Ribbon Cut On $72M Affordable, Supportive Brooklyn Housing Development

BROOKLYN, NY — A long-awaited affordable and supportive housing project in Brooklyn is complete, officials announced Monday.

Nevins Street Apartments, a housing complex located at 50 Nevins Street, consists of 129 affordable units spread between two buildings — a historic women's club and a new, 10-story building constructed on an adjacent parking lot — most of which are reserved for supportive housing, officials said.

The project developer, the Institute for Community Living, has operated supportive housing at the historic building for the past three decades, but the $72 million development process was aimed at adding more housing and converting single rooms into self-contained apartments.

All told, 78 of the development's homes are now set aside for people in need of supportive housing — like those recovering from substance use disorders or formerly homeless people — who can access onsite support services through the non-profit.

The rest of the units, save for one meant for a superintendent, are available through the city's affordable housing lottery for people making at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income — ranging from $35,418 for a single person to $99,300 for a seven-person household.

Rent in those units, the vast majority of which are studio apartments, will range from $947 for a studio to $1,632 for one of the building's two three-bedroom apartments, according to the lottery.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso described the project as "an example of what should be kept in mind as new developments are being planned for and built in communities in dire need of affordable units."

"This development not only was built on a parking lot - bringing a much more valuable use to this land - but also reserves apartments that will cater to vulnerable populations, including the formerly homeless and at-risk young adults, and will have conveniently located amenities," he said.

The citywide affordable housing crisis is particularly relevant in Downtown Brooklyn, a rapidly developing neighborhood that some politicians have pointed to as a prime example of the failure of 421-a, a program that gives developers tax breaks for building so-called affordable housing.

Opponents of 421-a gathered in the neighborhood earlier this year and urged state lawmakers to let the tax break program expire in June, calling on them to instead create structural changes to the property tax system by the end of the year.

This proposal breaks with Governor Kathy Hochul who suggested reforming 421-a into a new tax break known as 485-w, which most experts have said is not a significant departure from the existing program.

Hochul, though, lauded Nevins Street Apartments as part of her five-year housing plan to invest $25 billion into 50,000 more affordable homes statewide — including 10,000 with support services.

"New York is committed to tackling the housing crisis with transformative projects like Nevins Street Apartments that drive neighborhood revitalization and provide New Yorkers with the support and stability they need to thrive," she said.

Work began on Nevins Street Apartments in 2019, and was reportedly expected to end in winter 2020, but faced delays amid the pandemic.