Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams Announce Completion of $84 Million Affordable Housing Development for Seniors in the Bronx

 

The Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments in Morrisania Features 153 Affordable Apartments, Including 57 Homes with Supportive Services for Formerly Incarcerated Seniors

Complements Governor's New $25 Billion, Five-Year, Comprehensive Housing Plan

 Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams today announced the completion of an $84 million affordable housing development for seniors in the Bronx. The Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments includes 153 apartments, with 57 apartments reserved for seniors who will have access to on-site supportive services through The Fortune Society.

"As we recover from the pandemic, it is critical that we take bold action to make New York a more affordable place for all, which is why my administration launched a comprehensive $25 billion affordable housing plan to help ensure every New Yorker has access to safe, affordable housing," Governor Hochul said. "My administration will continue to prioritize transformative projects like this one that repurpose unused space to aggressively tackle the housing crisis. Every New Yorker deserves a place to live and the resources they need to thrive - not least of all our seniors and those who were formerly incarcerated."

"We are building back New York City more fair and just, and with new homes in the Bronx for formerly incarcerated seniors, this project represents a step in exactly the right direction," Mayor Adams said. "These homes will provide a safe, clean place for some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers, and I will continue to prioritize these goals and communities as long as I am mayor."

The Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments is part of Governor Hochul's sweeping plans to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. In the recently enacted State Budget, the Governor successfully secured a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.

Located at 1074 Washington Avenue in the Morrisania neighborhood, the Trinity-Reverend William James Senior Apartments was constructed on land formerly occupied by a vacant United Methodist church. There are 144 apartments reserved for adults 62 and older with incomes at or below sixty percent of the Area Median Income. Ten apartments are reserved for adults 55 and older.

There are 57 apartments reserved for seniors who were formerly incarcerated. The Fortune Society will provide on-site services to these residents as well as operate a 5,400 square-foot social services space open to the broader community on the building's ground floor. The satellite location provides counseling, case management, vocational and health-related services to individuals with a criminal justice history.

Services and rental subsidies for 47 of the supportive apartments are funded through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award to the Fortune Society. The remaining ten are funded through the New York City 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative.

Residential amenities include laundry facilities, a tenant exercise room, a sunroom being used as a greenhouse to foster hydroponic plantings, an outdoor residential garden, and bike storage. There is one apartment for an on-site superintendent.

The Trinity Morrisania Church that once stood on the building's site was originally constructed in 1865 but had fallen into disrepair. Elements of the former church building have been brought into the new space, including restored stained-glass windows, pews, and other architectural detail that will remind residents of the property's history.

The development team includes BronxPro, The Fortune Society and United Methodist City Society.

State financing for the development includes $15.9 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $33 million in equity, $11.6 million in subsidy and $2 million through the Community Investment Fund program, all from New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development provided $13 million through the Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program and Project-Based Vouchers for 106 households. Additional financing and development support was provided by Enterprise Community Partners, Freddie Mac, and JP Morgan Chase.