Godfrey is a young HDFC board member from Miami who moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 2012. Growing up precariously housed in Florida and then encountering exploitative landlords in New York, he began looking for more stable housing options and applied to his HDFC in the Bronx in 2019. He was immediately asked to serve on the board and brought in fresh energy and ambition. He discussed the challenges of entering and turning around a board with established dysfunctions as well as the wins they were able to secure – including making necessary repairs and renovations, getting to know his neighbors and local Black-owned businesses, and renting out the building’s unused basement as affordable storage units.

Sense of community in the Bronx: