Categories: New York City, Member News, Groundbreakings
07.02.2019
Gut renovations of historic residence and creation of new 10-story building will contribute 78 supportive housing units.
On the stormy afternoon of June 20th, Institute for Community Living (ICL) celebrated the launch of construction for a new affordable and supportive housing residence at 50 Nevins Street in downtown Brooklyn.
David Woodlock, President/CEO of ICL, spoke about how ICL’s work there would extend the site’s history of providing New Yorkers with homes, “grounded in dignity and respect.”
The address was previously Stepping Stone Residence, an Office of Mental Health-licensed transitional housing facility that ICL created in 1986. Built in 1913, the building was originally a residence for young women. The recent groundbreaking launched work to rehabilitate the residence by converting all 150 single rooms into efficiency apartments and connecting a new 10-story building next door. The new two-building residence will feature 129 affordable units, 78 of which are dedicated to housing formerly homeless individuals including those with a serious mental illness or substance abuse disorder, veterans, and young adults. Funding for ICL’s supportive services is provided by NYS Office of Mental Health.
“We remain committed to helping people live in the community with vital support services,” Woodlock said. “We've learned so much over the past three decades and this supportive housing project reflects our renewed determination to make this kind of high quality housing available in places like downtown Brooklyn.”
RuthAnne Visnauskas, Commissioner/CEO of New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), also spoke to congratulate ICL and its partners and thank them for serving a neighborhood that was rapidly changing and in increasing need of affordable and supportive housing.
The two buildings, slated to open to residents in 2021, will feature round-the-clock front desk security and share community spaces and health and laundry facilities.
Sources of funding include NYS HCR, NYS Office of Mental Health, the NYS Attorney General, the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development through the Supportive Housing Loan Program, HSBC, and TD Bank, which also served as construction lender and shared the vision in the neighborhood’s future. Tax credits were syndicated by Richman Housing Resources. The residence was designed by Dattner Architects; contracting services are provided by Mega Contracting.