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The Overture at Brookfield Commons Completes Second Phase of Redevelopment at the Winbrook Houses, a 450-Unit Public Housing Facility Constructed in 1949

Newly Constructed Energy Efficient Building Includes 129 Affordable Homes and Community Space

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a $64 million mixed-use affordable housing development in the city of White Plains. The Overture at Brookfield Commons is the second phase of redevelopment at the Winbrook Houses campus, a 450-unit public housing development constructed in 1949. The newly constructed building offers 129 affordable homes for new and existing residents.

“This mixed-use affordable housing development is the latest example of our efforts to upgrade and modernize New York’s supply of public housing,” Governor Hochul said. “Protecting these vital assets is essential to helping ensure that everyone in our state has access to safe, affordable housing, leading to vibrant and inclusive communities.”

“The redevelopment of the Winbrook Houses will provide this property with a new purpose and restore the public housing development to its former glory,” said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. “The repurposed mixed-use development at Brookfield Commons in White Plains will provide 129 struggling new and existing families with affordable homes.”

The Overture at Brookfield Commons complements Governor Hochul’s sweeping plans to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. The Governor has introduced and successfully secured, in the 2022-23 State Budget, a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.

Trinity Financial and the White Plains Housing Authority partnered to redevelop the 9.3-acre Winbrook Houses site in downtown White Plains. The plan is designed to break up a public housing ‘superblock’ by creating new streetscapes to encourage pedestrian traffic. Phase I of the project, The Prelude at Brookfield Commons, was completed in 2015 and includes 104 affordable apartments.

The Overture at Brookfield Commons consists of a nine-story building with 129 apartments, 2,000 square feet of community facility space and 77 at-grade parking spaces. There are 90 apartments for existing Winbrook residents. The remaining apartments are affordable to households earning at or below 90 percent of the Area Median Income.

Amenities include a fitness room, children’s playroom, tenant lounge with terrace, high-speed internet, laundry rooms on each floor, and bike and package storage. All apartments include a dishwasher, microwave, and storage closet. The building offers a mix of one-, two-, three and four-bedroom apartments, including one apartment unit for the building superintendent.

The building was designed to achieve Enterprise Green Communities designation for energy-efficiency and healthy environments and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Multifamily New Construction Program. The building will reduce its residents’ projected energy use by 15 percent and conserve water with low flow plumbing fixtures and a highly efficient heat pump for heating and cooling.

The building also features two unique murals from local artist Piero Manrique: Custom Murals, Wall Art and Architectural Design for Interior Design who was sourced from Arts Westchester and selected by Trinity Financial.

The developers are Trinity Financial and the White Plains Housing Authority.

State financing for the development included $15.3 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $26.3 million in equity and an additional $16.6 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal.  NYSERDA will provide $97,400 in support. The city of White Plains provided $1 million in financing from its Affordable Housing Assistance Fund.

Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “In partnership with the White Plains Housing Authority, the city of White Plains, and Trinity Financial, we are transforming downtown White Plains by replacing the outdated Winbrook Houses with modern apartments and a pedestrian-friendly campus that will benefit the entire community. The Overture at Brookfield Commons provides 90 existing residents and 39 new families access to a comfortable and affordable home right in the heart of downtown. By financing the preservation and reinvention of our aging but vital public housing, we are ensuring that more New Yorkers have access to safe, affordable homes in thriving cities like White Plains.”

Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO at NYSERDA, said, “With the completion of The Overture at Brookfield Commons, residents of White Plains now have access to clean affordable housing that incorporates high performance energy efficiency features for a comfortable and resilient living experience. This project and others like it are representative of Governor Hochul’s commitment to ensuring equity in the state’s clean energy investments as we work to reduce emissions from the state’s building stock to fight climate change and create healthier places to live and work.”

HUD Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel said, “White Plains Housing Authority residents deserve to feel part of the surrounding community in mixed-use, quality homes, and the White Plains Housing Authority has followed through in its commitment to bring the old Winbrook Houses into the XXI century. HUD provides funding for rental subsidies and other expenses, and we are proud to highlight The Overture. Congratulations to the authority and the redevelopment team for this effort and for keeping residents’ quality of life a top priority.”

