Categories: Openings
07.24.2018
Developed by Jericho Project and B & B Urban, Walton House will bring 89 units of supportive housing to homeless veterans and young adults.
State and city officials, partners and friends gathered on July 17 to celebrate the opening of Walton House, the first supportive housing congregate site to open doors under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s NYC 15/15 initiative. Developed by Jericho Project and B & B Urban, Walton House will bring 89 units of supportive housing to homeless veterans and young adults.
Tori Lyon, CEO of Jericho Project welcomed the audience and introduced all the speakers for the program including Senator Gustavo Rivera; Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio; Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner Steven Banks; NYC Department of Veterans' Services Commissioner Loree Sutton; First Deputy Commissioner of NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Don Shacknai; NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Samuel D. Roberts and other key government and private sector partners.
“Thank you for believing in what we do and opening the doors for so many,” said CEO Tori Lyon to the audience in her opening remarks.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera who represents the 33rd District in the Bronx talked about his commitment to supportive housing.
“I have been educated on how important these projects are not only to those who live here but also the community overall. It brings so much beauty and positivity to the community and that’s why I’m always in support of supportive housing,” said the senator.
Dr. Herminia Palacio also spoke at the event. She talked about the struggles of LGBTQ and HIV positive youth she witnessed firsthand as a medical practitioner in 1980’s San Francisco and how important safe housing is to gain stability.
“We are opening a way to new life, we are opening a way for stability and are opening a way to new tools so young adults and those who’ve fought fearlessly for this country could make their lives better,” she said.
Commissioner Steven Banks remarked on the collective will and collaboration among all the various funders and partners to make this happen.
“There’s no silver bullet that’s going to solve this problem (of homelessness) but it is our continued partnerships that will keep moving the needle and keep us going,” he added.
Located in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx, Walton House has 89 apartments –56 of which are reserved for veterans and 33 for young adults. It features two community rooms, a beautiful mural showcasing all the famous landmarks in the Bronx by artist Rafael Esquer, an outdoor garden with exercise equipment and a library. Comprehensive onsite social services are funded by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH).
The financing for Walton House was provided by a mix of government and private sector partners including the NYC Housing Development and Preservation (HPD), Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and Wells Fargo and Federal Home Loan Bank. Additional support was provided by Home Depot Foundation and Citi Community Development. A pre-development loan was provided by the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH).
Walton House was designed by MHG Architects PC and the contractor was Cheever Development Corporation.