111 East 172nd Street Apartments Will Provide 126 Affordable and Supportive Apartments and Further Revitalization Efforts in the Bronx
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the opening of a new $52 million state-of-the-art affordable and supportive housing complex at 111 East 172nd Street in the Mount Eden neighborhood of the Bronx. With 126 apartments, the development addresses priority housing needs for low-income New Yorkers, including formerly homeless individuals and furthers ongoing community revitalization in the Bronx. The building includes on-site support services for 60 people living with mental illness, allowing them to live independently with improved health outcomes and reducing the need for costly emergency department and inpatient services.
“The opening of this project is a major step forward in our efforts to increase affordable housing across the state, and in the Bronx especially,” Governor Cuomo said. “This project will help ensure that some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers have access to the supportive services they need to live independently in their community. With this complex, we are another step toward a stronger, fairer New York for all.”
The newly constructed 14-story building is just a half block from the Grand Concourse in the Bronx and was developed by Community Access, Inc., which will also manage the property and provide on-site supportive services for the building’s 60 supportive housing units. All of the units will be affordable to households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income.
The building has ample residential amenities, including a community room with a commercial kitchen, exercise room, computer room/library and laundry room, and it also has “green” features, including solar panels, a co-generation system with back-up generator. The building will also include an “urban farm” with a greenhouse and raised planting beds. The building is LEED-certified and complies with Enterprise Green Communities standard.
Community Access will have six full-time on-site program staff to provide services to 60 supportive housing tenants. There will be 24-hour front desk service at the building, as well as consulting psychiatrist, who will be at the building 4 hours a week.
Services will include individual counseling, self-help groups, structured group activities, harm reduction services, linkages with community mental health and health care providers, medication management assistance, crisis intervention and management, assistance with budgeting and money management, as well as educational, vocational and employment referrals and support.
The $52 million development was financed through public and private resources. New York State Homes and Community Renewal provided $20 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $22 million in equity, and an additional capital subsidy of approximately $1.2 million. The New York State Office of Mental Health provided $13.5 million in construction capital, $250,000 additional capital for furniture, fixtures and equipment, as well as funding for on-site social services. The development also received $150,000 in New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Funds.
Another $3.3 million in financing was from New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Supportive Housing Loan Program. The NYC Acquisition Fund the Corporation for Supportive Housing financed the acquisition of the construction site. Additional financing was provided by Citi and Richman Housing Resources.
New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “The Office of Mental Health is proud to have played a role in developing these beautiful new apartments. Governor Cuomo’s commitment to supportive housing has allowed thousands of people living with mental illness to receive the services they need right in their homes. Developments like this one in Mount Eden give vulnerable individuals and families the opportunity to live independently and successfully in their community.”
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “111 East 172nd Street Apartments demonstrates the Governor’s commitment to increasing affordable housing in the Bronx and helping vulnerable New Yorkers get the services they need to live successfully and productively in their own community. These apartments will change the lives of 126 households who now call this building home. Since 2011, HCR has invested over $10 billion to revitalize neighborhoods across the Bronx with affordable, supportive, energy-efficient homes that are building a better future for the borough.”
Senator Jose Serrano said, “As we face growing rates of homelessness and displacement, it is critical that low-income New Yorkers have stable, affordable housing and access to the services they need to lead healthy lives. This development ensures that our most vulnerable can live in a safe and secure environment and keeps an eye toward environmental sustainability and green living. Thank you to Governor Cuomo for his commitment to affordable housing and the revitalization of the Bronx.”
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., said, “Creating affordable housing and expanding opportunities for individuals living with special needs is very important, not just in The Bronx but across New York City. It’s with great pleasure that I support Community Access in the development of this property into a building that will provide low-income families the additional affordable housing they need, while providing our neighbors with the mental health support to thrive in society. This project will help improve the lives of many of our most vulnerable residents.”
Community Access CEO Cal Hedigan said, “We are pleased to open another beautiful example of the supportive housing model Community Access pioneered in the early 1990’s – integrated housing where families live alongside people living with mental health concerns. Access to stable housing is the single biggest contributor to helping people improve their physical and emotional health and wellness, and this new building has all the hallmarks of Community Access housing – a place where people can live with dignity, create community and move forward with their lives.”
The new building is part of the Governor’s unprecedented $20 billion, five-year Housing Plan to make housing accessible and combat homelessness by building or preserving more than 100,000 affordable homes and 6,000 with supportive services. Since 2011, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has invested more than $1 billion in the Bronx that has created or preserved affordable housing for more than 39,000 people.