New Senior & Family Affordable Housing to Include Innovative Design, Community Centers
& Programming Serving Ingersoll, Van Dyke, & Mill Brook Houses and the Surrounding Neighborhood
NYCHA residents will have a preference for 25 percent of new apartments
NEW YORK – (RealEstateRama) — The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the selection of three development teams to expand affordable housing opportunities at three NYCHA developments: Ingersoll Houses in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, Van Dyke Houses in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, and Mill Brook Houses in the Mott Haven neighborhood in the Bronx. The plan to create 100 percent affordable senior and multifamily housing on available NYCHA property was developed in response to resident and advocate calls for more affordable housing options in their communities.
Last summer, 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 Ingersoll, Van Dyke, and Mill Brook properties. Detailed information on the selected proposals can be found below.
“The selected proposals are incredibly strong and reflect the community conversations we had with residents,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “We are excited to partner with residents, HPD and our development partners to see these plans take shape as part of the Mayor’s long-term vision for more affordable housing in New York City.”
“Housing New York requires city agencies to work more collaboratively and creatively than ever before to find bold solutions to the affordability crisis we face. HPD is proud to partner with NYCHA to harness these underused sites in Brooklyn and the Bronx to develop much-needed affordable housing for very low-income seniors and families,” said HPD Commissioner Vicki Been. “I congratulate BFC Partners, Dunn Development, and West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) on their designation and look forward to working together to create high-quality developments that strengthen the fabric of these neighborhoods.”
Learn more about the selection criteria here.
Van Dyke Houses
Located on Blake Avenue between Mother Gaston Boulevard and Powell Street
(Brownsville) Brooklyn, NY
The Van Dyke Community Vision Plan developed by more than 185 residents includes recommendations on seeking funding sources and partners to invest and build affordable housing in the neighborhood. In response, the RFP sought a partner to build 100% affordable units for families on the site of a current parking lot.
Selected Development Team: Dunn Development Corp.
Project Name: Dumont Commons (Project Fact Sheet & Rendering)
Details: 188 new affordable apartments for individuals and families
Features: The development will feature a new walk-in urgent care center and a wellness center, with a demonstration commercial kitchen and exercise studio that will be operated by Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center (BMS.) Childcare provider Friends of Crown Heights proposes an early childhood education center at this site. After-school programs are also proposed, such as boxing and dance provided by Brownsville Boxing Center and arts and technology programs through the non-profit Beam Center.
Ingersoll Houses
Located on Myrtle Avenue between St. Edward Street and Portland Avenue
(Fort Greene) Brooklyn, NY
The Ingersoll Community Vision Plan developed by nearly 215 residents includes recommendations on identifying funding sources and partners to build affordable and senior housing at Ingersoll. In response, the RFP sought a partner to build 100% affordable units for seniors aged 62 years or older on the site of an unused grass area. The developer was required to propose plans to create first floor community space for residents and surrounding NYCHA community.
Selected Development Team: BFC Partners
Project Name: Ingersoll Senior (Project Fact Sheet & Rendering)
Details: 145 new affordable apartments for low-income seniors
Features: The development will feature a new innovative ground floor senior center that will provide a continuum of support services operated by Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE). The center will be accessible to all seniors age 60+ in the building and the larger community. Proposed programming includes a full range of social, health and wellness, and culture and arts activities, including technology access and training.
Mill Brook Houses
Located on East 135th Street between St. Ann’s Avenue and Cypress Avenue
(Mott Haven) Bronx, NY
The Mill Brook Community Vision Plan developed by nearly 300 residents includes recommendations to identify appropriate locations in the community for senior housing, funding sources and partners. In response, the RFP sought a partner to build 100% affordable units for seniors 62 years or older on the site of an accessory parking lot. The developer was required to propose plans for a first floor senior community center for residents and community and identify a partner to operator the center and services for seniors.
Selected Development Team: West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH)
Project Name: Mill Brook Terrace (Project Fact Sheet & Rendering)
Details: 156 new affordable apartments for low-income seniors
Features: The development will feature a new senior center that will include a commercial kitchen, large dining room, neighborhood community space, and activity rooms for senior programming. Other planned features include a roof-top garden, terraced walls, and public garden area with seating for seniors.
NYCHA will retain rights to the land developed at all properties through long-term ground leases. NYCHA will provide critical oversight to the project, will require developers to train and hire NYCHA residents, and proactively engage residents on a regular basis as the project moves forward. Additionally, NYCHA and the City will require developers to provide stabilized rents. NYCHA residents will have a preference for 25 percent of the units.
All three 100 percent affordable housing developments will advance the goals of Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units over ten years. It also helps achieve NYCHA’s commitment to contribute 10,000 of those affordable units within the decade as part of NextGeneration NYCHA, the Authority’s 10-year strategic plan.
“We’re excited to deepen our investment in the Brownsville community, bringing affordable housing, jobs and community services including health care, early childhood programs and youth programs to the neighborhood,” said Martin Dunn, president of Brooklyn-based affordable housing developer Dunn Development Corp., the selected affordable housing developer for the Van Dyke site. “The project name, Dumont Commons, evokes our vision for the building as a centerpiece of the community, a focal point for the neighborhood and a place that brings neighbors—from NYCHA and beyond—together.”
“We are honored and excited to be partnering with SAGE to deliver New York City’s first senior housing project designed to accommodate the LGBT Community,” said Don Capoccia, Partner of BFC Partners, the selected affordable housing developer for the Ingersoll site. “I commend NYCHA for their vision in recognizing the opportunity this project presents, and for their determination to keep New York City in the forefront of innovative housing models.”
“For too long, LGBT elder pioneers in New York City have lacked access to housing where they are welcomed for who they are,” said Michael Adams, Chief Executive Officer at Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), a member of the BFC Partners development team that will provide a range of community services at the Ingersoll site. “This groundbreaking development will begin to answer that need by providing not only housing but also services pioneered through SAGE’s Innovative Senior Centers in Manhattan, Harlem, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn. There is still so much to be done, but Ingersoll will serve as the cornerstone of the National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative launched by SAGE in 2015 to transform the landscape of LGBT housing across this country.”
“WSFSSH is thrilled to have the opportunity to build on our 40 year track record of providing affordable housing and social services for seniors,” said Paul Freitag, Executive Director of West Side Federal for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH), the selected affordable housing developer for the Mill Brook site. “We look forward to working closely with NYCHA and the local community to create a development that will enhance the lives of low-income seniors throughout the South Bronx.”
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About The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA):
The New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) 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. To that end, NYCHA administers a Conventional Public Housing Program as well as a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments. NYCHA also works with numerous partners to connect our residents to a multitude of community, educational and recreational programs, as well as job readiness and training initiatives. To fulfill our mission, NYCHA must preserve an aging housing stock through timely maintenance and modernization of developments. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/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.
CONTACT: Media (at) nycha.nyc (dot) gov | (212)306-3322
