Construction has broken ground on Baez Place, a 154-unit affordable housing development located at 334 East 176th Street in the Claremont section of The Bronx, as reported by YIMBY.

 

Designed by ESKW Architects, and developed by Community Access, the structure will comprise 105 studios, 21 one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom units, and six three-bedroom apartments, according to YIMBY. A total of 154 homes will be reserved for households at 30 to 80 percent area median income (AMI), while the the remaining 86 units will be available to the formerly homeless, who will also have access to on-site support services provided by Community Access.

 

Each apartment will come equipped with free broadband internet access.

 

Gov. Kathy Hochul welcomed the new project, saying, “We’re tackling housing insecurity and homelessness head-on with this project that will deliver high-quality, affordable homes to New Yorkers.” She added, “This development on Baez Place in The Bronx will uplift the entire community with more than 150 units of housing as well as wraparound services for seniors and people experiencing homelessness, the latest effort from our $25 billion housing plan to unlock opportunity and give families a safe, stable place to call home.”

 

Planned amenity spaces will include a community room with a commercial kitchen, a computer room, a laundry room, and a fitness center. Residents will also have the opportunity to participate in urban agriculture in an outdoor green space and a greenhouse located on the top floor of the building.

 

Available social services will include individual counseling, self-help groups, structured group activities, harm-reduction services, access to community mental health and health care providers, medication management assistance, and employment referrals. Additional services for senior tenants will include individual support from dedicated senior advocates and on-site primary care.

 

Daniel W. Tietz, commissioner of NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance said of the future housing project, “New Yorkers with a serious mental illness often find themselves and their families facing housing instability as a result of their condition.” He added, “Permanent supportive housing, like the dozens of new units Baez Place will soon offer, will provides the services these individuals and families need to remain safely housed in an independent setting.

 

Tietz added, “Gov. Hochul’s continued effort to expand permanent supportive housing throughout our state demonstrates her resolve to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe, affordable homes.”

 

Supportive services and rental subsidies will be funded through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, according to YIMBY.

 

State financing for Baez Place Apartments includes $17.6 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal low-income tax credits that will generate $38.7 million in equity, and $12 million in subsidy from the NYS State Homes and Community Renewal program. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $7 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.

Norwood News recently reported on Bedford Green House housing project for those previously living in the shelter system.