Categories: New York City, Member News, Openings
07.10.2024
Friends, staff and partners gathered to celebrate the opening of Concern Pitkin in Brooklyn July 9th. The new residence provides 58new homes with 35 of them supportive. Supportive services are provided by Concern Housing and funded by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) through the NYC 15/15 initiative.
Concern Executive Director Ralph Fasano kicked off the event by walking attendees through the process of how they got to this day, naming each of the vital partners who made the project possible. From Mike Dehmler of CSD Housing who found the site to UAI Architects who immediately started work on the design to Concern’s Construction Manager Alex Afxentiou, to Elizabeth Lunde, Concern’s Chief Operating Officer for project oversight to Greg Maher at Leviticus Fund for assistance with site acquisition, to HPD and OTDA for a commitment of funding, to Penta Restoration Corp. who built the building on time and under budget. Once the project was built, Ralph went on, came the work of filling the building with affordable tenants, for which he thanked his talented compliance team. He finished the long list of partners by saying: “And then all of the wonderful staff that come in and start working with residents It's the most delightful part of what we do.”
Ralph then showed a short video by Peter Scheer from Pilot Lighting Films featuring three tenants, Willie Rountree, Alexander Picciano, Keturah Feurtado and her family and Resident Superintendent, Edwin Marquez. Willie Rountree said “when I first moved in, I found me a little corner and got on my knees and prayed…What a feeling, to be able to turn the key to your own place, get my life back.” Alexander Picciano stated “Without this place here, I don’t know where I’d be.” Ketunah recounted the moment she heard she’d been accepted “We just started shouting.”
Ralph then continued the program by introducing Senator Roxanne Persaud saying: “in the world of social services, we dream about having elected officials like you who are really interested in the work that we do.“
Senator Persaud congratulated Concern for ‘doing supportive housing right’ as well as meeting the needs of the community. “As the chair of social services, I appreciate everything that you're doing for the population that's most in need.”
Next Daniel Girard head of the Supportive Housing Loan Program at NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development noted that creating housing like Concern Pitkin ‘is why I do this work.” He added that he has a personal connection to creating supportive housing as several family members struggle with mental health challenges, “so I’m really happy to be here.”
Also speaking was DOHMH’s Tony Lee. Unfortunately, Megan Van Geest of the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) did not make it in time for the opening ceremony, but was able to join the celebration after dealing with vehicle issues on her way from Albany. In her absence, Ralph noted that Concern has worked with OTDA on more than a dozen projects and thanked the agency – and Governor Hochul -- for the tremendous support they’ve provided.
Concern Pitkin features a fitness room (in which Willie Rountree runs classes), laundry room, computer lounge, and community room, with access to the landscaped and furnished courtyard.
Funding for the project came from HPD, OTDA, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Leviticus Fund, Community Preservation Corporation, CSD Housing, and Hudson Housing Capital.
Press: https://www.brooklynpaper.com/concern-pitkin-housing-opens-east-new-york/
To watch the video mentioned above, click HERE.