officials said the organization and Sanchez had worked with the affected tenants to transfer the building from its previous absentee owner and initiate the Third Party Transfer process exploring tenant ownership. The Third Party Transfer Program is a public-private partnership created by New York City local law to rehabilitate buildings with significant delinquent municipal charges and poor housing conditions, and to ensure that residents remain in place with affordability and rent stabilization protections.

EDGAR RAMOS, WITH hat, and Helene Hartman-Kutnowsky, right, with glasses, of Bronx Community Board 7 are seen at the 52nd anniversary celebration of the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (now Our Bronx) at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Photo by Síle Moloney

Our Bronx Officials and Sanchez said building upon this work at Davidson Avenue, they are now also advancing the SAFER Homes Act to improve the city’s Third Party Transfer program and scale lessons from Davidson Avenue to benefit other buildings across New York City.

Sanchez said, “From securing a development deal at the Kingsbridge Armory that creates community ownership and good jobs for local residents, to transitioning 2201-05 Davidson Avenue out of negligent ownership and on the road to rehabilitation, our partnership has delivered historic victories for our Bronx.” The councilmember talked again about how she would walk past the armory as a child and lament that the huge building, which spans six football fields, was sitting empty, describing it “as a symbol both of possibility and neglect.”

THE NAMES OF the Board of Directors of Our Bronx are listed on a slide during the 52nd anniversary celebration of the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (now Our Bronx) at Lehman College, Bedford Park, The Bronx on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Photo by Síle Moloney

On the armory deal, she commended Our Bronx saying it was the organization’s victory in terms of securing the CBA, and talked about how when it came time to ratify the deal at the City Council, she ensured to hold up the vote for three hours “until we got every last after-school seat that we needed for our neighborhood.”

Sanchez said it wasn’t just a deal. “This is a blueprint for equitable, economic development, she said. “This coalition who fought for 30 years – it’s your win. It’s our win for our people. I’m proud to stand along side you. You sustained a vision when it was not popular, when it was hard, when it seemed out of reach. and my commitment now, is clear on that implementation.”

The council member added, “Now, I am launching the SAFER Homes Act to realize what tenants have been demanding for years, real accountability for negligent owners and a pathway toward stabilization and responsible ownership. I am committed to advocating for full implementation and investment in each of these models that demonstrate that paradigm shifts that put real ownership and governance in community hands are possible. And I look forward to scaling our successes from [Council] District 14 across The Bronx and New York City, as the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition expands under the banner of Our Bronx.”

Leaders at the event also uplifted growing collaborations with healthcare unions and state elected officials to pass the New York Health Act and secure healthcare for all. They said with nearly two thirds of Bronx residents relying on Medicaid, local impacts of federal policy and funding decisions could hit the borough especially hard.

CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) speaks during the 52nd anniversary celebration of Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition at Lehman College 2/28/26, during which the organization announced it was going Bronxwide with its “Our Bronx” rebranding. Video by Síle Moloney

They said Our Bronx partnered with healthcare worker organizations including SEIU1199, the New York State Nurses Association, and Physicians for a National Health Program, alongside State Senator Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), reaching “hundreds of Bronx residents” through town halls calling for state action.

Speaking at the event, Rivera chair of the State health committee, said in part, “This moment demands urgent state action around healthcare, an issue that Bronxites feel more than other New Yorkers, as they have struggled with barriers to care and high out of pocket costs for too long.” He said the New York Health Act was a common-sense solution that would guarantee quality healthcare for all New Yorkers, regardless of age, wealth, or immigration status.

BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT Vanessa Gibson speaks during the 52nd anniversary celebration of Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition at Lehman College 2/28/26, during which the organization announced it was going Bronxwide with its “Our Bronx” rebranding. Video by Síle Moloney

The senator went on to say that the New York Health Act would also protect the State from the federal administration’s Medicaid cuts and what he described as “draconian” coverage eligibility changes which he said would go into effect over the next few years. “As lead sponsor of the NY Health Act, I am committed to working with ‘Our Bronx’ to make universal health coverage a reality that will transform the lives of so many in our borough and across New York State,” he said. Dr. Imam Hassan and Dr. Betty Kolod joined Rivera for the presentation. Read more on the event’s discussion on the NY Health Act here.

Lobo also said it was important for Our Bronx to practice what it preached in terms of transparency. To that end, Margaret Groarke, Our Bronx treasurer, gave an overview of the organization’s finances, saying the organization, which employs 32 people outside of its Board of Directors, remains on strong financial footing.

“The board, every month, reviews detailed financial reports, tracking income, expenses, bank balances, and cashflow, so that we can steward our resources transparently and responsibly,” she said. “Our financial strength comes from a broad mix of funding sources, including State support for our long-running successful weatherization assistance program, City and State grants that sustain our organizing, and community-development work, foundation support that advances our mission, membership dues, and individual donations, which reflect community commitments, and our annual gala, a key fundraising anchor for our grassroots work.”

Groarke added, “In August 2025, we transitioned our book-keeping and accounting services to Ncheng LLP, a larger nonprofit experienced firm that has also audited the Northwest Bronx Coalition for many years, bringing continuity and also a fresh perspective to our internal systems, and they’ve been very helpful. We’ve also engaged a new auditor. Withum is the name of the company, in line with accounting standards that require a separation between bookkeeping and auditing. The audit is currently underway.”

She continued, “As of June 30, 2025, the Northwest Bronx Coalition’s net assets totaled over $5.3 million, and increase of nearly $60,000 for [the final year? / inaudible]. Good, right? There’s a report in the annual report where you can see some information about our current finances. The audit is expected to be completed by March 2026. Once it’s finalized, any member who would like to review the audited financial statements is welcome to contact me. Thank you for your trust and support. Strong stewardship is what allows this organization to keep building power and delivering community-led solutions for a more just and equitable Bronx.”

On Feb. 5, “thousands” of Bronx residents convened at Fordham University to launch what was described as a people-powered organization, “The Bronx Metro IAF Founding Assembly.” Leaders from dozens of Bronx churches, mosques, nonprofits, and community associations, along with partners from the rest of New York City, gathered to formally launch what was described as a borough-wide power organization in partnership with Metro Industrial Areas Foundation.

Bronx clergy, non-profit, and other community leaders came together after they said they had listened to thousands of Bronx residents over the last two years, and heard real life manifestations of multiple crises facing the borough. They said at the event, they laid out their solutions to these challenges, including truly affordable and high quality housing, safer streets, better schools, mental health services, and employment opportunities.

The Bronx Metro IAF leaders said they were committing themselves to holding politicians and other leaders to their promises to make The Bronx and New York City, as a whole, a better, safer and more affordable place to live for everyone, and help them make it real. Norwood News asked a representative from Our Bronx if there was any link between the Fordham University launch of “The Bronx Metro IAF Founding Assembly” and Our Bronx’s boroughwide expansion. We were advised there was not.

Sanchez summed up the night saying, “This is what an organized community looks like. This is what happens when we refuse to give up and that is what we will do. We will continue to fight. The Bronx is not something you extract from. It is something you invest in because we are powerful.”

UPDATE Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition Go Bronx-wide Relaunching as “Our Bronx”

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