Partnership Builds Affordable

Bushwick Alliance breaks ground at new low-income housing

Bushwick Alliance, is a collaboration between St. Nicks Alliance and RiseBoro Community Partnership (RiseBoro), two community-based organizations with missions that align in providing comprehensive social services in connection with affordable housing throughout New York City.

At the ground breaking celebration on April 14, Michael Rochford, executive director of St. Nicks Alliance, explained how Bushwick Alliance began. “St. Nicks Alliance applied to the City of New York in a competitive RFP and was awarded the sites.  We discovered when looking at them that RiseBoro owned a site next door to one of those properties so we said, ‘why don’t we get together on this and join that effort to find greater efficiency in development?’ and we are thrilled that RiseBoro had joined with us.”

Laura James, vice chair of St. Nicks Alliance, also emphasized the importance of partnership in this project. “This is going to be the key to future success, partnerships such as this one.  I’m not one to quote overused parables but what keeps coming to mind is the parable about if you want to go somewhere you go by yourself; if you want to go far you go with others. I think that epitomizes the challenges that you encounter when you develop affordable housing in New York City. These successful partnerships have created a pathway of success that we hope to duplicate in the future.”

Scott Short, CEO of RiseBoro offered details about the development, “It is a three-site project. Behind me is the largest site, 63 Stockholm, which will be 20 units of new low-income affordable housing, we also have two other lots under development that are four units each. All of these buildings are designed to the passive house standard so that means these will be some of the most energy-efficient buildings in the city reducing our energy cost as much as 80%.”

This project showcases an all-electric sustainable design model.  This will offer the opportunity to prove that sustainable and cost-effective buildings are possible for the city’s most vulnerable populations. 

Gwen McLaughlin of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) offered insight as to the process of selecting recipients of the NYSERDA Building of Excellence Award. Bushwick Alliance was recently awarded this award. Within the initiative, $401,180 was funded to this project and it also received a funding commitment of $70,000 from NYSERDA’s Multifamily New Construction Program.

“I often say that a vacant lot does not stand a chance in the borough of Brooklyn,” began Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Kim Council when she spoke at the ground breaking.  “It proves that we can come together and work collaboratively to solve the social problems that we are facing within our community.”

The affordable housing crisis is a consistent topic in the news. Alice Friedman, director of new construction finance at New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) offered some statistics, “This year our housing vacancy survey shed light on the stark reality that only 1.4% of the City’s housing stock is available. The collaboration between RiseBoro, St. Nicks Alliance, HPD, and our local officials is something truly special.  Because of this collaboration Bushwick Alliance can introduce 28 new affordable housing units into Bushwick.

When NYC Council Member Sandy Nurse spoke, she highlighted that her district (District 37) has been creating the most affordable housing units in the city, basically, for a significant period of time and that she is excited to continue that tradition.  

Construction is predicted to be completed by December 2025.