Senator Chuck Schumer said, “Every Westchester resident deserves access to safe affordable housing, and I am proud that the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, that I fought hard to expand, has supplied the millions needed to convert these aging buildings into hundreds of affordable, energy-efficient homes. Today’s ribbon cutting of the Overture at Brookfield will offer 129 affordable homes for new and existing White Plains residents. I applaud Governor Hochul on the completion of phase two of this essential affordable housing development, and will keep fighting to get every dollar of federal support needed to lay the foundation for a brighter and more equitable future in the Hudson Valley.”

Representative Mondaire Jones said, “It brings me so much joy to be celebrating the opening of The Overture at Brookfield Commons today. The people of White Plains will benefit tremendously from this vital investment in high quality, affordable housing. Affordable housing is out of reach for far too many New Yorkers, but I’m grateful to serve a community that’s committed to ensuring that working people can live in dignity here in the Hudson Valley. Thank you to the development team at the White Plains Housing Authority and Trinity Financial, and to all of the other funding partners for making this project possible.”

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “The Overture at Brookfield Commons is a unique and innovative development that will help to revitalize the surrounding community and assure that White Plains residents will continue to have safe, sustainable and affordable housing options. This project was funded, in part, by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, which I continue to support in the State Senate.  The whole community benefits when partnerships such as this one between Trinity Financial and the White Plains Housing Authority exist.”

Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, “I’m so pleased that New York State, through the NYS Homes and Community Renewal agency, was able to significantly assist in bringing The Overture at Brookfield Commons to fruition. It’s critical that we confront the housing crisis in Westchester County head on through the creation of high-quality affordable housing developments that improve the lives of residents and lead to more vibrant communities. I applaud Mayor Roach, Trinity Financial, The White Plains Housing Authority and their entire team on completing this development and continuing to make White Plains a more affordable and wonderful place to live.”

Assemblymember Chris Burdick said, “The Brookfield Commons is the exact type of project we need more of – revitalizing affordable housing with funds and coordination from different levels of government all working together. I’m thrilled with the completion of this phase of the development with today’s ribbon cutting for the Overture with its 129 units of affordable and workforce housing.”

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “The future of housing in Westchester is right here at Brookfield Commons. This transformative project redeveloped the outdated Winbrook Houses into a modernized community. I am proud Westchester County can offer new neighbors this opportunity to move into an upgraded, eco-friendly building where families can continue to make a home here.”

White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said, “In White Plains, we are proud to be a leader in the provision of housing for all income levels.  The completion of the Overture at Brookfield Commons, bringing new quality low-income housing to our City, is another step forward in that mission. I look forward to continuing our work with the White Plains Housing Authority and other partners to ensure the City remains a home for all.”

Westchester County Legislator Ben Boykin said, “I am pleased to see the completion of the second building for the Brookfield Commons redevelopment which I approved as a member of the White Plains Common Council.  This new facility provides enhanced living conditions and new learning opportunities for the residents while making sure that all the existing tenants remain at this location.”

Thomas Brown, Vice President of Development for Trinity Financial, who oversees the company’s New York operations, said, “This project brings to life the vision we share with neighborhood stakeholders and the entire community for modernizing and preserving affordable housing in the city of White Plains. We’re proud to have closely worked with the White Plains Housing Authority, the Winbrook Tenants Association, our local elected officials and all of our community partners on this important housing initiative.”

Christoph Stump, Assistant Vice President for Design and Construction for Trinity Financial in New York, said, “The Overture at Brookfield Commons is a unique opportunity that preserves and modernizes an existing affordable housing resource while physically and economically reintegrating the site with the surrounding community. We are delivering high-quality apartment homes with first-rate amenities in a sustainable building envelope that ensures affordable housing for families and individuals at different economic tiers.”

