Governor Hochul Announces Completion of 102-Unit Affordable Housing Development in the Fordham Neighborhood of the Bronx

St. James Terrace Includes 51 Apartments With Supportive Services for Those Struggling With Homelessness

New Community Center Will Provide Activities and Educational Services for Children and Adults; New Home for Weekly Food Pantry

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of St. James Terrace, a new $64 million development adjacent to the historic St. James Episcopal Church with 102 affordable apartments, including 51 with on-site supportive services for people struggling with homelessness and a Community Center that will offer a variety of programs and a weekly food pantry. In the past five years, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has financed 14,000 affordable homes in The Bronx. St. James Terrace continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

“St. James Terrace is the product of a caring community,” Governor Hochul said. “The church recognized the value of the underused property and has put it to the best use for our most urgent need – creating new, affordable, supportive homes for those most in need, along with a community facility and home for a food pantry. We thank St. James Episcopal Church and all our partners for helping to bring urgently-needed housing to The Bronx.”

The nine-story building includes a new, ground-floor community facility that will provide a range of services and programs benefiting residents and the community at large, including a weekly food pantry and hot meal service, financial and wellness seminars and an after-school program that will provide tutoring and snacks to school-aged children in the neighborhood.

A landscaped courtyard connects the church and the residential building, and residents will have access to a rooftop terrace, lounges, multi-purpose rooms, a laundry room, bicycle storage, fitness room and office and social service space for use by Concern for Independent Living’s social service staff.

State financing includes $28 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, $10.6 million in subsidy from HCR and $6 million from HCR’s Office of Resilient Homes and Communities Affordable Housing Fund Program, which was designed to increase the supply of affordable housing in areas less prone to flooding. The project received $433,000 in program development funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is administering a $4.9 million Homeless Housing and Assistance Program contract to provide capital subsidy for the development of St. James Terrace’s permanent supportive housing. Concern Housing led the development team.

The supportive apartments are affordable to individuals with income at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income and benefit from Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative awards which are administered by OMH. Support services, provided by Concern for Independent Living, include case management, care coordination, self-sufficiency and mental health support. Referrals for supportive housing are provided by the New York City Department of Homeless Services and local hospitals and health homes. In addition, the development benefits from a Homeless Housing Assistance Program contract administered by the New York State Office for People with Temporary Disabilities.

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 relief from certain State-imposed restrictions 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 developments statewide and new protections for renters and homeowners. 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, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 45,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro Housing Certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. To date, more than 200 communities have been certified, including New York City.