With State Resources, Including Those from Medicaid Redesign Team Savings, CAMBA Gardens in East Flatbush Will Have 502 State-of-the-Art Housing Units
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the start of construction of CAMBA Gardens Apartments Phase II, following the completion and occupancy of Phase I on the Kings County Hospital campus, revitalizing the Brooklyn hospital corridor. When Phase II is completed, the $165 million development will include a mix of 502 affordable and supportive housing units, providing housing to low-income residents and advancing better health outcomes for high-need Medicaid clients.
“All New Yorkers deserve a safe and affordable place to live, and today we’re taking an important step toward making that goal a reality,” Governor Cuomo said. “This project is creating more than 500 housing units for people who face both financial and medical challenges. A quality home can be one of the most important components to a healthy lifestyle, and I am proud that the State has joined our local government and private sector partners to move this project forward and strengthen the East Flatbush community.”
The Governor created the Medicaid Redesign Team to identify better protocols in managing the chronic conditions of more than 4,000 Medicaid clients. The MRT was able to rein in runaway spending on costly Medicaid expenditures such as expensive emergency-room visits, and ultimately located $34.3 billion in taxpayer savings. Through the MRT, the state has invested $260 million of Medicaid savings in supportive housing over the last three years.
Darryl C. Towns, Commissioner and CEO of Homes and Community Renewal, said, “Both phases of CAMBA Gardens are transforming this corner of East Flatbush, creating home and haven for hundreds of New Yorkers. Under the leadership of this Governor, who has spent so much of his career addressing the challenges facing high-needs and homeless populations, we have arrived at workable and effective solutions here in Brooklyn. Through public and private partnerships we have shown that hope can be restored to individuals, families, and whole communities with affordable and supportive housing, which will change lives by improving health while at the same time bringing clients greater independence.”
CAMBA Gardens Phase II was one of the first affordable housing deals financed under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough, 10-Year Housing Plan. The plan aims to create and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing. The most comprehensive affordable housing plan in the City’s history and largest municipal housing plan in the nation, its goal is to help address New York City’s affordability crisis by reaching more than half a million New Yorkers ranging from those with very low incomes to those in the middle class, all of whom face ever-rising rents. CAMBA Gardens Phase II will provide housing for those exiting the HHC Public Hospital System, who would otherwise be homeless. The studio, one, two and three-bedroom units in the developments are affordable to households earning no more than 50 and 60 percent of the area median income.
Kristin M. Proud, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, said, “The causes of homelessness are multiple, and the conditions frequently associated with it can be difficult to overcome. Supportive housing is often the first, essential step in assisting families and individuals to build foundations for a better future. CAMBA Gardens will help residents address the challenges they face – not only lack of a place to live, but help with accessing health care, mental health services or job training. OTDA and Governor Cuomo share CAMBA’s commitment to supportive housing and recognize the positive effect it can have on transforming individuals’ lives.”
Commissioner Vicki Been of New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) said, “New York City Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York plan outlines the importance of New York City and New York State partnership to encourage the production of new supportive housing opportunities. The CAMBA Gardens development is a wonderful example of the success of this partnership. In addition, this development demonstrates the power of putting underused public assets to work through partnerships such as this one with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and the Kings County Hospital Corporation. I would like to thank our partners in city and state government for their dedication to making affordable supportive housing a reality.”
New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D., said, “The Office of Mental Health is proud to partner with CAMBA in support of this valuable project. Housing is imperative to recovery from mental illness as it is the foundation upon which an individual can support a healthy and productive life. CAMBA Gardens is an investment into the lives of New York residents with mental illness who now have a safe and affordable place to call home.”
John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, NYSERDA, said, “This affordable, supportive housing is the result of Governor Cuomo’s leadership and public-private partnerships that will make a big difference in the lives of the CAMBA Gardens Apartment residents and their neighborhood. NYSERDA is proud to support the energy efficiency and renewable energy aspects of these buildings, which make the units more comfortable for residents while using less energy than most apartment complexes.”
HHC President Dr. Ram Raju said, “As HHC leads the transformation of healthcare in Brooklyn, projects such as these contribute directly to our goal of reducing hospitalizations by managing population health. Kings County Hospital Center has partnered with CAMBA to create over 500 units of sustainable, supportive and affordable rental housing that brings people closer to healthcare. I’m very proud of what we have achieved and look forward to partnering with similar groups to create similar projects such as these throughout the City.”
