Governor Hochul Announces Completion of $48 Million Supportive Housing Development in the Bronx

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a $47.9 million supportive and affordable housing complex in the Bronx that will serve individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, including those with a serious mental illness, veterans with disabilities, and the elderly. Supported with $6.5 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, the Park Avenue Apartments provide 115 units of affordable housing, including 69 units with supportive services funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.

"Too many New Yorkers experiencing homelessness in the City are often facing multiple problems that are contributing to their housing instability," Governor Hochul said. "Projects like the Park Avenue Apartments are essential to eliminating homelessness by providing housing and assisting New Yorkers with the supportive services they need, allowing them to live in independent settings."

The Bridge, which had sponsored the project, reserved 23 units for elderly individuals that are frail or disabled, 23 units for veterans with disabilities, and 23 units for adults with mental illnesses. The remaining 45 apartments are reserved for low-income families and seniors from the community.

The development includes a multi-purpose room with a warming kitchen, a laundry room, computer lab, a playroom and outdoor recreational space with access to a community garden and a walking path. The seven-story building was constructed over a vacant lot in the Claremont Village area of the Bronx.

View photos of the Park Avenue Apartments.

Administered by the state Office of Temporary Assistance, the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program provided $6.5 million to the project. The state Office of Mental Health is providing $1.7 million in annual funding for services and rent subsidies for the supportive housing units through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and an additional $195,500 in program development grant funding for the 23 apartments serving people living with mental illness.

New York Homes and Community Renewal financed the project with $6.5 million in tax-exempt bonds, $7 million through its New York City 100 percent affordable program, and an allocation of federal low-income housing tax credits that will generate $17.7 million for the development. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development also provided $7.4 million in financing.

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Executive Deputy Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, "Developments like the Park Avenue are central to our efforts to address homelessness in New York State because they provide both stable housing and the services that vulnerable New Yorkers can rely on to address the issues that contribute to their housing insecurity. I applaud Governor Hochul for her continued support for projects like this one and others that are vital to our efforts to address the needs of individuals facing homelessness."

Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "All New Yorkers deserve the dignity and security of a good home. Thanks to The Bridge and the investment of our state and local partners, the Park Avenue Apartments will provide critical services that help individuals age in place safely and break patterns of housing insecurity. With 115 apartments, this is a transformative development for Claremont Village aimed at ensuring that the Bronx remains a place where everyone has the opportunity to live and thrive -especially those servicemen and women who served our country with honor."

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, "Park Avenue Apartments have turned a formerly vacant lot into welcoming and stable housing for vulnerable and homeless New Yorkers. The supportive housing units will provide people living with mental illness with the services and assistance they need to live independently in their own homes. I am proud of the role OMH played in developing these homes, and I applaud Governor Hochul for her commitment to providing support and hope to people living with mental illness."

Bridge CEO Susan Wiviott said, "We are proud to have been able to open this new building during COVID and to have transformed this vacant lot into a welcoming, safe, and secure environment for the residents and surrounding community. We are deeply grateful to our government funders and development partners and to The Bridge Board of Directors and staff without whom none of this would be possible. We also recognize the tremendous need for supportive and affordable housing throughout the city and applaud the city and state's commitment to creating more housing for vulnerable New Yorkers."

City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Louise Carroll said, "Since the start of the Mayor's Housing Plan, New York City has used every possible tool to create housing opportunities for its most vulnerable residents. The 3500 Park Apartments is truly emblematic of the city's high standards to ensure our seniors, those struggling with homelessness, and those in need of supportive services have a beautiful, quality, affordable home that will help them get back on their feet and age in place. We are proud to partner with the state and The Bridge to create these 115 new affordable, supportive homes."

“At the City level, we are proud of the important progress we’ve made addressing homelessness and helping people get back on their feet, including by connecting more than 175,000 New Yorkers to meaningful permanent affordable housing opportunities and more than 15,000 New Yorkers to supportive housing opportunities,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “As we work together with the State to build on our progress in this shared mission, we are excited about this collaboration and look forward to more projects like this, which will continue to increase and strengthen pathways to greater stability for New Yorkers in need.”​

Senator Luis Sepulveda said, "By creating affordable housing and providing supportive services, we can begin addressing many of the root causes of homelessness in our communities. The Park Avenue Apartments will provide these homes and this assistance to the Claremont Village area, helping to address housing insecurity this neighborhood while also providing homes for the most vulnerable among us. I applaud Governor Hochul's leadership for continuing to make housing insecurity a top issue of her administration and for helping developments like this become a reality in our communities."

Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson said, "It is with great satisfaction that I join Governor Hochul in celebration of the completion of the Park Avenue Apartments Supportive Housing Initiative, a new Bronx-based affordable development that will house some of our most vulnerable people. It is our duty to protect and support those who are marginalized in our community and this development is a step in that direction. I want to thank all the organizations involved in this effort, and I hope to see many more projects of this nature completed in the near future."