Denise Brooks-Jones, Acting Executive Director, White Plains Housing Authority, said, “The Overture at Brookfield Commons tangibly represents the commitment of the White Plains Housing Authority and the City of White Plains to provide quality housing and a welcoming place to live for all people of all incomes in the City. This project started with 450 units of traditional public housing, a track of land, and the promise of a bold vision to transform the Winbrook community without displacing a single family. We are succeeding and more importantly, we are keeping our promise to our families who are now living in newly constructed state of the art buildings. The continuation of our multi-phased transformative masterplan for the re-development of the Winbrook Houses campus brings to life the shared dream of our families, neighbors, and stakeholders.  Our revitalization efforts were re-visioned in a partnership with Trinity Financial, our development consultants, Terese Walton and Brian Sweeney and is supported with funding from Federal, State, County, City, and private partners. When completed this project will provide over 700 units of critically needed affordable, workforce, and replacement housing in a bustling energetic downtown neighborhood near regional transit.”

Mark Migliacci, Vice President of Chase Community Development Banking, said, “We’re pleased to support Trinity Financial and The White Plains Housing Authority (WPHA) with the development of the Overture at Brookfield Commons. It’s exciting to be part of a neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment of existing affordable housing that prioritizes current residents, while creating new affordable and workforce housing offering community facility space for tenants. At Chase, we’re committed to supporting projects like this that create safe, stable housing, which is a fundamental component of healthy, thriving neighborhoods.”

Fabian Ramirez, senior director of Community Finance at Capital One, said, “Affordable housing construction and preservation are critical to addressing the housing shortage across the country, which is why Capital One is committed to financing a diverse range of affordable housing developments. The completion of the Overture at Brookfield Commons marks an exciting milestone in the Winbrook community as it provides needed housing options for community members and also offers amenities centered around the resident experience, including community facilities designed for families, outdoor space and local art.”

One of first new Winbrook residents gives “The Overture” her praise. (Click on white arrow at left to roll the video from Friday’s Ribbon Cutting.

The Overture at Brookfield Commons is now housing 90 families from the former Winbrook ouse 159, and also offers 129 apartments set aside for Workforce affordable housing. The Overture features high quality, modern apartments and introduces mixed income tiers, including the workforce housing units to promote a diversity of incomes.

Mayor Tom Roach Promised more Workforce Housing to come. (Click white arrow at left to see and hear the Mayor’s remarks.)

Westchester County Executive George Latimer presented The Overture as an example of what government do. (Click white arrow at left to play the video)

District 5 (White Plains, Harrisson, Scarsdale,) County Legislator Benjamin Boyin, and former Councilman for 12 years in White Plains recalled the Common Council roll in shaping the project. (Click white arrow to view)

White Plains Council Woman Nadine Hunt-Robinson echoed Mayor Roach’s call for more affordable housing in the city in the future(Click arrow at left to start the video of her remarks)

New York State Assemblyman Chris Burdick announced a new state initiative to build affordable housing. (Click arrow to hear his annoucment)

State Senator Shelley Mayer of Senate district 35 congratulated the city on the project. (Click arrow on left to see her remarks)

Three remaining buildings in the existing Winbrook complex will be demolished and rebuilt anew, with the first building next in line is expected to be demolished at the end of the year, and construction beginning in January, perhaps by the same coalition of builders and financing.

Phase two of a plan to redevelop a neighborhood in White Plains is finally completed.

The new nine-story apartment complex is part of a plan to redevelop the Winbrook Houses that are over 70 years old.

The building has 129 units, which includes a dishwasher, microwave and a storage closet.

Officials say the goal is to make affordable housing available with a building that is also quality to live in.

“It’s more than just building apartments, we want to build communities,” says Thomas Brown, vice president of Trinity Financial.

The city has started phase three construction for the next development at Brookfield Commons.

