Categories: New York State, Member News, Openings
06.21.2019
New apartment building contains 50 new affordable and supportive housing units, including 30 for individuals with mental health illnesses.
On May 22nd, an array of partners and supporters gathered in Syracuse to celebrate the opening of Catherine Street Apartments, a 50-unit building with 30 reserved for individuals with mental health disorders. The apartments were developed through a partnership between Network members Central New York Services, Inc. (CNYS) and CSD Housing, development consultants.
“This was desperately needed,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “I remember seeing open-air drug dealing. There were a lot of issues. To have this brand new, beautiful building anchoring this block and this neighborhood is really a significant step forward.”
Walsh also noted the apartments’ larger symbolic value to a city that had recently seen mostly high-end housing developments downtown: “We need to make sure we’re investing in projects that benefit everyone in our community, regardless of ability, of income levels or anything else that may differentiate them.”
Other supporters of the project were present to speak at the event, including Mike Dehmler, Managing Member of CSD Housing; John Warren, Executive Director of CNYS; Daniel Buyer, Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Housing Preservation at NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR); and Moira Tashjian, Associate Commissioner of the Division of Adult Community Care at NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH).
Completed in the fall, Catherine Street Apartments is a four-story building featuring amenities such as laundry facilities, common areas with kitchenettes, lobby seating area, and landscaped areas outdoors. It was designed by C. Lewis Tomaselli Architects with general contracting services provided by Christa Construction. A. Larovere Consulting supported the project with financial consulting.
The residents of the 30 supportive housing units are connected to skill building and recovery-based case management services through Central New York Services, Inc. with support from the NYS OMH.
State sources of funding for Catherine Street Apartments included permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and subsidies from NYS HCR, and capital funding from NYS OMH.