New kitchens and bathrooms are among the improvements coming to more than 1,700 public apartments in Manhattan that are being converted to permanent affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers.
The majority of improvements at apartments under the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) are being made at buildings in East Harlem, Harlem, Kips Bay, Manhattanville, the Upper West Side and Washington Heights. More than 2,900 people live in the affected units.
NYCHA closed on a “Permanent Affordability Commitment Together” with a joint development team, lead by Monadnock Development LLC, to provide $271 million in capital support for the renovation of the 1,718 apartments.
These units are also be converted into affordable housing under the Project-Based Section 8 program, with NYCHA leasing the land and building to the development partners, who then serve as property managers with maintenance and repair responsibilities. This does not change the financial terms for each tenant, who remain responsible for paying 30% of their income toward rent.
“Forging forward with PACT transactions is mission-critical to improving the quality of life for New York City’s public housing residents,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. “This partnership will inject needed capital and community resources to funding comprehensive repairs, while upholding the strong resident rights and protections that ensure all New Yorkers may continue to live and thrive in the neighborhoods they call home.”
The NYCHA sites in Manhattan affected by the latest PACT agreement are as follows:
- 335 East 111th St., East Harlem, 66 apartments
- 344 East 28th St., Kips Bay, 225 apartments
- Fort Washington Avenue Rehab, Washington Heights, 226 apartments
- Grampion Houses, 35 apartments
- Manhattanville Rehab Group 2, Manhattanville, 46 apartments
- Manhattanville Rehab Group 3, Manhattanville, 51 apartments
- Park Avenue-East 122nd and East 123rd Streets, Harlem, 90 apartments
- P.S. 139 Conversion, Harlem, 125 apartments
- Samuel Houses I, II and III, Harlem, 73 apartments total
- Washington Heights Rehab Groups 1 & 2, Washington Heights, 216 apartments
- Washington Heights Rehab Phase III, 102 apartments
- Washington Heights Rehab Phase IV, Parts C and D, 64 apartments total
- Wise Towers, Upper West Side, 399 apartments
Each unit will receive new kitchen cabinets, appliances, counters and flooring as well as new doors, windows and bathroom fixtures and flooring. The building common areas will also be improved with new flooring, landscaping, playground areas, community facilities, security infrastructure and upgraded elevator, heating and other mechanical systems.
NYCHA said the PACT conversions come after numerous meetings with residents at the affected buildings to answer questions and provide information.
“We’re excited to begin this partnership with the more than 2,900 residents who call these developments home,” said Kirk Goodrich, president of Monadnock Development. “We believe every New Yorker deserves a home that makes them comfortable, that they feel safe in, and that they are proud to live in — and that is the mission that will drive us in this effort.”
The conversion includes benefits for several community programs such as the Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), a Washington Heights group that will supplement the developers’ efforts to provide on-site community services.
All renovations are expected to be completed by the spring of 2023. Tenants in the affected buildings who have immediate maintenance concerns should call 914-380-8220 or visit the property management portal at pactrenaissance.com.