El alcalde de White Plains corta la cinta de apertura de la unidad de 129 apartamentos de renta asequible

Westchester Hispano

Westchester Hispano

White Plains

El alcalde de la ciudad de White Plains, Tom Roach, y la Autoridad de Vivienda de White Plains, inauguraron el edificio de viviendas The Overture en Brookfield Commons, que representa la segunda fase de remodelación de las antiguas Winbrook Houses.

The Overture at Brookfield Commons consiste en la nueva construcción de un edificio de uso mixto de nueve pisos y 147,229 pies cuadrados con 129 unidades de vivienda asequible, incluidos 90 apartamentos reservados para los residentes existentes de Winbrook, financiados en parte por el impuesto federal a la vivienda de bajos ingresos programa de crédito (LIHTC).

La ciudad de White Plains proporcionó $1 millón en financiamiento de su Fondo de Asistencia para Vivienda Asequible.

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“En White Plains estamos orgullosos de ser líderes en la provisión de viviendas para todos los niveles de ingresos. La finalización de Overture en Brookfield Commons, trayendo nuevas viviendas de calidad para personas de bajos ingresos a nuestra ciudad, es otro paso adelante en esa misión”, dijo el alcalde de White Plains, Tom Roach. “Espero continuar nuestro trabajo con la Autoridad de Vivienda de White Plains y otros socios para garantizar que la ciudad siga siendo un hogar para todos”.

Trinity Financial y la Autoridad de Vivienda de White Plains (WPHA) se asociaron para emprender la remodelación del sitio total de 9.3 acres de Winbrook Houses en el centro de White Plains. The Overture at Brookfield Commons presenta apartamentos modernos de alta calidad e introduce niveles de ingresos mixtos, incluidas las unidades de vivienda para la fuerza laboral, para promover una diversidad de ingresos. La primera fase del proyecto, The Prelude at Brookfield Commons, se completó en 2016.

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“Obertura en Brookfield Commons representa tangiblemente el compromiso de la Autoridad de Vivienda de White Plains y la Ciudad de White Plains para proporcionar viviendas de calidad y un lugar acogedor para vivir para todas las personas de todos los ingresos en la Ciudad”, dijo Denise Brooks-Jones, directora ejecutiva de la Autoridad de Vivienda de White Plains.

The Overture at Brookfield Commons es la segunda fase de un plan maestro transformador de varias fases para la remodelación del campus de Winbrook Houses. Los esfuerzos de revitalización fueron revisados por la WPHA en asociación con Trinity Financial y Housing

“Este desarrollo de viviendas asequibles de uso mixto es el ejemplo más reciente de nuestros esfuerzos para mejorar y modernizar la oferta de viviendas públicas de Nueva York”, dijo la gobernadora Kathy Hochul.

Publicado el 22 de Julio 2022

Officials and dignitaries get ready to cut the ribbon outside the front entrance of The Overture at Brookfield, a new affordable housing project that recently opened in White Plains.

Local, county and state officials celebrated the unveiling Thursday of a recently completed affordable housing project in downtown White Plains, part of a plan to transform 70-year-old public housing into modern apartments with amenities.

Completion of The Overture at Brookfield Commons is the second phase of a multiphase redevelopment plan for the former 9.3-acre Winbrook Houses complex at 141 S. Lexington Avenue. The first phase, a 104-unit building called The Prelude constructed on nearby open space, opened in 2016.

Of the 129 units that is part of the nine-story The Overture, featuring apartment sizes ranging from one to four bedrooms, 90 former Winbrook residents moved into the sparkling new quarters earlier this year.

Mayor Tom Roach said the city’s steadfast commitment to creating not just additional affordable housing but quality projects that its residents can be proud to call home helped make the project a reality.

“I’m proud to be in a city, and so are the council members, who view this as vital to who we are as a community,” Roach said. “This is a city where everyone should be able to live and we want to make sure that continues to happen.”

The $64 million project was paid for through a variety of sources. New York State provided financing for the development, which included $15.3 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds. Federal and state low-income housing tax credits generated $26.3 million in equity along with an additional $16.6 million in subsidies from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the state’s affordable housing agency.

