Ocean Hill Houses are located in the Ocean Hill section of Brooklyn, within the broader Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Built by NYCHA in 1971, the complex consists of eight low- to mid-rise buildings and is home to more than 1,100 residents.
Ocean Hill Houses represented a modest shift away from the towering high-rise developments that defined earlier public housing projects. The design reflected NYCHA’s attempt to create housing that was less monumental and austere, and more human-scaled and responsive to residents’ needs.
Despite these intentions, Ocean Hill Houses have faced many of the same challenges as other NYCHA developments, including physical deterioration, disinvestment, and economic hardship among residents.
Like much of Brooklyn, Ocean Hill endured decades of late 20th-century disinvestment, which brought increased crime and declining living conditions.
Yet residents of Ocean Hill Houses have never lost faith in their community. Tenant associations and neighborhood activists have long fought for cleaner, safer, and more dignified living conditions.
Ocean Hill has also been the site of some of New York City’s most consequential political and social movements. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the area became a focal point for Black political activism and school reform, a legacy that continues to shape the community today.
Though Ocean Hill Houses may not be widely known for producing celebrities, the pride, determination, and tradition of activism forged through generations continue to sustain the community.
Recently, this proved fruitful when NYCHA officially closed on $433 million in funding for a large-scale renovation project aimed at preserving several developments in Brooklyn in 2025, including Ocean Hill Houses.
In sum, Ocean Hill Houses stand as a testament to both the potential and the struggle of public housing. Though shaped by hardship, the development remains a vital part of Brooklyn public housing—where residents care deeply for their community and continue to push for change through determination and collective will.
