Partnership by Camber Property Group and Osborne Association to Deliver Housing, Community Services, and Reentry Support for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Supports Governor Hochul's Commitment to Addressing the Housing Crisis – Including Historic FY 2025 Budget Agreement to Increase New York’s Housing Supply
Builds on Recommendations of the Prison Redevelopment Commission to Reimagine Underutilized Jails and Prisons
Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled Liberty Landing, a transformative project to convert the state-owned 100,000 square-foot former Bayview Correctional Facility in Manhattan into affordable housing for low-income residents and supportive housing for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering the community. The proposed project, a joint venture between Camber Property Group and Osborne Association, would invest over $108 million in West Chelsea and provide 124 permanently affordable housing units and on-site supportive services.
“Every New Yorker deserves access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Liberty Landing represents a significant step forward in our efforts to provide inclusive housing opportunities and support to vulnerable New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “This innovative project will transform a former symbol of incarceration into a beacon of hope, healing, and opportunity.”
The Request for Proposals focused on the opportunity to increase the critical shortage of affordable housing options in the region and specifically prioritized the need for housing for New Yorkers who require services within a supportive living environment, while enhancing the neighborhood vibrancy and quality of life for residents in the surrounding area. Liberty Landing will adaptively reuse the historic Bayview Correctional Facility, transforming the space into a vibrant, multi-faceted community hub.
The redevelopment will keep the Main and Annex buildings largely intact while constructing a new addition in the interior courtyard to maximize housing opportunities. The project will include 124 affordable housing units, providing much-needed income-restricted residences for individuals and families. The development will also feature a 9,300 square foot community facility unit dedicated to youth-oriented programming, enabling the delivery of a wide range of services and activities tailored to the needs of young people in the surrounding community. Additionally, the project will feature a 15-unit short-term transitional residence to support individuals with mental health needs who are navigating life transitions and in need of temporary housing. The State Office of Mental Health is providing both capital and operating funding for these residences. The proposed project will be sponsored by Empire State Development under a General Project Plan, will undergo environmental review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, and will be presented for public review and comment prior to its final consideration and approval.
Osborne Association, the supportive service partner at Liberty Landing, will provide a comprehensive array of on-site social services and programming designed to meet the unique needs of individuals reentering the community after incarceration. Services will be integrated into the fabric of the development, ensuring that residents have easy access to the resources they need to thrive. The services include workforce development programs, family and relationship coaching, independent living skills training, and onsite wellness services, such as nutrition education and chronic disease management. Residents will also have access to benefits advocacy, peer mentorship, and connections to healthcare, mental health support, and substance use disorder treatment through community partnerships. These holistic services are designed to provide residents with the resources they need to overcome challenges, achieve housing stability, improve their health outcomes, and successfully reintegrate into the community.
Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the state more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives for Upstate communities, new incentives and zoning relief to create more housing in New York City, a $500 million capital fund to build up to 15,000 new homes on State-owned property, an additional $600 million in funding to support a variety of housing development statewide, and new protections for renters. In addition, as part of the FY23 Enacted Budget, the Governor announced a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide. More than 40,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.
Governor Hochul's administration has taken positive steps to repurpose former prison sites, with a strong focus on addressing the state's housing needs. Projects like Liberty Landing and Seneca exemplify this approach, transforming decommissioned correctional facilities into vibrant, inclusive communities. These developments not only provide affordable housing but also integrate employment opportunities, cultural amenities, and essential supportive services. Furthering this strategy, Empire State Development has advanced key recommendations from the Prison Redevelopment Commission's report, demonstrating the state's commitment to reimagining these spaces for community benefit. Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, Empire State Development has issued a Request for Proposals for Watertown Correctional Facility and worked with Seneca County to develop the RFP for Willard Drug Treatment Campus. Additionally, a developer was conditionally chosen to transform the former Downstate Correctional Facility into a vibrant, mixed-income housing site and Livingston Correctional Facility was transferred to the Livingston County Industrial Development Agency, completing the first successful land transfer of a state-owned prison for potential redevelopment.
Governor Hochul’s Mental Health Agenda
Governor Hochul’s historic $1 billion plan enacted last year is strengthening the State’s mental health care system. Adopted as part of the FY 2024 budget, this multi-year plan is now dramatically increasing access to services, reducing wait times, and ensuring appropriate levels of care statewide.
The plan provided $890 million in capital and $120 million in operating funding to establish and operate 3,500 new residential units for New Yorkers with mental illness. This includes 1,500 supportive housing units, 500 community residence-single room occupancy units; 900 transitional step-down units; and 600 licensed apartment units serving individuals who require an intermediate level of services.
Building on this investment, Governor Hochul made strengthening the state’s mental health system a priority in the FY 2025 Budget, which will add 200 new inpatient beds at state-operated psychiatric centers, will establish mental health navigators in the court system; expand crisis intervention training for law enforcement; improve mental health admission and discharge procedures for Article 28 and 31 hospitals; and increase transitional and specialized housing. The Budget also provides start-up funding for school-based mental health clinics, increases resources for youth receiving treatment in their community or in residential care, and bolsters outpatient supports, such as Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams.
In addition the Budget supports a loan forgiveness program specifically for licensed mental health clinicians serving children and families and an expansion of peer-to-peer mental wellness efforts among young people across the state, including training programs like Teen Mental Health First Aid.
About Camber Property Group
Camber Property Group specializes in developing, rehabilitating, and preserving affordable and mixed-income housing across New York City. With a portfolio of nearly 10,000 units valued at over $2.5 billion, the firm has been dedicated to impactful work for all stakeholders since its founding in 2016.
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