The City of White Plains contributed $1 million to the project from its Affordable Housing Assistance Fund. Private investment rounded out the funding.

Thomas Brown, vice president of development for Trinity Financial, Inc., the company that built the project and specializes in developing multifamily housing in the Northeast, said the city government and the White Plains Housing Authority have been devising a Master Plan for the site, which is likely to include another three or four phases that would see at least 700 units built.

Eventually, all of the 450 units at Winbrook will be replaced. A committee of Winbrook residents, city representatives and community stakeholders provided input, which helped guide the project’s design, Brown said.

“This new Master Plan will not only create high-quality housing with sustainable design but it will also provide non-residential services, amenities for health and activity, play areas and more for the residents and the community,” Brown said.

The Overture includes workforce housing units. Future buildings will also integrate market-rate apartments.

Each unit is equipped with a dishwasher and a microwave and a storage closet. The three- and four-bedroom units have two bathrooms.

A bedroom in one of the units at The Overture, a brand-new, modern affordable housing project in downtown White Plains.

Among the other amenities are a laundry room on every floor, a fitness room with equipment, a 2,000-square-foot ground-floor community space and an outdoor terrace with seating and a tenant lounge on the top level. The lobby has murals that were commissioned by ArtsWestchester.

Former Winbrook resident Sheron Mitchell, a manager of after-school programs at the YWCA in White Plains, spoke enthusiastically of the new building. He said The Overture was more than what he expected.

“(It is) very bright. I could see where I was going and don’t have to watch where I was going,” Mitchell said. “I was blown away. I thought I was

He also praised White Plains’ commitment to affordable housing, which has allowed him to raise his son and daughter while also being able to save money.

The city and the Housing Authority was able to move the 90 Winbrook households to the new building without displacing a single family, said Denise Brooks-Jones, executive director of the authority.

“We promised that no residents would be displaced with this transformation and we kept our promise,” Brooks-Jones said.

This building contains 40 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom units and 23 with three bedrooms. There are also two four-bedroom apartments on the ground floor and a unit to house the superintendent, The building has 77 parking spaces.

Councilwoman Nadine Hunt-Robinson said the willingness on the part of White Plains to embrace affordable housing has made this project and future projects attainable. The city also integrates its schools and welcomes a wide assortment of people into the community.

“No matter where you come from, there’s a space for you here in White Plains,” Hunt-Robinson said.

The formal opening of The Overture, the second new apartment building to be constructed at Brookfield Commons, which used to be better known as the Winbrook Public Housing complex in downtown White Plains, took place July 21 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Overture is located at 141 S. Lexington Ave. It was built at a cost of $64 million, is nine stories and offers 129 affordable apartments along with approximately 2,000 square feet of community space and outdoor parking for 77 vehicles. Constructing The Overture was the second phase of a project to replace all five of the Winbrook public housing structures that date from 1949.

Ribbon-cutting at The Overture in White Plains. Mayor Tom Roach is at the left. Photo by Peter Katz.

The first of the new Brookfield Commons buildings, The Prelude, opened in 2016. The White Plains Housing Authority, co-developer with Trinity Financial, established the policy of reserving apartments in the new buildings for all of the Winbrook residents and 90 of the apartments in The Overture were set aside for them.

The Business Journal learned that the redevelopment at Winbrook is planned to continue with demolition of the third Winbrook building in the fall. The White Plains Housing Authority, co-developer with Trinity Financial, established the policy of reserving apartments in the new buildings for all of the Winbrook residents.

The cost to replace the Winbrook buildings with the new Brookfield Commons development was estimated at $350 million when the plan was launched.

Exterior of The Overture in White Plains. Photo by Peter Katz.

Amenities at The Overture include a fitness room, children’s playroom, tenant lounge with terrace, high-speed internet, laundry rooms on each floor, and bike and package storage. All apartments include a dishwasher, microwave, and storage closet. The building has 40 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two bedrooms, 23 three bedrooms, and two four-bedroom units. There is a unit set aside for the building superintendent.

