Categories: New York City, Groundbreakings
12.14.2015
A new affordable and supportive housing project will provide homes for a mix of formerly homeless individuals and low income families.
Lynn's Place breaks ground.
On December 1, Unique People Services broke ground in the Bronx for a new affordable and supportive housing project, Lynn’s Place, which will provide homes for a mix of formerly homeless individuals and low income families. Already five years in the making, the project is scheduled to open in the winter of 2017. The building will feature 69 units of housing, with 42 units of supportive housing for individuals with a mental illness and 27 units of affordable housing for individuals and families making less than 60% AMI. The development will also include community space on the ground floor, a sunken courtyard, a landscaped back yard and a green roof on the seventh floor.
New York City’s First Lady, Chirlane McCray, said, “Lynn’s Place will be much more than a home, it will be a lifeline. The Mayor’s commitment of 15,000 new units of supportive housing means 15,000 launch pads for people to thrive.”
“We are proud to have given $1.8 million dollars to Lynn’s Place, named after the founder of Unique people Services Lynn Wonsang. I want to thank the First Lady for her leadership on destigmatizing mental illness and allowing projects like these to flourish,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
“We are grateful for Lynn’s Place for helping people in need. We are the capital of all cities and we still have people lost. The State needs to come forward with their share of new units to help address the crisis”, said Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia Green.
Rafa Salamanca, Jr., District Manager for Community Board 2 said “This lot was full of broken cars and rats, and now it will be turned into beautiful housing. Yvette B. Andre, Executive Director at UPS, made a commitment that all contractors and sub-contractors would be hired from the Hunts Point neighborhood. She said, “27 of these units are going to my community members and we will start working with them now to get their applications ready.”
Also in attendance were Eric Enderlin of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development, Caren Abate from the NYS Office of Mental Health, Kristin Miller of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and Richard Conley of the Community Preservation Corporation.
Permanent financing, including grants, loans and tax credits, came from NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Resolution A funds, Capital One Bank, CSH, and the Community Preservation Corporation. Hudson Housing Capital is the syndicator for the tax credits.
Services are provided through a NY/NY III contract from the NYS Office of Mental Health.
The architect is Tony Shitemi with Urban Architectural Initiatives and the contractor is Procida. Robert Sanborn of Robert Sanborn Development is the housing consultant.