Categories: New York City, Member News, Groundbreakings
12.06.2023
On December 5th partners, funders, staff, and friends gathered under a tent on the grounds of what will be CAMBA Housing Ventures/CAMBA’s Clarkson Estates in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, to break ground on the project which is part of the State’s Vital Brooklyn initiative. Once complete, this project will provide 328 units of permanently affordable and supportive housing with 50% of the units (164 units) set aside for formerly homeless populations, including youth aging out of foster care, formerly incarcerated individuals, formerly homeless young adults, and formerly homeless families. The other 163 units will serve low-income individuals at 30%, 40%, 50%, and 70% area median income (AMI), with one unit set aside for a live-in superintendent. Clarkson Estates will feature more than 30,000 square feet of community facility space and nearly 15,000 square feet of parking as requested through community input. Services and rental subsidy are funded by the New York State Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) contracted through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).
The 30,000 square feet Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr. Community HUB will address the chronic economic and social inequities impacting our neighbors. The HUB will be home to an economic development and workforce training center, a health screening center, adult education and financial literacy services, a small business incubator, a violence prevention and mediation center, a youth education and development center, a food pantry, a café, a childcare facility, and a full-court basketball gym for the community. These programs are a result of community engagement with local elected officials to ensure the development meets the immediate and ongoing needs of residents and the neighborhood.
CAMBA Housing Ventures/CAMBA President and CEO Joanne M. Oplustil started the ceremony off by thanking all those present and highlighting the enormous contributions from project partners, including New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner and CEO RuthAnne Visnauskas and OTDA’s Bureau of Housing & Support Services Director Dana Greenberg.
RuthAnne Visnauskas spoke next, calling Clarkson Estates a “transformative development” and adding, “We want to make sure we’re giving back to the community and this project feels like a home run for us.”
Dana Greenberg noted she had worked on CAMBA Gardens I and II and OTDA’s collaboration over the years with CAMBA Housing Ventures/CAMBA “makes me proud to do the work we do.” Looking forward to the opening of Clarkson Estates, she said “I hope we all get to take a victory lap that day.”
Assembly Member Brian Cunningham followed by sharing that he’d actually worked at CAMBA, which, he said was “where I learned how to serve.” He also noted that he’d recently tried to buy a home in the district and found he was priced out. The realtor had commented, “Maybe you don’t belong in this neighborhood.”
NYC Council Member Rita Joseph shared a similar story and commented that “this development is not just bricks and mortar, it’s a symbol of a vision of a more equitable Central Brooklyn.”
Also speaking were Michael Volpe of Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, Sherry Wang of Goldman Sachs, and Tony Bertoldi of CREA, LLC.
State Senator Zellnor Myrie — a tremendous advocate for affordable housing in Central Brooklyn — was represented by Anderson Fils-Amie, Director of Organizing and Strategy for Senator Myrie.
Project financing was provided by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (with member bank HSBC), Goldman Sachs as Letter of Credit enhancer and investor of Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity syndicated by CREA, LLC, with rental and services subsidy through New York State Office of Mental Health and predevelopment financing from Enterprise Community Partners.
The Clarkson Estates’ General Contractor is Bruno Frustaci Contracting, Inc. and the architect is CetraRuddy Architecture D.P.C.
For more information, please view CAMBA Housing Ventures’ press release.