Categories: Groundbreakings
01.17.2020
On January 9th, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens gathered Buddhist and Catholic faith leaders with government partners, elected officials, and members of the community on former church grounds for the Loreto Apartments groundbreaking.
On January 9th, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens gathered Buddhist and Catholic faith leaders with government partners, elected officials, and members of the community on former church grounds for the Loreto Apartments groundbreaking.
Located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Loreto Apartments will create 135 affordable apartments for seniors: with 81 apartments set aside for those who had been homeless. 81 will be supportive units for individual who are formerly homeless, frail and disabled, 55 and older. The remaining affordable 54 units are for individuals 62 and older.
Rev. Msgr. Alfred P. LoPinto, Chief Executive Officer at Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens (CCBCQ) kicked-off the ceremony with welcome remarks. Very Reverend Patrick J. Keating, Esq. Deputy Chief Executive Officer at CCBQ then led an opening prayer.
New York City Councilmember, District 37, Rafael L. Espinal, Jr., spoke to the city’s affordability and homelessness crisis, “Unfortunately every day we are seeing people evicted from their homes, rents continue to rise to levels they cannot afford, and homeless shelters are jam-packed in this area. So we’re going to help fix overpopulation of shelters, help seniors living on a fixed income to be able to get a real affordable housing. It’s a win/win for everyone.”
The program also included remarks by: Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio,Ph.D., D.D., Bishop of Brooklyn; Donald Mitchell, Papal Delegate Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Venerable Chang Hwa, Dharma Drum Mountain; Rebecca Crimmins, NYS Homes and Community Renewal; Maylene Thurton, Office of New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud; Rev. Eddie Karim, Office of Assemblywoman Latrice Walker; Jeffrey Nixon, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association; and Pastor Gilford Monroe, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
Loreto Apartments will have two large community rooms, 24-hour security, a fitness room, lounge, laundry facilities, and rooftop solar panels. Catholic Charities will provide the services, which in addition to case management will include an on-call nurse, mental-health, and substance abuse services, exercise programs, and nutrition classes. Support services will be funded by New York State Department of Health through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI).
The project is part of an interreligious effort by Pope Francis, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, Catholic and Buddhist leaders to jointly address social ills in the context of sustainable and affordable housing development. Once the residence is opened, the Buddhist Community will remain involved –and monks will lead meditation, tai chi, and yoga on site.
The project is financed by tax exempt bonds, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and funding from NYS Homes and Community Renewal. The architects are RKT+B Architects and the contractors are Monadnock Construction, Inc.