2 Hamilton Heights Hotels To Become Low-Income Housing By AIDS Org

HARLEM, NY — Two short-stay hotels on the same Hamilton Heights block will be converted to longer-term, low-income housing after being purchased by a prominent health care nonprofit.

The former Hamilton Heights Hotel and Hotel Caribe, at 511 and 515 West 145th St., were bought for a combined $17 million in late October by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, city records show.

Long used as single-room occupancy hotels with some supportive services, the five-story buildings will be renovated in the coming months by AHF to serve as low-income housing — with a focus on serving people transitioning from homelessness, according to Marlene LaLota, a senior regional director for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit.

"We want people to be able to come and rent a room for hopefully a month or several months, more long-term."

This will be AHF's first full-time housing facility in New York, though it runs similar programs in California. But the nonprofit already has a presence in the city, partnering with Harlem's own Iris House to serve women with HIV/AIDS and running other clinics at Columbus Circle and in the South Bronx.

Renovations to the existing hotels will be minor, consisting mostly of paint and new signage, LaLota said. AHF was drawn to the hotels because they were "very popular," with well-maintained facilities, happy clients and staff, and clean buildings, she said.

Both facilities could open at the start of 2023, according to LaLota. They will serve single adults or couples, with no children allowed.

Once open, AHF hopes that some residents may be referred to the facilities from the city government, though the nonprofit also says existing tenants of the current hotels could come back.

Down the line, LaLota said the facilities could even help the city tackle its influx of asylum seekers by providing affordable housing for migrants.

Besides providing beds, bathrooms and a place to stay, LaLota said AHF hopes to organize activities for residents like holiday parties or game nights.

"To really make it feel like home," she said.

Founded in 1987, AHF now operates in 17 states and 45 countries, and is the largest AIDS service organization in the U.S.

A powerful force in its native California, the organization has sparked controversy for opposing the construction of much new housing. This summer, the state of California ended its health care contracts with AHF, saying the nonprofit had used improper tactics to negotiate its payment rates.