Complex Includes 78 Affordable Apts. & Facilities
In response to the growing need for affordable senior housing, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairman John Rhea, Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua, city Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Regional Administrator Mirza Orriols and Enterprise Deputy Director Victoria Shire joined Met Council to celebrate the opening of Council Towers VI in Flushing last Tuesday, Feb. 21.
The building is the sixth in a series of completed senior housing buildings created to serve as supportive affordable housing for New York City residents 62 years of age and older. Council Towers VI is located at 155-25 71st Ave., between Kissena and Parsons Boulevards in Flushing. “NYCHA is proud to partner with Met Council, HUD, HPD, and HDC. This is an excellent example of how all of us-government agencies and non-profit organizations-can combine our unique strengths and resources to better serve New Yorkers,” said Rhea. “This development for our senior population shows how working together, even in tough economic times, we can find innovative solu- tions to meet the demand for affordable supportive housing.”
Council Towers VI was developed under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP), a multibilliondollar initiative to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing for 500,000 New Yorkers by the close of the 2014 fiscal year. To date, the plan has funded the creation or preservation of over 129,200 units of affordable housing across the five boroughs-12,500 of which are in Queens, with 2,598 units located in Community District 8 (which contains Council Towers VI).
“Affordable housing is designed to meet the financial needs of residents. During these trying times, we must go beyond that to continue to support the most vulnerable populations in the city,” said Wambua. “I am proud to work with our partners at the New York City Housing Development Corporation, the New York City Housing Authority and Met Council to develop dynamic and safe supportive housing for the senior citizens of New York that provide both enriching programs to cater to the residents’ needs and a safe, secure place to call home.”
Council Towers VI is an eightstory building with 77 one-bedroom rental units and 1 unit reserved for an on-site superintendent. A full 25 percent of the units have a preference for existing NYCHA tenants. All units have a senior preference for tenants age 62 and older. The units will be available to tenants earning no more than 50 percent area median income (AMI) or $28,650 for an individual.
This building was developed under the HUD Section 202 program. The tenant’s rent will be set at 30 percent household income.
“New Yorkers, indeed all Americans, are living longer, and as a society we have to better prepare for their needs as they grow more vulnerable and frail,” explained William E. Rapfogel, Met Council CEO and executive director. “By helping our clients find a secure, safe and stable place to live, we empower them to have a better quality of life. We are so grateful to HUD, the Housing Authority, HPD, HDC and other government agencies and elected leaders that support our mission of bringing affordable housing to communities in need.”
Residents of Council Towers VI have access to a variety of on-site services. Management staff will provide case management, benefits and entitlements advice and advocacy as well as on-site education and recreational activities. An experienced social worker will serve as a support service coordinator. Staff will be equipped to refer tenants to off-site licensed health care agencies to provide home care, adult day care, hospital services, medical education, and nursing home options.
Additional on-site services include Meals-On-Wheels, housekeeping assistance, counseling and recreational trips. Through the New York State Department of Transportation, Met Council provides transportation for the elderly to essential appointments and recreational outings.
The site of Council Towers VI was provided by NYCHA. HDC provided construction financing in a HDC First Mortgage amount of $10.2 million. The HDC First Mortgage will be paid down at conversion and is not counted in the total development cost. The total development cost of the project is nearly $20 million.
HUD provided funding under Section 202 in the amount of $11.16 million as well as a HUD Predevelopment Grant of $397,000. HPD provided approximately $1.8 million through the federal HOME Loan program, and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of New York contributed $770,000 in permanent financing. Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LITHC) in the amount of approximately $5.8 million will be provided through Enterprise Community Partners.