Joanne M. Oplustil, President and CEO, CAMBA/CAMBA Housing Ventures, Inc., said, “For the last 37 years, CAMBA has worked closely with New Yorkers facing a variety of obstacles daily, and we recognize that affordable housing, access to supportive services, and quality healthcare need to work concurrently to ensure a quality life. Developed by CAMBA Housing Ventures, CAMBA Gardens is a unique opportunity to provide all three for the community, and it is a national model of an effective partnership between a public hospital, a non-profit developer, a social service provider and public and private partners. This project would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our many supporters, including Governor Andrew Cuomo and his Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Initiative, HCR, HPD and HHAP, to name only a few of our many partners that have provided significant investment to create this new housing.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, “I thank Governor Cuomo for his support of Brooklyn. With this great development from CAMBA, a true community leader, I am pleased and proud to work with the Governor and community partners to help fund over 500 affordable housing units in East Flatbush. Affordable housing is a priority for my administration, particularly the construction of new units that address sustainability, combat homelessness, prioritize local residents and connect those in need to quality social services. CAMBA Gardens achieves all of these important goals, helping us advance One Brooklyn forward for all Brooklynites.”
Assemblyman Karim Camara, chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, said, “When you speak to the families who now have a home, who now have a door they can close, who have traded in volatility for stability – that’s when it hits what this project means for Brooklyn and for this community. Thanks to Governor Cuomo and our city and nonprofit partners, CAMBA Gardens transitions this Brooklyn corridor into vibrant, vital life-saving and life-giving supportive and affordable housing.”
George M. Proctor, Senior Vice President for the North-Central Brooklyn Health Network, said, “The groundbreaking for CAMBA Gardens truly demonstrates how the lives of people in Central Brooklyn can be enhanced from a healthcare, economic, and social perspective through dedicated teamwork among multiple partners – government and non-profit. We look forward to the completion of this project, which will help us continue to strengthen the communities we serve.”
New York City Council Member Mathieu Eugene said, “CAMBA Gardens Phases I and II unquestionably provide a great service to our community. These projects have provided work for well over 1,000 contractors, subcontractors and vendors in Brooklyn and will now add sustainable affordable housing to our area. As the Council Member serving the 40th District and a strong advocate for health services, I am so proud that the national model for a public hospital, nonprofit developer and service provider is in our neighborhood. Furthermore, I am pleased that people living in the apartment units will have access to Kings County Hospital’s excellent care. I commend CAMBA Housing Ventures on their fine work and I look forward to continue partnering with them to provide affordable and innovative housing to my constituents.”
CAMBA Gardens Phase 1, located at 690 and 738 Albany Avenue, has 209 units of affordable and supportive housing. Built to LEED Platinum standards, Phase 1 has a full rooftop solar panel array designed to reduce utility usage in common areas by 45 percent. As a community-oriented development, Phase 1 has public spaces, multi-purpose rooms, gardens and a rooftop terrace for tenants as well as use by neighborhood residents.
At 560 Winthrop Street, Phase II will have 293 affordable housing and supportive housing units with state-of-the-art energy efficiencies and indoor and outdoor recreational spaces. The development will include multi-purpose spaces for social services, adult education, health services, and the arts. Along with a complement of on-site services, 24-hour security, laundry rooms, computer/study room, two community rooms, and over 60,000 square feet of landscaped communal grounds, Phase II is fully featured to become a social hub for the Wingate neighborhood. Other amenities include a rooftop terrace, children’s play area, tenant gardening beds, walking paths and a Shona sculpture garden. Phase II will also have a rooftop solar panel system and benefit from a reduction in power usage to enhance sustainability.
Both CAMBA Gardens Phase I and II will provide social services on-site with case management, referrals to medical care and mental health services, health and wellness programs, job training, educational opportunities and family services. In addition to the services that are co-located, the development is adjacent to the central campus of SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
The total development cost for both phases, developed by CAMBA Housing Ventures, Inc. (CHV), is more than $165 million. In 2011, CAMBA Gardens Phase I was financed with $66.8 million in public and private investment including: $34 million in tax exempt bonds through New York State Homes and Community Renewal; $5.2 million from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP); $2.5 million in an annual allocation of four percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits; and $715,000 from the NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program (MPP). The development also received $26.1 million from New York City’s Housing Preservation and Development Supportive Housing Loan Program; a $1 million loan from the Brooklyn Borough President’s office; and a $1 million City Capital Allocations award from the New York City Council. Other financing partners include: Enterprise Community Investment, TD Bank, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, and HSBC.
