NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Construction has begun on a new affordable and supportive housing development in Brooklyn centering women involved in the criminal justice system, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
Part of the state’s Vital Brooklyn Initiative to address disparities in high-need communities, The Rise is a $50 million, 72-unit housing development set to go up in Brownsville. All of the apartments will be affordable and the building will offer an array of health, wellness, employment and legal services to support residents and benefit the neighborhood.
"We are moving full steam ahead to ensure that long overdue investments in housing, wellness, and economic empowerment reach our Brooklyn communities," Hochul said. "With construction now underway at The Rise, we are one step closer to bringing deeply affordable housing to dozens of New York families and vital support and services to the entire neighborhood of Brownsville. I thank our local and state partners for their help in bringing this project to life, and I look forward to a ribbon-cutting soon."
The Rise will also be unique in its climate-friendly, carbon-neutral, all-electric design and will be a part of Hochul’s goal to construct two million climate-conscious homes by 2030.
All of The Rise’s apartments will be affordable to families earning at or below 60 percent of the area’s median income with 47 of the homes being set aside for women involved in the criminal justice system and their families.
"The Rise exemplifies everything that we are striving for with Governor Hochul's housing plan, the Vital Brooklyn Initiative, and the state's aggressive roadmap to confront climate change and create healthier communities,” New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said. “This new $50 million, 72-unit building is brick-and-mortar evidence of our commitment to the health, safety, and financial sustainability of hard-working New Yorkers, especially those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system and deserve a real chance to start over. Thank you to our many partners in bringing this great new housing opportunity to Brownsville."
Support services provided by the Women’s Prison Association and Osborne Association, which will include case management, job-readiness training and job placement, legal assistance, support groups for reentry transition and the development of social and wellness skills, will be available for residents and members of the community.
Other services provided by the Community Capacity Development, an organization that provides a capacity building program for the Brownsville community, will offer programming focused on critical thinking, conflict resolution, violence reduction, and health and wellness for Brownsville neighbors. About 10,000 square feet of green space will also be available in the building.
"This impressive development will provide safe, secure housing for justice-involved women and their families with access to onsite services to help them remain stably housed,” Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said. “We eagerly anticipate the completion of The Rise and the positive impact it will have not only on the lives of those who will reside there, but the surrounding community as well."
The Rise will be built at the intersection of East New York Avenue and Strauss Street. It once was the site of a One Brooklyn Health/Brookdale Hospital Medical Center. The medical center will offer mental health services on the ground floor of the new building as well as office and programming space for the service providers.
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