The project is supported with funding from federal, state, county, city and private sources. State financing for the development included $15.3 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that generated $26.3 million in equity and an additional $16.6 million in a subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority will provide $97,400 in support. The City of White Plains provided $1 million in financing from its Affordable Housing Assistance Fund.

Fabian Ramirez, senior director of community finance at Capital One, one of the private organizations involved in the financing, said, “Affordable housing construction and preservation are critical to addressing the housing shortage across the country, which is why Capital One is committed to financing a diverse range of affordable housing developments.”

Mark Migliacci, vice president of Chase Community Development Banking, which also is  involved in the financing, said “It’s exciting to be part of a neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment of existing affordable housing that prioritizes current residents, while creating new affordable and workforce housing offering community facility space for tenants. At Chase, we’re committed to supporting projects like this that create safe, stable housing, which is a fundamental component of healthy, thriving neighborhoods.”

Thomas Brown, vice president for design and construction for Trinity Financial in New York said that the entire redevelopment will create “over 700 units of critically needed affordable, workforce and replacement housing all completed without displacing any Winbrook residents.”

Brown pointed out that the Winbrook campus is more than 70 years old and was in need of significant reimagining and redesign.

“This new master plan will not only create high quality housing with sustainable design, it will also provide nonresidential spaces for services, health and activity, play areas and more for the residents and the community,” Brown said. “The redesign of the campus also will reintroduce Brookfield and Winchester Street with a design that will break up former housing superblock structures making the entire site more harmonious within the neighborhood.”

White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said, “We in this city are proud that we work as hard as we can to get as much affordable housing into the city as we can and it is very difficult. It difficult to build a building but when you have to build affordable, I don’t care what type affordable you’re building, you have to jump through hoops and the hoops move and they set them on fire. It’s not easy.”

Denise Brooks-Jones, acting executive director of the White Plains Housing Authority, said, “We are keeping our promise to families who are now living in newly constructed state-of-the-art buildings.”

RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of the state’s Homes and Community Renewal, said, “Coming out of the pandemic we think about the intersection of health and housing; we think about the importance of housing as jobs, housing and community facilities, housing and services.”

Westchester County Executive George Latimer noted that he has been driving by the new building, The Overture, just about every day with the County Office Building being located just a few blocks away.

“It will stand as a symbol of what can be done in the future in housing,” Latimer said. “There’s even a broader issue here and that is what is the role of government. This is a debatable topic in the society now. There are people out there that say, ‘government is an oppressive entity and needs to be reduced and eliminated.’ How do you get services for people that need it if you don’t have a vibrant government that’s effective, and that’s the key word, effective. Because, what’s proven here is that different levels of government can work together cooperatively to take on a complicated project; that government entities can work cooperatively with the private sector both on the finance side and on the construction side and that we show the ability together to govern, to solve the problems of a society, not ignore them, not wish them away, but in cooperative effort, in democracy, to solve those problems, and that’s more than just housing; that’s everything.”

The new 12-story, fully affordable building joins the New York City Housing Authority’s Van Dyke campus in Brownsville.

Van Dyke III Affordable Housing Building at 405 Dumont Ave. (Courtesy of NYCHA photographer Leticia Barboza)

The Van Dyke III in Brownsville. Image Credit: NYCHA/Leticia Barboza

On November 10, 2021, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the opening of the Van Dyke III, a new twelve-story supportive and affordable housing development in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. The Van Dyke III, is built on underutilized land at NYCHA’s Van Dyke campus on Dumont Avenue between Mother Gaston Boulevard and Powell Street.

The development will feature 179 affordable housing residential apartments, renovated amenities, a community health clinic, and supportive services provided by CAMBA. The Van Dyke III’s amenities include a computer lab, a fitness room, a tenant lounge, a community room, an accessible roof deck, and a package delivery room. The ground floor outdoor recreational area features a new mural depicting notable Brownsville activists, community leaders, celebrities, and others. The project also included site improvements to the Van Dyke campus, including a newly updated basketball court with artwork painted by residents and other community members. The project will benefit this neighborhood for generations to come. The building also contains ground floor community spaces, including a daycare center operated by Friends of Crown Heights, a community health clinic operated by BMS Family Health and Wellness Center, and a wellness center operated by BMS Family Health and Wellness Center.

