Low Income Housing In Bed-Stuy Gets $9.4M Makeover

BEDFORD STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — An affordable housing complex has reopened after receiving a $9.4 million renovation, officials announced Thursday.

Bridge Community at 271 and 291 Bainbridge St. will once again be home to low-income and formerly homeless families after New Destiny Housing, the nonprofit behind the renovation, raised money for new kitchens, bathrooms, backyards and playgrounds.

The four renovated buildings, which will become home to 36 Bed-Stuy families, now have new boilers, security cameras, lighting and lobbies, the nonprofit said.

Six apartments are reserved for formerly homeless families and residents will never pay more than 30% of their salaries, officials said.

“In a neighborhood with rapidly increasing rents, these newly renovated buildings offer an island of affordability for longtime community residents,” said New Destiny executive director Carol Corden.

The complex offers on-site services to address areas where residents may be struggling apart from their housing needs. New Destiny’s Family Support Program includes job training, violence counseling, children’s programming, finance workshops, and help negotiating the city's public services.

The $9.4 million project was funded by Enterprise Community Partners, Low Income Investment Fund, the New York State Housing Trust Fund, and the Housing Preservation and Development department.

"The Bridge Community ensures that the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn remains affordable," said HPD executive commissioner Maria Torres Springer. "Not just for the 36 hardworking families living in the development today, but for future residents of these four buildings, including the formerly homeless.”

Photo by Ben Gabbe courtesy of New Destiny Housing