Brooklyn's Progress
October/November 2007

BY KHADIJA BATUTA

One of Brooklyn’s most dedicated and tireless leaders in the fight against homelessness, Doris Lytle Clark, the former executive director of Brooklyn Community Housing and Services, Inc. (BCHS), passed away from ovarian cancer on Aug. 16 after a long illness.  She was 74. 

What began for Doris Clark as a temporary assignment in 1983 to author a grant for a housing program, turned into a 22-year career at BCHS.  After quickly being promoted to assistant executive director, Ms. Clark was appointed executive director in 1986, a position she held until her retirement in September 2005.

During her tenure, Ms. Clark oversaw the expansion of BCHS from a scattered-site apartment program serving 24 clients to a full-service agency with eight programs serving over 700 people per year.

“What really made Doris such a groundbreaker in the field is the unique vision she had to create a supportive community for all the formerly homeless people who came to the agency that really guides everything we do here,” said Jeff Nemetsky, who succeeded Ms. Clark as BCHS’ executive director in October 2005.  “Her feeling was that when people are isolated is when they are most at risk to experience a crisis.  Creating that stable environment and community between our staff and clients – which is also reflected in our physical space – is still a rare and unique approach that will mark her legacy for years to come.”

Brooklyn Community Housing and Services was founded in 1979 in response to the Carter Administration’s call for the creation of community-based programs for the mentally ill, establishing one of the first scattered-site apartment programs for mentally ill adults in New York State.  Ms. Clark’s early work at BCHS eventually led to the creation in 1991 of Brooklyn Gardens, a nationally recognized temporary and permanent supportive housing program serving mothers with children, adults with psychiatric histories, and low-income adults.  Brooklyn Gardens, located at 105 Carlton Ave. in Fort Greene, was the first housing program in the country to serve a “blended” clientele.  Its clients also receive education, job readiness preparation, and job training.

In addition to her groundbreaking work at BCHS, Ms. Clark’s commitment was evident in her volunteer efforts in the borough and in the housing services community.  She served on the Fifth Avenue Committee, an economic and residential development group in Park Slope she co-founded in 1974.  During her five years with the Committee, the group developed 40 new houses for low- and moderate-income families.  She also served on the board of the YWCA of Brooklyn, was a member of the Park Slope Civic Council Trustees, and the statewide Supportive Housing Network of New York.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1933, Ms. Clark received a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University School of Speech where she majored in Theater.  She relocated after graduation to New York City where she worked as a reporter for Radio Free Europe and as an English teacher in the New York City school system.  She was active politically, as well, serving as district leader for the upper west side of Manhattan, running election campaigns for Congressman William F. Ryan, and serving as an assistant to Mayor John Lindsay.  In 1971, Ms. Clark, who was now married with a young son, moved to Park Slope in Brooklyn where she continued to grow her family with the addition of a daughter.  True to her nature, she immediately became involved in her new community, ultimately leaving the borough with a great legacy.

Darryl Hollon, director of industrial and manufacturing services at the Brooklyn Business Solutions Center, was first introduced to Ms. Clark in 1997 by former Brooklyn Chamber president Kenneth Adams while he was on assignment at the Chamber as an on-loan executive from Con Edison.  He eventually served on BCHS’ board at Ms. Clark’s invitation.

“She was a pioneer,” said Mr. Hollon. “BCHS is actually the very first homeless shelter in New York City, and she was part of that; that is her legacy.  She was just a wonderful person.  She was a champion of the little guy – the forgotten, overlooked person who really wants to make something out of his or her life.  There was nothing star-studded about her; she was genuine.  She was also sloppy like me, so we got along perfectly.”

Ms. Clark has been honored for her good works over the years, including a Community Mental Health Leadership Recognition Award after her retirement in 2005 by The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc., where she also served as a board member.  Pennsylvania-based ChildFirst Services, Inc., for which Ms. Clark was a benefactor, has established in her memory the Doris L. Clark Scholarship Fund for Higher Education to support the agency’s student clients in their pursuit of higher education.

A memorial service was held for Ms. Clark on Sep. 18 at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.  The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, its Board, staff and Members send their heartfelt regrets to Ms. Clark’s daughter, Erika, as well as her friends and colleagues.