The financing for Phase II, includes: $49.3 million in tax exempt bonds through New York State Homes and Community Renewal; $4.56 million in Medicaid Redesign Team subsidy; $6 million from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s HHAP; $3.4 million in an annual allocation of four percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits; and $352,000 from NYSERDA’s MPP. The total development cost is $98.8 million in public and private resources, with the project also receiving $20.5 million from New York City’s Housing Preservation and Development Supportive Housing Loan Program; $1 million from the Brooklyn Borough President in a Capital Allocation; and a $1 million in a New York City Council Capital Allocation.
Deborah De Santis, President and CEO, of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, said, “CAMBA Gardens is a testament to the notion that housing is healthcare. Everyone who lives here will not only have access to quality healthcare right next door, but will have one of the most critical determinants of health, a place to call home. CSH is proud to have been a part of both CAMBA Gardens I & II, a national model of supportive housing, and now home for hundreds of New York’s most vulnerable individuals and families.”
Ernest J. Baptiste, Executive Director of Kings County Hospital Center, said, “Research has shown that stable housing, which links supportive housing and healthcare services, enhances the effectiveness of each by providing a secure foundation for treating underlying health conditions. Therefore, we support any initiative that allows our community residents to improve their health outcomes by connecting them to primary and preventative care.”
Marie Pedraza, Vice President and Sr. Regional Community Development Manager, HSBC Bank USA, said, “CAMBA brings much needed affordable and sustainability housing to a very vulnerable population and we are honored to have sponsored its application to the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.”
José R. González, President and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, said, “CAMBA Gardens is a prime example of the powerful possibilities of the partnership between public and private investment. The FHLBNY joined with our member, HSBC Bank USA, to provide a $1.4 million grant to help fund the construction of these affordable, supportive homes. Today, we are proud to stand with all the organizations whose efforts contributed to the creation of this much-needed housing.”
Maurice Coleman, Senior Client Manager for Community Development Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said, “We’re very pleased to have provided $25 million in financing to CAMBA for the construction of its 293 unit affordable and supportive housing development in Brooklyn. Bank of America has made a 10-year, $1.5 trillion commitment to community development lending. This project is yet another example of our involvement in helping to create affordable housing opportunities.”
Judi Kende, Vice President and New York Market Leader, Enterprise, said, “Supportive housing has been proven to be the most successful and cost-effective solution to ending homelessness for households with significant barriers to housing stability, such as mental illness and substance abuse. With New York City’s homeless population rising six percent in the last year, CAMBA Gardens is a beacon of hope for formerly homeless individuals as well as low-income families who are housing insecure. By combining housing with access to healthcare and transportation services, CAMBA Gardens not only provides its residents with affordable homes, but a solid foundation on which to build new, stable lives. Enterprise is proud to support our longtime partner CAMBA on both phases of the project, contributing a combined $65 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity, as well as grant and loan support.”
Gregg Gerken, Head of U.S. Commercial Real Estate Lending for TD Bank, said, “TD Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Group is proud to be a financial partner on both phases of CAMBA Gardens project, and to support the creative re-use of existing property for such an important purpose. Our commitment to this project reflects our shared vision of a bright future for supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and aligns with TD’s overall goal to support positive development in the communities where we do business.”
New York State Homes and Community Renewal consists of all of the State’s major housing and community renewal agencies, including the Affordable Housing Corporation, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the Housing Finance Agency, State of New York Mortgage Agency, Housing Trust Fund Corporation and others.
Homes and Community Renewal is in the second year of the $1 billion House New York program, which creates thousands of new units over five years, and is the largest investment in affordable housing in at least 15 years. House New York will also preserve thousands of Mitchell-Lama units, extending affordability for 40 years. The House New York initiative builds on the successes of unprecedented efforts to protect more than two million rent-regulated tenants, with the greatest strengthening of the State’s rent laws in 30 years, and the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit which proactively audits and investigates landlord wrongdoing.
CAMBA Housing Ventures, Inc. (CHV)
CAMBA Housing Ventures is an award-winning affordable, supportive housing developer. CHV pairs excellent design and sustainable, energy-efficient buildings with CAMBA’s life-changing case management services to provide safe, healthy homes for low-income and formerly homeless individuals. CHV’s goal is to create 1,000 units of affordable housing by 2015. Learn more about CHV and CAMBA Gardens at www.cambahousingventures.org.