The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the launch of the Supportive Preservation Program (SPP) on June 16, a new initiative aimed at preserving and strengthening housing for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Patrick Love, deputy commissioner of development at HPD, made the announcement at Park Avenue Thorpe on East 184th Street.
“What we’re announcing here today is a commitment to supportive housing in New York City and the New Yorkers who rely on it,” Love said, adding that when it comes to addressing the challenges of homelessness, poor mental and physical health and exiting incarceration, “The supportive housing model is a model that works.”
SPP will establish a dedicated supportive housing preservation team and expand eligibility for rental assistance at developments undergoing rehabilitation.
Rachel Levine, executive director of Nazareth Housing, which operates Park Avenue Thorpe, said the building will soon be rehabilitated and modernized under the new program, allowing more resources to be devoted to services.
Nearly 40 years ago, nuns transformed the 1930s-era building into 20 supportive units for families experiencing homelessness, she said. Today, it also operates a food pantry and case management services for Park Avenue Thorpe residents and those elsewhere in the Bronx.
“This building has provided far more than shelter. It has provided safety, dignity and the foundation upon which families can rebuild their lives,” Levine said. “This building stands as a testament to what is possible when government, nonprofit organizations and communities work together.”
A tenant named Ms. Ocampo also spoke at the press conference about the need to ensure that supportive housing developments remain strong.
She said she moved in last July after nearly two years with her son in a domestic violence shelter. At Park Avenue Thorpe, Ocampo said she receives help with food and other necessities in a “welcoming, loving and supportive” environment.
“When I first got my keys, I knew God answered my prayers,” she said.
Tierra Labrada, director of policy for the Supportive Housing Network of New York, applauded the Mamdani administration for instituting the first such program funded and maintained by the city.
Nearly 20% of the supportive housing stock has been operating for more than a decade, often in buildings that are at least 50 years old, Labrara said.
“We will not mitigate homelessness in the city if we focus only on the shiny, new thing. We have to protect the decades of investment the city has already committed to.”
Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia, who represents the district that includes Park Avenue Thorpe, echoed that sentiment. “We know that preservation has to be a core part of how we address the city’s housing crisis.”
The SPP program will ensure good stewardship of the buildings that house New Yorkers most in need, Tapia said.
“A leaky roof or a broken elevator is not a minor inconvenience. It is a threat to their safety and their dignity,” she said. “Our residents deserve safe, stable homes, and I will not stop fighting until every family in the Bronx has one.”
SPP was included in Block by Block, the Mamdani administration’s wide-ranging housing plan focused on preserving existing housing, including NYCHA and old rent-stabilized buildings, along with increasing homeownership and protecting tenants’ rights.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
