Multi-Housing News
July 2, 2013
New York—Developer CPC Resources Inc. has joined forces with Ground Community HDFC, East Brooklyn Congregations, Common St. Paul Community Baptist Church, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal on construction of Redwood Senior Living in the East New York section of Brooklyn.
Located at the intersection of Wortman and Schenck Avenues, the energy-efficient development will provide 80 units of affordable housing with social services for underserved elderly residents when completed in 2014.
“CPCR is always trying to address the needs of the housing community. The shortage of affordable senior housing is one of those needs,” Deborah Widerkehr, vice president of CPC Resources, tells MHN. “Our mission is to create affordable housing in neighborhoods like East New York, where affordable rental housing is in short supply. An under-utilized parking lot will become an attractive affordable housing resource in a community that needs attractive affordable housing.”
Designed by Peter Franzese, the seven-story building will consist of all one-bedroom rental units except one two-bedroom unit for the superintendent. It will also include a community room with an apartment-style kitchen for recreation and social programs, as well as offices for social services for the residents.
The apartment building will also include computers, library books, exercise facilities, laundry machines and medical services, as well as elevators, a landscaped garden with seating areas and around-the-clock security.
Common Ground, a nonprofit affordable housing development organization, will provide services such as organizing transportation and recreational activities and will provide case management services.
“We believe the services are crucial to attracting the residents to the building, and to allowing the residents to remain independent as long as possible,” Widerkehr says. “The site will have a social service coordinator and case manager to refer residents to appropriate services in area, as needed, to allow them to remain independent as long as possible.”
This might include Meals on Wheels, or assistance with benefits. The Visiting Nurse Service of NY will hold routine office hours for residents to provide health screenings such as blood pressure checks and flu shots, as well as educational and wellness programs geared toward the needs of the residents. Staff also will plan various recreational activities so that they remain active and engaged with the community.
The land was originally a parking facility owned by the NYCHA and they joined forces with the EBC to develop the parcel of land for senior housing.
East Brooklyn Congregation and Common Ground will assume management of the facility once the apartments are leased. The Wavecrest Management Team will manage the property upon completion of construction.
All units will be federally subsidized to peg rents to 30 percent of tenant income. A lottery for the units will be held next year, with at least 20 units allocated to current residents of NYCHA public housing.