Press Release – HPD AND HDC ANNOUNCE DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR 121 NEW DEEPLY AFFORDABLE ENERGY EFFICIENT SENIOR APARTMENTS AND PUBLIC OPEN SPACE IN THE NOLITA NEIGHBORHOOD OF MANHATTAN

HPD AND HDC ANNOUNCE DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR 121 NEW DEEPLY AFFORDABLE ENERGY EFFICIENT SENIOR APARTMENTS AND PUBLIC OPEN SPACE IN THE NOLITA NEIGHBORHOOD OF MANHATTAN

Haven Green, an affordable new senior housing development will be affordable to seniors earning between $20,040 and $40,080 and include housing for formerly homeless seniors

Haven Green, a Passive House development, will also maintain over 7,600 square feet of publicly accessible open space in a new garden that will be designed and programmed through a community engagement process

The new development will also include a new headquarters for Habitat for Humanity New York City, flexible community activity space, as well as services provided by RiseBoro Community Partnerships, Habitat for Humanity New York City and SAGE, a mission-driven organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT seniors

High resolution images can be found in the following link.

NEW YORK CITY– New York City Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announces development plans that will create 121 deeply affordable senior apartments balanced with a community designed public open space in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan. Haven Green will be developed by Pennrose Properties, LLC, Habitat for Humanity New York City (Habitat NYC), and RiseBoro Community Partnerships, Inc. The proposed development will be affordable to extremely low-, very low-, and low-income seniors. Thirty-seven apartments will serve formerly homeless seniors. The development proposal provides a significant number of much needed affordable housing units for seniors while providing over 7,600 square feet of high-quality publicly-accessible open space. The public space design seeks to recreate many of the existing features and layout of the site, including passive spaces, sculptures and art pieces, lawns, diverse plantings, space for gardening, and open seating. The new space will maintain flexibility and be further developed by the community through an upcoming participatory design process.

“As public land grows more scarce in New York City, we see each remaining site as an opportunity to meet as many of the urgent needs and priorities of communities as possible.  The selected development proposal strikes a balance between the desperate need for affordable senior housing and dedicated public open space, making this a win-win for the neighborhood. This thoughtful, energy-efficient design will provide deeply affordable housing for 121 seniors, community services through established non-profit partners, and significant publicly-accessible open space, said Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer.  We congratulate the development team and thank Councilmember Chin for her leadership in seeking a solution that reconciles the competing public needs and interests for the future of this site.”

“The plans for this energy-efficient, deeply affordable housing development balance the tremendous need for senior housing and open green public space in lower Manhattan, while partnering with valued non-profits to provide critical community services,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “I look forward to working with the teams at Pennrose Properties, RiseBoro, SAGE, and Habitat for Humanity, to create a supportive and inclusive community for 121 extremely low-, very low-, and low-income New Yorkers, including formerly homeless and LGBT seniors.”

Haven Green will fulfill the Administration’s goal to provide desperately needed affordable homes for seniors while also establishing permanent open space at the heart of this historic neighborhood. The development will be financed under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York 2.0 Plan to create and preserve 300,000 units of affordable housing. The most comprehensive affordable housing plan in the City’s history and largest municipal housing plan in the nation, its goal is to help address New York City’s affordability crisis by housing more than half a million New Yorkers, ranging from those with very low incomes to the middle class – all of whom face ever-rising rent pressures.

“The City’s proposal marks a victory for those who value the need for affordable senior housing and open space in Lower Manhattan,” said New York City Council Member Margaret Chin. “With 121 units of affordable housing and offices for Habitat for Humanity NYC and SAGE, this plan delivers on our commitment to our most vulnerable seniors – including seniors of the Stonewall generation who would not only have direct access to vital LGBTQ services, but also an opportunity to age in the very community where their struggle for equality and inclusion began. With the Mott Street side of the site remaining unbuilt, community members from all walks of life would have an opportunity to enjoy more than 7,6000 square feet of public green space. Thank you to Mayor De Blasio and Commissioner Torres-Springer for their leadership, and I look forward to working with the community to make this the best open space it can be. Together, we can set an example for the rest of the City as a leader in inclusive, affordable urban planning that benefits the entire community.”

“We are honored to have been selected by NYC Housing Preservation & Development to provide a mix of affordable LGBTQ-friendly senior housing, retail and community facilities, and high-quality public space in the Nolita neighborhood,” said Timothy I. Henkel, senior vice president with Pennrose, LLC. “We look forward to continuing the dialog with community members to deliver value to all involved.”

“Habitat NYC has long been known for building and preserving safe, decent, and affordable homes for ownership and we are thrilled to expand our impact into affordable rental housing to reach a historically underserved community,” said Karen Haycox, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City. “We are excited about working with our partners Pennrose and RiseBoro to meet the very real need for more affordable senior LGBTQ housing throughout the city, and especially in the community of our founding –  where increasing rents have surpassed the limited incomes of aging residents. We look forward to partnering with local community members and stakeholders to ensure Haven Green is a home for both its residents and the neighborhood at large.”

