Housing development to be built on Crotona Park East

Housing development to be built on Crotona Park East
Photo courtesy of the Doe Fund

An empty property near Crotona Park is ready for housing development.

On Tuesday, May 19, The Doe Fund, along with NYC Housing Preservation & Development, Congressman Jose Serrano and other development partners as well as political leaders, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new affordable and supportive housing development at the development’s future location of 1420 Crotona Park East.

The proposed residence, an eight-story, 60-unit development, will include 36 apartments reserved for HIV/AIDS Services Administration clients and the other 24 units reserved for NYC Housing Authority senior clients.

This development will also include onsite social services, community spaces, a landscaped courtyard and garden as well as 24-hour security.

“The security of knowing where you will sleep at night is unfortunately not a given for many New Yorkers,” said HPD commissioner Vicki Been. “The city is committed to do more to finance the creation of new, supportive and affordable housing opportunities for the most vulnerable among us, and I am proud that HPD’s partnership with the Doe Fund, HASA, Citi Community Capital and our other partners will make this 60-unit, high quality supportive housing development.”

This project will benefit from Project-Based Section 8 Vouchers that will subsidize rents for tenants, as each tenant will pay only 30% of their income towards rent. All units in this development are planned to serve extremely low-income singles earning no more than $18,150 per year. Each unit will be filled via referrals.

“Affordable and supportive housing is one of the most important tools we have to combat and prevent poverty in New York and our partners in the city government and the private sector recognize that,” said George T. McDonald, founder and president of the Doe Fund. “We are all so proud to answer the mayor’s call for more affordable, safe, and accessible apartments for New Yorkers.”

“When we invest in areas like Crotona Park, not only are the lives of residents uplifted, whole communities rise as well,” McDonald added.

The $21 million ground up development is expected to be completed in December 2016.

Reach Reporter Steven Goodstein at (718) 742–3384. E-mail him at sgoodstein@cnglocal.com.