For more than 40 years, ECDO, Forever Harlem has worked alongside Harlem residents to build stronger homes, stronger families, and a stronger community.
In 1983, a group of Harlem residents, community leaders, activists, and service providers came together in the basement of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to address a growing challenge: "housing and community deterioration".
From that gathering, the Cathedral Housing Development Corporation was established to revitalize a declining housing community by formulating and implementing plans for the renewal, rehabilitation, and new construction of residential buildings in the surrounding communities.
As the work expanded, the organization officially changed its name to Ecumenical Community Development Organization, also known as ECDO, Forever Harlem.
In 1991, ECDO opened ECHO Apartments, its first intergenerational and special-needs affordable housing development, just across from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where the organization's story began. ECHO marked an early milestone in ECDO's commitment to creating stable, affordable homes for Harlem residents and laid the groundwork for the affordable housing work that followed.
ECDO has also been part of Harlem’s broader community planning efforts. The organization contributed to the development of Manhattan Community Board 9’s 197-A Plan, a community-led framework addressing affordable housing, economic development, land use, transportation, and neighborhood preservation across Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, and Hamilton Heights.
Over the years, ECDO has expanded its work to support residents and families through tenant and community organizing, counseling, workforce and career development, job placement, early childhood education, financial capability, and other family support services.
Today, our work continues to be guided by the same principle that brought our founders together: strong communities are built when residents have the opportunity, resources, and support to shape their own future.
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