City and state officials joined in celebrating the grand opening of Kingsbridge Apartments, a $70 million supportive/affordable housing residence financed by both city and state agencies.

“This is a game changer because so many supportive housing developments have typically focused on homeless, singles, individuals, and those are very important homes to provide, but we also need to be providing housing for these children,” Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, who manages the city’s housing policies, said in her remarks on May 22.

The modernized residence–which includes a 24-hour attended lobby, a children’s library, fitness room, laundry room, a children’s playground and 17 parking spaces–serves as a model for so-called integrated housing, where low-income tenants live in the same building as supportive housing residents. In this case, 40 of the 135 units are reserved for formerly homeless families. B&B Urban and L+M Development are the developers behind the residence.

“Integration is a good thing and we should be doing more of it everywhere” said Tony Hannigan, CEO and president for the Center for Urban Community Services, a social services nonprofit.

This type of housing fits into what Community Board 7 chair Jean Hill wants to see. “We want a complete mix. Because the mix is what you have. You have your young professionals who are starting out in life. You have people who were formerly homeless, and they need to have a roof over their head. Then, you have your middle-income people, they still need a place to live too. Everyone needs to have decent housing today,” said Hill.

The 13-story building is centrally located near Lehman College, Fordham University, several hospitals, and the Bronx Zoo, which heavily influenced the choice in deciding the location for the building, according to Molly Park who runs the development office for the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The complex is also directly across from the Kingsbridge Armory, which remains vacant.

Currently, New York State has a $20 billion housing plan, which aims to combat the homeless crisis. The five-year plan intends to create 100,000 affordable and 6,000 supportive housing units.

For new resident Maria Alvarez, the opportunity to live in the complex gives her a sense of optimism for her and her son, who suffers from muscular dystrophy.  “I can happily say today that I made it. I have a place that I can call home, I am fighter I made through and I look forward to the rest of my future,” Alvarez said.

Hill, who once served as the Housing, Land Use & Zoning Committee chair, praised the look of the property, cautioning future developers that should they build in the neighborhood, they “come correct.”

“We going to fight for the best that we can get. We’re not going to cut any corners,” said Hill.