Governor Kathy Hochul announced the opening of Bethany Senior Terraces, a $48 million affordable housing development in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. The new four-story building includes 57 affordable apartments for seniors aged 55 and older, including eighteen apartments with supportive services. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has created or preserved more than 11,000 affordable homes in Brooklyn. Bethany Senior Terraces continues this effort and is part of Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
“Every New Yorker deserves a safe and affordable place to age with independence and stability,” Governor Hochul said. “Bethany Senior Terraces transforms a long-vacant site in Brooklyn into modern, energy-efficient homes for older adults while delivering supportive services that will help vulnerable seniors thrive. Developments like this are essential to addressing our housing shortage and building healthier neighborhoods across New York.”
Developed by RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc., Bethany Senior Terraces replaces two vacant buildings formerly occupied by the Bethany Methodist Home for the Aged. The new development includes 45 studio apartments, 12 one-bedroom apartments and one superintendent’s unit. All 57 affordable apartments are reserved for households earning at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income.
Eighteen apartments are reserved for tenants eligible for on-site supportive services including individuals struggling with homelessness. Services are provided by RiseBoro Community Partnership Inc. and include case management, health coordination, and social and recreational programming designed to help seniors maintain stable housing and age in place independently. The New York State Department of Health is providing operating funding for these supportive apartments through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award.
The development includes fully accessible and adaptable apartments. There will be five units to accommodate residents with mobility impairments and two units to accommodate residents with sensory disabilities.
The fully-electric building was designed to meet 2020 Enterprise Green Communities Plus and Passive House standards, incorporating sustainable features including Energy Recovery Ventilation systems, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, low-VOC materials and rooftop infrastructure capable of supporting a future solar array.
Residents will have access to supportive services offices, storage space and community rooms. The building includes outdoor terraces that step down to a large, common garden located off of the building lobby and offer entrances to interior social spaces at every floor. There is a hydroponic greenhouse — which uses water rather than soil to grow plants. There is a community kitchen directly connected to the greenhouse that is intended to host community demonstrations on gardening and cooking.
State financing for the development included federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated approximately $14.4 million in equity and $7.8 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided $716,000 in funding. $9.3 million in financing was provided by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
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