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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2024
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322

NYCHA and Partners Announce Financial Closing of $332.3 Million PACT Project to Renovate the Homes of Over 1,300 Staten Island Residents at West Brighton

This is the Authority’s first closing on Staten Island, which will bring comprehensive renovations to 16 residential buildings

Apartments, public spaces, grounds, and building infrastructure at West Brighton will receive extensive upgrades, improving quality of life for residents

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, June 26, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) closed on the financing for West Brighton, a $332.3 million Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) project that will bring comprehensive renovations for over 1,300 residents living in 16 buildings. This is NYCHA’s first financial closing on Staten Island. As part of this milestone, all of the buildings have now converted to Project-Based Section 8 through the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, and capital funding will allow the PACT partner team to begin fully rehabilitating 574 apartments at West Brighton I and II. In addition, 24 vacant apartments will be reactivated, with 12 being restored as permanently affordable residential apartments and 12 being converted into a new senior center to serve the residents of West Brighton. The PACT partner team — comprised of BFC Partners; CB Emmanuel, a Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE); Catholic Homes, a non-profit organization; and Pinnacle City Living — will start construction on the comprehensive rehabilitation, and Pinnacle City Living will assume day-to-day property management. Social services will be coordinated by Housing Opportunities Unlimited (HOU). The comprehensive scope will address all known capital needs of the properties by upgrading apartments, public spaces, and building infrastructure, while prioritizing resident preferences and investments aimed at improving quality of life.

“The PACT renovations at West Brighton show that our commitment to NYCHA residents is robust and citywide,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “We are excited to see hallmarks of PACT — renovations, social supports, and resident decision-making — come to Staten Island.”

“With the closing of West Brighton, we're officially bringing the PACT program to Staten Island,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “West Brighton residents — who have been working in close coordination with NYCHA and the PACT partner team throughout the planning phase of the project — will now begin to see the comprehensive renovation process unfold around them. The PACT program has been an invaluable resource for NYCHA to unlock funding and considerably improve residents' quality of life, and we could not be more pleased to have expanded into all five boroughs.”

“We are excited for the West Brighton community to announce this $332.3 million PACT closing today,” said NYCHAExecutive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia.” Residents have worked directly with our PACT partner team and NYCHA for years to finalize every aspect of their Community Plan — a plan to restore their campus from top to bottom and provide enhanced community services and professional property management. With this closing, the PACT program continues to show how we can make deep investments in our NYCHA communities while preserving residents’ rights and affordability.”

“The residents of NYCHA’s West Brighton will soon benefit from comprehensive home repairs and upgrades to critical building infrastructure, along with access to wireless broadband services and a brand-new senior center,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “HDC is proud to support the revitalization of New York City’s public housing stock through our PACT partnership.”

“We’ve made it to closing! While this has been a long process, we are excited for the comprehensive repairs that BFC and CB Emmanuel will provide,” said West Brighton Tenant Association President Shekina Butler. “We look forward to having strong ties to our new management company Pinnacle City Living, as well as the many resources that Housing Opportunities Unlimited will bring to West Brighton.”

“The significant upgrades and overhaul of building systems throughout West Brighton will improve the quality of life for both current residents and future generations of Staten Islanders,” said BFC Partners Principal Joseph Ferrara. “BFC Partners is proud to be working hand-in-hand with NYCHA and the PACT team partners to bring this transformation to life, continuing our longstanding commitment to building and preserving high-quality affordable housing.”

“CBE is proud to stand alongside our development partners and the West Brighton Tenant Association as we celebrate this milestone together,” said CB Emmanuel Realty LLC Managing Partner Chris Bramwell. “This project embodies the power of collaboration among federal and City stakeholders, and we are grateful for the support of HUD, NYCHA, and HDC. We are excited to embark on the renovation phase and look forward to witnessing the positive transformation of the West Brighton campus.”

“Over the past year and a half, Pinnacle City Living has worked closely with the West Brighton community, the PACT team partners, and NYCHA to develop the rehabilitation, social services, and property management plans to better the lives of the more than 1,300 residents who live at the West Brighton I and II developments,” said Pinnacle City Living Senior Managing Director David Sorise. “We are excited to now embark on the implementation phase of these improved services and continue to build upon the strong relationships that we have developed.”

Since 2022, the PACT partner team, which was selected in coordination with resident leadership, has worked closely with West Brighton residents and NYCHA to design every aspect of the developments’ renovation. After years of community-wide and development meetings, the plans for the large-scale renovation have been completed, and the team has closed on the necessary financing to begin construction, which is expected to take two years.

All apartments will receive free Wi-Fi and new doors, closets, windows, and fresh paint, as well as comprehensive upgrades to bathrooms and kitchens, including new appliances, fixtures, countertops, cabinets, lighting, flooring, tubs, and showers. West Brighton buildings will receive façade repairs and restoration, refurbished heating and hot water systems, ventilation improvements, roof repairs, and new security installations such as cameras and improved lighting. Additionally, common areas, such as entrances, lobbies, mail areas, hallways, stairways, laundry rooms, and the community center, will be comprehensively renovated. A new senior center will also be developed at 159 Alaska Street. Development grounds will be revitalized by new landscaping, lighting, play equipment, seating, enlarged walkways, and community gardens, as well as a dog run and screened refuse area.

Additional details on the planned investments and improvements are outlined in the West Brighton Community Plan, which was developed in collaboration with resident leaders and NYCHA and is being distributed to every household prior to the start of construction.

Founded in 1984, BFC Partners has strong ties to the community on the North Shore area of Staten Island, and extensive experience with affordable and mixed-income housing, including rehabilitation and new construction. The firm has completed several NYCHA infill and senior development new construction projects, including Stapleton Seniors on Staten Island and Stonewall House in Brooklyn, as well as over 2,200 units of tenant-in-place rehabilitation.

CB Emmanuel is a local Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) development firm founded in 2005. CB Emmanuel draws on its considerable experience, having completed over 3,000 units of tenant-in-place rehabilitation across the New York metropolitan area.

Catholic Homes New York is a non-profit initiative led by Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of New York that develops affordable housing for families and seniors throughout the region. In partnership with the Association of New York Catholic Homes and the New York Institute for Human Development, Catholic Homes New York creates new affordable homes and preserves existing units, continuing decades of work building strong, sustainable communities through affordable housing.

The PACT program transitions developments from traditional public housing assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program — unlocking funding for designated PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. Overall, 138 NYCHA developments (representing over 37,000 apartments) are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program. The Authority is on track to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive apartment repairs and building upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents. The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), New York City’s municipal Housing Finance Agency, is the key financing partner for PACT. In addition to providing or arranging the financing, HDC provides ongoing asset management and compliance support for PACT transactions.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to 1 in 17 New Yorkers, providing affordable housing to 520,808 authorized residents through public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs as well as Section 8 housing. NYCHA has 177,569 apartments in 2,411 buildings across 335 conventional public housing and PACT developments. In addition, NYCHA connects residents to critical programs and services from external and internal partners, with a focus on economic opportunity, youth, seniors, and social services. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.