NYCHA, HPD and HDC Announce New 100 Percent Affordable Housing Bringing 250 New Units to the South Bronx - NYCHA

NYC Housing Authority


Press Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 21, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA, HPD AND HDC ANNOUNCE DEVELOPERS FOR NEW 100 PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BRINGING 250 NEW UNITS TO THE SOUTH BRONX

New housing at NYCHA’s Betances Houses will offer affordable opportunities for seniors and families in Mott Haven neighborhood.

Current NYCHA residents will have a preference for 25 percent of new affordable apartments.

Betances V Senior housing

Betances VI Multi-family housing

NEW YORK–– The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) today announced the selection of two teams to develop 100 percent affordable housing apartments for seniors and families at NYCHA’s Betances Houses V and VI in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx.

The Betances V site will be developed by Breaking Ground. The new 149-unit senior housing development will feature onsite supportive services and be affordable to extremely low- and very low-income senior citizens (62 and older). The Betances VI site will be developed by a joint venture between Lemle & Wolff Development Co., Alembic Community Development, and The Bridge. The new 101-unit affordable housing multi-family development will be affordable to extremely low- and low-income households. Both buildings will include a set-aside for formerly homeless households and a preference for NYCHA residents. NYCHA and HPD are working to ensure the units will have the lowest AMI levels possible to benefit New Yorkers most in need of new affordable housing.

Betances Houses advances the goals of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable housing units over the next 10 years. These developments are also part of NYCHA’s 100 percent affordable housing program aimed at increasing housing opportunities for New Yorkers on underutilized NYCHA land. This is a feature of NextGeneration NYCHA, the Authority’s 10-year strategic plan. Betances Houses are part of the Authority’s commitment to contribute 10,000 new affordable units for the city’s residents.

“NYCHA is committed to creating strong and affordable communities for all NYCHA residents and New Yorkers through developments like Betances Houses,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Real Estate Nicole Ferreria. “The 100 percent affordable housing program engages residents so NYCHA can incorporate their feedback on better services and design that addresses the needs of the community and provides more affordable apartments to ease the city’s housing shortage.”

“These 100 percent affordable developments will provide safe and stable homes to hundreds of seniors, families, and formerly homeless individuals, in the Bronx,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “I’m so pleased HPD can continue to partner with NYCHA to make use of scarce city land and advance our shared goals of providing affordable housing and economic opportunity to all New Yorkers.”

“The Betances Houses will provide the security of an affordable home to 250 seniors, formerly homeless seniors, and low-income families, while also providing them with onsite supportive services and community programming,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “Congratulations to Breaking Ground, Lemle & Wolff, Alembic Community Development, and The Bridge on these outstanding proposals. We look forward to working with the development teams on these projects to address a critical need for housing and improve the quality of life for some of our City’s most vulnerable residents.”

Last year, NYCHA and HPD released a Request For Proposals (RFP) inviting developers, including non-profit entities and M/WBE firms, to submit proposals for the design, financing, construction, and operations of 100 percent affordable new housing developments at NYCHA’s Betances Houses V and VI properties. The framework for the RFP was built on priorities identified by local residents through outreach, surveys, community visioning workshops, and NYCHA resident meetings as part of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives planning process, which resulted in the Make Mott Haven Transformation Plan. The plan, a blueprint for the revitalization of the South Bronx neighborhood, aims to enhance the quality of life of residents from multiple angles, including fortifying housing, creating greater economic opportunity, and beautifying the neighborhood.

Betances V Site:
The Betances V site is located on East 142nd Street and East 143rd Streets, between Willis and Brook Avenues.
The selected development team, led by the Breaking Ground Housing Development Corporation, will create 149 new affordable apartments for extremely low- and very low-income seniors, including 45 units set aside for formerly homeless seniors.
The development will feature outdoor and indoor community spaces and programming for residents, including a community facility operated by the DreamYard Project, a Bronx-based not-for-profit that uses the arts to engage Bronx teens and young adults. Breaking Ground’s services partner, Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) will provide on-site primary medical and psychiatric care to residents through Janian Medical Services. Other planned features include a landscaped garden overlooked by a library/common area and a terrace garden for resident use.

Betances VI Site:
The Betances VI site is located at the intersection of East 146th Street and Willis Avenue.
The selected development team, led by the Lemle & Wolff Development Co., Alembic Community Development, The Bridge, will create 101 new affordable apartments for families, including 30 units for formerly homeless individuals and families.
The development will feature ground floor commercial space that will be occupied by healthcare providers. The Bridge will provide on-site supportive services for residents including 24/7 front desk coverage by trained housing counselors and case management and service planning. Other planned features include a terrace and garden for resident use, solar panels, a community room, computer lab/library, and a laundry room.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 328 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA.

About the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
HPD is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough Ten-Year Plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable units for New Yorkers at the very lowest incomes to those in the middle class. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/nychpd and www.twitter.com/nychousing.