The 100-percent affordable housing project is for extremely low and low-income households. Thirty-one of the apartments will be set aside for NYCHA residents, and 54 apartments are reserved for formerly homeless individuals. The project is a part of a greater plan by Mayor de Blasio and NYCHA, to create 300,000 affordable homes in NYC by 2026.

The project was financed through the Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) Program. The NYC Housing Development Corporation provided $46.67 million in tax-exempt bonds and $11.7 million in corporate reserves. HPD contributed $23.4 million in City Capital. The project received $39.243 million tax credit equity through low-income housing tax credits. The Brooklyn Borough President’s Office contributed $800,000.

Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been stated, “Van Dyke III shows what is possible when we put underused NYCHA land to work hosting housing and community facilities that support both NYCHA residents and the broader community.”

Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel stated, “The completion of Van Dyke III is a yet another example of what is possible when the public and private sectors work together for community. The provision of 179 permanently affordable and supportive housing units is life-changing for the residents and their families and also beneficial for the entire community. I am very excited about the transformational projects that we have undergone in Brownville and proud that our local residents have received much deserving attention and support. I am grateful to all of the partners that have come together to make this vision a reality.”

By: Taylor Barje (Taylor is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2022.)

BROOKLYN, NY –Trinity Financial on Wednesday joined the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, elected officials and a group of business, nonprofit, and community leaders to celebrate the opening of Van Dyke III – an affordable and supportive housing development in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Van Dyke III is a 12-story, mixed-use, 100 percent affordable housing project, which is located within NYCHA’s Van Dyke development consisting of 23 residential buildings. The project includes 179 permanently affordable apartments for extremely low and low-income households, including 54 supportive housing units, and one superintendent’s unit. Funding for the project was provided by the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Urban Investment Group, and Citi Community Capital.

“It has been incredibly rewarding for Trinity and our partners to work so closely with NYCHA, the Van Dyke Residents and the greater Brownsville community to successfully develop such a transformational project providing much-needed affordable and supportive housing in addition to ground floor community space” said Thomas Brown, Vice President of Development at Trinity Financial. “We greatly appreciate all of the hard work exhibited by the development team and our funding partners, including HPD and HDC.”

Van Dyke III was constructed on underutilized land at NYCHA’s Van Dyke campus on Dumont Avenue between Mother Gaston Boulevard and Powell Street. In addition to the residential program, the Van Dyke III site will also include an early childhood educational center with a capacity for 118 children operated by Friends of Crown Heights, and an urgent care clinic with pharmacy and a wellness center operated by BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers. Supportive services will be provided by the nonprofit organization CAMBA.

“NYCHA is committed to fostering public-private partnerships capable of bringing high-quality residential apartments and amenities to places where they are needed most,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “The collection of resources, facilities, and affordable housing represented in the Van Dyke III project will benefit this neighborhood for generations to come.”

Other participants in the ribbon cutting celebration and tours of Van Dyke III included Alicka Ampry-Samuel, New York City Council Member; Latrice Walker, New York State Assembly Member; Van Dyke I Resident Association president Lisa Kenner, Michael Lohr, Vice President of the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs, and Richard Gerwitz co-head of Citi Community Capital.

Building amenities at Van Dyke III include a computer lab, a fitness room, a tenant lounge, a community room, an accessible roof deck, a children’s playroom, package delivery room, and a ground floor outdoor recreational area complete with a new mural showcasing the faces of notable Brownsville activists, community leaders, celebrities, and more. The project also included site improvements to the Van Dyke campus, including a new barbecue area, new benches, game tables and a Skelly court. The newly updated basketball court was adorned with artwork designed by Sophia Dawson and painted by residents and other community members.