The city broke ground on 229 affordable homes in the Bronx, a fully affordable senior development on the NYCHA Morris Houses site.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Housing Authority and development partners broke ground on Sol on Park Thursday, a project that will provide housing for current NYCHA residents, formerly homeless seniors and low- and middle-income older adults.
The project will reserve 80 apartments for current Morris Houses residents, while 69 apartments will be set aside for formerly homeless seniors and 79 units will be available through the city’s Housing Connect lottery for eligible seniors.
“New Yorkers are facing a housing crisis, and we have no time to waste,” said Mayor Mamdani.
“Sol on Park shows what is possible when we invest in NYCHA and use every tool available to build affordable homes. This project will give current NYCHA residents and low-income seniors the opportunity to move into new, high-quality homes while strengthening the Morris Houses community. That’s what building a city for the many looks like.”
The program allows NYCHA, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corporation to use underutilized NYCHA property for new affordable housing. Current residents who move into the new development can maintain their NYCHA rights and rent calculations.
The administration announced the piloting of the program in the Block by Block housing plan, utilizing the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program to offer the apartments to NYCHA tenants.
The project will also include more than 8,000 square feet of community space, a pedestrian plaza and a new accessible space for the Morris Houses Resident Association.
Health and wellness services will be provided through partnerships with Union Community Health Center and Green Bronx Machine’s National Health & Wellness Center. The building is also being designed to meet LEED Platinum and Passive House standards, with energy-efficient features intended to reduce energy consumption and improve resident comfort.
“Sol on Park is an excellent example of how we can leverage underutilized land on NYCHA properties and innovative tools like Transfer of Assistance to deliver brand-new, modern, and permanently affordable homes for seniors,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt.
“We are investing in the Morris Houses community by reserving 80 apartments for existing residents and providing a brand new space for the Resident Association in the new 18-story building. We are grateful to the development team and all of our city partners for their collaboration and partnership in helping turn this vision into a reality.”
Sol on Park will be developed on underutilized, publicly owned land, part of the administration’s broader push to use city-owned property to build more affordable housing.
The administration said it plans to continue developing affordable housing on city-owned land, with more than 100 active sites identified for potential housing development. It also plans to release additional requests for proposals each year.
Construction is now underway, with pre-leasing and early move-ins expected in early 2029.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
