Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH) is a left-of-center New York City-based affordable housing-focused organization that provides workshops and other forms of educational programming to member and other affiliated local churches and racial minority communities in the city. It also engages in aligned advocacy on immigration and economic policy. ¹

Background

Churches United for Fair Housing was founded by social justice activists Rob Solano and Daisy Lopez in response to a rezoning and development of the Broadway Triangle area of Brooklyn, New York and was established as tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in November 2009 under the name “Churches United for Fair Housing Inc.” ^{1 2 3 4}

Since its founding, the organization has broadened its activity to engaging in aligned advocacy and offering educational programming in New York City, especially to members of racial minority communities. ¹

Activities

Churches United for Fair Housing offers workshops on and one-on-one assistance with applications for New York City’s Affordable Housing Lottery, which include reviews of the application process, required documents, credit and debt, and general interview preparation. ⁵

Additionally, the organization also offers referrals for people with tenant, credit, legal, employment, domestic abuse, and immigration issues. ⁵

Aside from affordable housing issues, Churches United for Fair Housing also notes on its website that it engages in organizing racial minority communities in New York City on other left-of-center policy issues, such as immigration, social policy, and economic policy. ¹

Affiliates

Churches United for Fair Housing has eight member churches located in the Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Sunset Park neighborhoods of New York, which support the organization by hosting committee meetings and connecting their congregants and community members to the organization’s housing campaigns. These include Saints Peter and Paul Church, Epiphany Church, St. Martin of Tours Church, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Transfiguration Church, St. Michael’s Church, St. John the Evangelist Church, and Oaks Church. ⁶

Aside from religious institutions, Churches United for Fair Housing also has over 40 ally organizations that support the organization’s mission, including left-of-center nonprofits such as the Center for Popular Democracy, Hispanic Federation, Housing Justice for All, Make the Road New York, Open Space Alliance, Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, Picture the Homeless, and Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY). ⁶

In addition to its member churches, the organization also has over a dozen partner churches located in the East, Harlem, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Prospect Heights, Greenpoint, Hunts Point, Fort Greene, Downtown, Red Hook, Clinton Hill, Brownsville, and Ocean Hill neighborhoods of New York City that grant the organization access to their facilities. ⁶

Leadership

Rob Solano is the executive director and co-founder of Churches United for Fair Housing as well as a lecturer at Cornell University and the Brooklyn Borough President’s ex-officio representative on the Brooklyn Museum’s board of trustees. Previously, he was the vice president of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 3’s Apprentice Division and a member of Antonio Reynoso’s (D) Brooklyn Borough Presidency Transition Team. ⁴

Ceci Sturman is the development and communications director of Churches United for Fair Housing. Previously, she was an intern at Amnesty International USA, a research project leader with Brother’s Keeper International and World Vision Tanzania, and a volunteer coordinator with Mutual Aid New York City’s communications team and Housing Justice for All’s digital team. ⁷

1. “Our History.” Churches United for Fair Housing. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.cuffh.org/history.
2. “Churches United for Fair Housing Inc.” ProPublica. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/264698161.
3. ARCHIVED: “The CUFFH Team.” Churches United for Fair Housing. Archived August 15, 2024. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20240815192929/https://www.cuffh.org/team.
4. ARCHIVED: “Rob Solano | Co-Founder & Executive Director.” Churches United for Fair Housing. Archived June 8, 2024. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20240608182948/https://www.cuffh.org/rob-solano.
5. “Our Services.” Churches United for Fair Housing. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.cuffh.org/services.
6. “CUFFH Network.” Churches United for Fair Housing. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.cuffh.org/network.
7.  ARCHIVED: “Ceci Sturman | Development and Communications Director.” Churches United for Fair Housing. Archived June 8, 2024. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20240608182953/https://www.cuffh.org/ceci-sturman.