We renovate lives, one home at a time.
Our formula is simple.
We turn distressed waterfront properties into affordable housing, providing employment opportunities onsite to formerly incarcerated New Yorkers.
Our Story
Before we launched The Restorative Housing Organization, we were a family who lucked into a home on the Coney Island waterfront.
The calming, empowering effect of living by the ocean was so profound that we set our sights on sharing the experience. We invested our own resources in a distressed waterfront property on City Island in the Bronx.
For the renovation, we chose to hire justice-impacted contractors, and then offer up the rentals to government housing voucher holders through the Section 8 program.
That equation worked, so we did it again, this time in Jamaica, Queens.
Our Next Steps
Now, in order to expand our efforts to build more affordable housing, we’ve launched the 501(c)(3) Restorative Housing Organization.
Cat Greenleaf, Founder
City Island
COMPLETED AUGUST 2023
We had our eye on this property for a few years before we were able to make it ours. It was so worth the wait. Three former vacation bungalows, stunning waterfront, and room for our 1971 Airstream Land Yacht.
It took just over 8 months from when we acquired the property in late 2022 to renovate the entire compound. Over the life of the project, we were able to hire 12 justice-impacted men and women. This Fall, we welcomed our first Section 8 family.
The houses have all stood over 100 years, products of excellent craftsmanship and hearty materials. Being as dedicated to the waterfront as we are, it’s been a true honor to work with such substantial buildings who have also lived a life on the water.
Along with our human tenants and a couple canines, there’s a Great Blue Heron and an Osprey on the scene. They don't have housing vouchers, but we make exceptions for winged wildlife!
Meadowmere Park
COMPLETED MARCH 2024
The houses feel like colleagues to us, and this one is a gem. Clocking in at just over 100 years old, this house has undergone several internal upgrades over time, but her bones remain solid and unchanged. Our favorite part is that every bedroom has a water view, which is dynamic itself, changing with every tide.
Sitting directly on Hook Creek, there’s a resident Osprey and also two swans who’ve settled under our dock. It’s hard to believe this is NYC!
In the News
They Wanted a Waterfront House in New York City for $450,000 (but Not for Themselves)
March 7, 2024 | By Joyce Cohen
A couple loved living in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, so much that they wanted to share the experience with others. So they looked for a distressed property they could restore and rent to a low-income tenant.
Get Involved, Get In Touch
We are always looking for like-minded collaborators. If you’re interested in learning more about us or telling us about you, we’d love to connect.
Get Involved Today!
