Local seniors who live in public housing hope a new request for proposals issued by the city will help open up housing opportunities for them while helping make the neighborhood more attractive.
The New York City Housing Authority and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development today released a Request for Proposals for the development of 100 percent affordable housing apartments for seniors and families at Betances Houses.
The request is part of NYCHA’s promise to contribute 10,000 affordable apartments as a piece of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough, 10-Year Housing Plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable housing units over the next ten years.
“Housing opportunities for seniors and low income households have been far too limited for far too long,” said Vicki Been, the commissioner of the housing department.
NYCHA says it wants developers to prioritize tenants with a wide range of incomes, and to accommodate those who can only afford to pay very low rents. The Authority says that it prioritized its residents’ preferences through outreach, surveys, community workshops, and resident meetings as part of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives planning process, which resulted in the Make Mott Haven Transformation Plan, which calls for securing affordable housing, creating more economic opportunities, and beautifying the neighborhood.
The site is divided into two sections on the grounds of Betances. A 20,100 square foot site on East 142nd Street and East 143rd Streets, between Willis and Brook Avenues, would be slated for 100 percent affordable apartments for residents 62 and up, and should include a community space and a service plan for residents.
The second site, at East 146th Street and Willis Avenue, must be for 100 percent affordable apartments for families and should include ground-floor commercial space.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said the project would benefit Mott Haven in a few ways.
“I strongly support NYCHA’s efforts to help generate deeply affordable housing, especially efforts that prioritize NYCHA and community residents and, most importantly, seniors,” said Diaz, adding that the project would “help improve the appearance and safety of the neighborhood with commercial activity on the first floor and a new community facility.”
As part of NYCHA’s NextGeneration NYC plan, the Housing Authority will retain rights to the land and provide oversight on the project. Developers will be required to train and hire NYCHA residents set aside 25 percent of the units for existing tenants.
Proposals will be accepted through September 30.The RFP can be accessed at the NYCHA and HPD websites.
About Post Author