“A thriving, inclusive city requires adequate resources for senior citizens. The lack of affordable housing for seniors in New York City is a crisis our organization encounters every day. I am excited to work in partnership with HPD, HDC, and our partners at PennRose, Habitat and SAGE to address not only the physical housing needs, but the health, social and emotional needs of our city’s seniors.” Emily Kurtz, VP of Housing, RiseBoro Community Partnership.

“Just as SAGE was proud last year to announce New York City’s first two affordable, LGBT-welcoming elder housing developments, we are excited by the selection of Haven Green in Manhattan,” says SAGE CEO Michael Adams. “We look forward to partnering with Pennrose to keep strengthening housing and services for all elders.”

The proposed development will be constructed to Passive House standards while maximizing sunlight exposure and providing fluid access to the public open space. The Mott Street side of the site will remain unbuilt and a passageway through the building will provide access to the public open space from both sides of the development site. The Passive House design will significantly reduce the building’s energy consumption.  This development is expected to use 60-70% less energy than a standard building of its kind. The building and the public open space will be designed to manage and reuse storm water through the use of permeable surfaces covering the majority of the open space and a rooftop rainwater harvesting system.

“LiveOn NY applauds Mayor de Blasio and Council Member Chin for their dedication to providing affordable housing for low-income seniors in the NoLita community and throughout New York City,” states Allison Nickerson, Executive Director at LiveOn NY. “New developments such as Haven Green will help combat the fact that currently too many seniors are unable to age in their communities due to a lack of affordable housing across the city. This opportunity for 121 units of senior housing,  as well as a significant amount of public space, will invigorate the community and support the seniors that will be lucky enough to call Haven Green home. The strong team of community-minded organizations including LiveOn NY members Rise-Boro Community Partners and SAGE, along with Pennrose Properties, LLC and Habitat for Humanity New York City will be a benefit to both tenants and the community.”

“AARP has found that older New Yorkers want to age-in-place, remaining in the city that they love, while also staying out of costly institutional care. But they often find it difficult to afford to stay here, as well as access the various services they need as they age. We applaud this development of new affordable housing for seniors, which will benefit many New Yorkers for years to come,” said Beth Finkel, State Director, AARP New York.

The development will serve as Habitat NYC’s new headquarters. In addition to continuing to serve low and moderate-income New Yorkers across the city, Habitat NYC will provide credit counseling and education services to residents and community members, as well as manage the ongoing maintenance and programming for the open public space. A portion of the Habitat NYC space will serve as a flexible workspace for community activities. SAGE, the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults, will maintain offices on the main floor through which a Resident Services Coordinator will provide care and direct access to the SAGE network of LGBTQ inclusive services and senior centers.

Building residents will have access to a residential library, computer lab, and roof terrace. RiseBoro will provide onsite social services, programming, and case management to the residents. The apartments will meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and the building will incorporate elements of Active and Universal Design to ensure safe and healthy affordable homes for future senior residents.

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York Plan which was recently expanded and accelerated through Housing New York 2.0 to complete the initial goal of 200,000 homes two years ahead of schedule—by 2022, and achieve an additional 100,000 homes over the following four years, for a total of 300,000 homes by 2026. For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpdand for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.

The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is the nation’s largest municipal Housing Finance Agency and is charged with helping to finance the creation or preservation of affordable housing under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York plan. Since 2003, HDC has financed more than 120,000 housing units using over $13.7 billion in bonds, and provided in excess of $1.6 billion in subsidy from corporate reserves. HDC ranks among the nation’s top issuers of mortgage revenue bonds for affordable multi-family housing on Thomson Reuter’s annual list of multi-family bond issuers. In each of the last four consecutive years, HDC’s annual bond issuance has surpassed $1 billion. For additional information, visit: http://www.nychdc.com

With more than 40 years of experience, Pennrose combines quality development and proven management to deliver exceptional lifestyle-centered communities for its residents. With the superior knowledge and unparalleled dedication to get the job done right, Pennrose develops and operates both conventional and affordable communities throughout the eastern half of the United States. For more information, visit www.pennrose.com.

Habitat for Humanity New York City transforms lives and communities by building and preserving affordable homes with hard-working families – and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing and homeownership. With the help of thousands of volunteers each year, Habitat NYC builds and repairs homes for families throughout the five boroughs. Learn more at www.HabitatNYC.org and connect with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitterand Instagram at @HabitatNYC.

At Riseboro, we unleash the potential of communities to thrive, no matter the odds. Since 1973, RiseBoro has offered services designed to support every generation and meet the needs of communities. Our divisions encompass seniors, housing, education, health and empowerment. Our unique model of holistic community revitalization works by developing neighborhood assets, like affordable housing, to create the foundation for a more vibrant and diverse community. We build upon this foundation with programs designed to connect people to essential resources to help everyone in the community thrive, especially our most vulnerable populations. This inclusive approach helps unleash the potential of the community and ensures that nobody is left behind in times of growth. For more information, visit: www.riseboro.org.

SAGE is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, and cultural competence training through SAGECare. Headquartered in New York City, with staff across the country, SAGE also coordinates a growing network of affiliates in the United States.