Categories: New York City, Member News, Openings
08.01.2022
On the beautiful summer day of July 14th, Project Renewal joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams alongside government and project partners to celebrate the opening of Phase I of a new supportive/affordable housing complex, Bedford Green House in the Bronx. The first phase of Bedford Green has created 117 new affordable/supportive housing units, including 71 supportive for formerly homeless individuals and families. Project Renewal will provide on-site services funded by NY/NY III through NYC DOHMH and HRA (HASA).
Once the second phase of the project is complete, Bedford Green House will have created 235 units of new affordable and supportive apartments – 120 supportive. Phase I features a rooftop greenhouse with an aquaponics system to grow vegetables, herbs and microgreens and provide horticultural therapy for residents, as well as a children’s playground and community room.
Project Renewal President & CEO Eric Rosenbaum launched the program, “These 117 deeply affordable and supportive units are not just a building with apartments, but with a children’s playground and a rooftop terrace and offices with social services – all that it takes to make it a community. This is the creation of a community and community center.”
Bedford Green House tenant Alexis then spoke, “I wasn’t sure what supportive housing was when I moved in. Five months later, my son and I have never felt as happy and supported as we have here. I have the stability of a home and services all right here. My son loves the playground and we’ve never met such a committed group of people, the staff have become an extension of my own family.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams then stated, “Alexis is going on to become a nurse and helping with our nursing shortage. The seeds Project Renewal is planting, are not just on the rooftop garden, but across the entire community and City.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson followed, “Projects like this matter. We ae creating hope for those who felt hopeless. The community approach of supportive housing with wrap-around services, trauma-informed care, and ensuring every family is cared for, is especially important right now with the backdrop of COVID-19.”
NYC HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. then spoke, “This work must be approached in a holistic way like this residence: a safe comfortable unit, adding supports that people need, and a rooftop garden. Holistic is the approach of this administration.”
New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera followed, “This is the type of development that can and is happening. I’m so incredibly proud to partner with Project Renewal and ensure projects like this are happening in the City and especially in the Bronx.”
NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Gary Jenkins then spoke, “This is the first and not the last phase. For far too long the Bronx has been underserved. That stops today. Not in this administration.”
NYS Office of Temporary Disability and Assistance (OTDA) Commissioner Daniel Tietz followed, “This project exemplifies Governor Hochul’s housing plan. Permanent supportive housing plays a critical role in helping families overcome obstacles contributing to homelessness.”
Jennifer Trepinski, Corporation for Supportive Housing and Fernando Nunez, Bank of America also spoke.
Financing for the project is provided by NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Supportive Housing Loan Program, NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability Program (ELLA) and Low-Income-Housing Tax Credits as well as Office of Temporary Disability Assistance’s (OTDA) OTDA’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP). Additionally, pre-development financing was funded by Deutsche Bank Supportive Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation Effort (SHARE) and CSH.
The architect is ESKW Architect and the general contractor is Bruno Frustaci Contracting.