Newsfeed Category: New York City

NYC Programs Help Buildings Go Green

Nov.18.2016

Volunteers of America's Creston Avenue residence is considered "ultra-green."

The City of New York has several green building programs that will help with the City’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2050 from 2005 levels (80x50). These programs support tenants, superintendents, building owners and decision-makers from every demographic and nearly all building sizes to make building improvements to reduce GHG emissions while generating cost savings and preserving affordability. Taken together, these programs are now working with owners and decision-makers of more than 3,800 buildings representing more than 8 percent of the built square footage across New York City, and these numbers continue to grow. To get started, contact the NYC Retrofit Accelerator. Their experts will connect you to the resources and program like the ones below that make sense for your building and support you throughout your energy or water retrofit.

165th Street Residence Opens

Sep.28.2016

Cutting the ribbon at 165th Street residence.

PSCH staff, partners and government notables joined in the celebration of the opening of PSCH’s newest supportive housing project, 165th Street Residence September 13th. The new apartment building provides 58 beautiful new apartments to a mix of formerly homeless individuals and low-income families from the community.

Webster Green Groundbreaking

Aug.16.2016

George McDonald, President of The Doe Fund, and dignitaries at the Webster Green groundbreaking.

On July 19th, The Doe Fund held a groundbreaking for Webster Green: a new 82-unit permanent supportive and affordable housing residence in the Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx. The project is a partnership between the Doe Fund and private developer Robert Sanborn Development. Currently a hole in the ground, Webster Green will provide 41 studio apartments for individuals with health-related issues and 41 affordable units for low-income individuals from the community. Magnusson Architecture and Planning is designing the LEED-certified, eight story residence which will include an outdoor common area, community room and laundry facilities as well as space for on-site services. The residence has been designed by Magnusson Architecture, and the general contractor is Galaxy Construction.

Capitol Hall Renovation

Aug.15.2016

Cutting the ribbon at the renovation ceremony.

On May 24th, Goddard Riverside celebrated the renovation of their Capitol Hall residence. One of the very first supportive housing residences in NYC, Capitol Hall was opened initially in 1983. Back then, plans were afoot to convert the decaying SRO into luxury housing, when a group of neighbors on the Upper West Side got together and took a stand in support of preserving affordable housing for their low-income neighbors. The building now houses 200 people including those who have been homeless and those were at risk of becoming homeless.

BHC’s Founder Reflects on the Development of Her Vision for Ending Homelessness

Aug.02.2016

Tenants gathered in front of the building that would become their new home and BHC's fifth development, The Rio, at 10 Ft. Washington Avenue, during the renovation process that created 75 studios and 7 family apartments, circa 1989. (Ms. Baxter is in the red sweater).

On July 1, 2016 the life and work of Ellen Baxter, Founder and CEO of Broadway Housing Communities, were featured on NPR’s Invisibilia in an episode by reporter Lulu Miller, who introduced the episode by discussing her family’s experience with mental illness.  Just as Miller discussed the challenges in having a mentally-ill older sister, so did Ms. Baxter discuss similar experiences growing up with a mother living with mental illness and addictions.

Connie Tempel Retires from CSH

Jul.22.2016

Sara and Connie -- passing the torch!

Connie Tempel – one of the godmothers of supportive housing and a mainstay of the movement in New York City for the last twenty five years -- is retiring as Chief Operating Officer for CSH today. Ms. Tempel has made an enormous impact on our movement, including what she deems one of her proudest achievements, being present at the first meeting of the SRO Providers Group (the Network’s name for most of its early life) and co-chairing the group early in its existence. Ms. Tempel was a major force behind convincing the New York State Office of Mental Health to embrace supportive housing as an intervention to end chronic homelessness and laid the foundation for what would eventually become known as the NY/NY agreements. Another of Ms. Tempel’s game-changing achievements was shepherding the nine-year process of proving supportive housing’s cost effectiveness in what has become known as the gold standard of cost-benefit analyses, the University of Pennsylvania’s 2001 report known in shorthand as the Culhane Report.

Paul Gualano Tribute

Jul.15.2016

Paul Gualano of CUCS.

The Network joins the Center for Urban Community Services in mourning the loss of CUCS’ long-time Chief Operating Officer, Paul Gualano, who passed away on July 9, 2016. He was a pillar of the supportive housing community who touched the lives of tenants, co-workers, and colleagues from other organizations within our community.

Morris Avenue Apartments Breaks Ground in University Heights

Jun.24.2016

Breaking ground at Morris Avenue Apartments.

On May 17, Bronx Pro and Services for the UnderServed (SUS)  broke ground on an innovative new project -- Morris Avenue Apartments, a mixed use affordable apartment building in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. The eleven story, 94 unit residence will provide homes to 14 moderate income families, 48 low income individuals and families as well as 31 apartments for a mix of formerly homeless individuals and young adults exiting residential treatment. There will be community rooms with computers, multiple outdoor recreation areas, and access for tenants to a 15-space parking lot. On-site supportive services will be provided by SUS.

The Sydelle Opens in the East Tremont Neighborhood of the Bronx

Jun.22.2016

Cutting the ribbon at The Sydelle.

For decades the nation’s largest provider of services in supportive housing, the Center for Urban Community Services opened their third CUCS-developed-and-owned residence June 6th,  The Sydelle, in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Named for a longstanding supporter of CUCS, Sydelle Ostberg, the Sydelle provides 107 apartments to a mix of low-income and formerly homeless families and individuals.

The Mayor’s 90-Day Review of the Department of Homeless Services & Proposed Reforms

Apr.21.2016

On April 11, the Mayor announced the results of the review of the City’s delivery of services to homeless individuals. This effort, overseen by HRA Commissioner Steve Banks and First Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris, resulted in a comprehensive plan that includes significant programmatic and policy changes to improve the delivery of services and shifts the focus to preventing vulnerable New Yorkers from becoming homeless and rehousing those who do become homeless.