A new affordable housing development in Williamsbridge is almost full, with low-income residents and families who were living in homeless shelters settling down in the Northeast Bronx.
A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday for the $91 million development called Williamsbridge Gardens, and project partners praised the completion of a project that came to fruition during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The development has 170 income-restricted apartments across two eight-story buildings on East 211th and 212th streets between White Plains Road and Holland Avenue. Half of the units include supportive services for people who are formerly homeless and lived in shelters who have a mental health diagnosis, along with their families. The rest of the units are reserved for households making 80% of the area median income (AMI) and lower.
The local AMI encompasses all five boroughs as well as Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. The NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) considers 80% AMI the upper limit of “low-income,” with 81% reaching “moderate-income.”
The project is intended to provide access to the services and homes that families need in order to thrive and “break the cycle of housing insecurity,” said New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas.
The development was built on a vacant parcel one block away from the Gun Hill Road 2 and 5 subway lines and is a short walk from the Williamsbridge Metro-North train station. It’s also close to Van Cortlandt Park and is in walking distance of grocery stores, retail and health care.
The project is a joint venture between CUCS, L+M Development Partners and B&B Urban.
While the complex was officially celebrated just last week, it was completed back in January. Tenants began moving into the building in mid-February, and it is now 90% occupied, project spokesperson John DeSio told the Bronx Times.
The rest of the units have already been allocated to tenants who are going through final approval stages, DeSio said. Residents were chosen through a lottery on Housing Connect, a city website with affordable housing options.
The households reserved for formerly homeless families will receive rental assistance along with on-site services, funded through HPD’s 15/15 program.
Named for the goal of developing 15,000 new units of supportive housing in NYC over 15 years, the HPD initiative — announced by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015 — has a goal of providing long-term stability to vulnerable people experiencing homelessness who have serious mental illness, substance use disorders or disabling medical conditions.
The Center of Urban Community Services will provide comprehensive case management, medication management, community-living skills development, coordinated psychiatric and primary medical care, as well as referrals and connections to community-based services.
Councilmember Kevin Riley, who represents Williamsbridge, said that providing a supportive environment will help combat violence. He called the development a “safe haven.”
“Together, we celebrate a beacon of hope that exemplifies our dedication to prioritizing community needs and creating a brighter future for all,” Riley said.
The apartments in the building dedicated to formerly homeless families will give children an opportunity for stability, said Alan Bell, of B&B Urban.
“For us, it’s all about the kids and giving these kids an opportunity to live in a place that will allow them to function and prosper in the future,” he said.
There are 30 studios, 55 one‐bedroom units, 57 two‐bedroom units and 27 three‐bedroom units in the building, as well as a live-in superintendent.
The buildings have an interior courtyard, 24/7 desk security, a computer lab and children’s library, exercise room and laundry rooms in each building. The rooftop has a photovoltaic solar installation — which convert thermal energy into electricity — and the units have energy-efficient appliances.
Williamsbridge Gardens was financed with $54 million in state permanent tax-exempt bonds, $31 million in federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits and a $12 million subsidy from state Homes and Community Renewal.
The project also received $8.5 million in tax credits through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfield Cleanup Program.
Additionally, HPD provided $11.8 million and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson allocated $750,000.
“As our city continues to experience a housing crisis, developments like Williamsbridge Gardens are essential in ensuring our most vulnerable residents have access to safe, quality, and affordable housing in our borough,” Gibson said.
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
