Weeksville Place Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Weeksville Place Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrates New Affordable Housing for Extremely Low-Income Seniors, Households Leaving Shelters, and Other Low- and Moderate-Income Community Members

Contact: Kat McAulay, 917.885.0645 or Judy Herbstman, 347.963.8802 at Settlement Housing Fund

Speakers Included the Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, Kim Council; Community Board District Manager, Michelle George; Director of Brooklyn Planning at HPD, Aleena Farishta; ESKW/Architects, Andrew Knox and Fialka Semenuik; Community Preservation Corporation, Sr. VP Brandie Moreno; Richman Housing Resources, Executive VP, Moshe McKie-Krisberg; and Co- Developers: Steven Dubb, Principal and President of The Beechwood Organization; and Judy Herbstman, President of Settlement Housing Fund; and Michael Gaboury, Senior Director of Real Estate Development at Settlement Housing Fund

Brooklyn, NY, Tuesday, May 13th: Weeksville Place brings 45 affordable apartments, including studios, one- and two-bedroom units, to a newly-built 8-story building in Crown Heights, with 26 units for extremely and very low-income seniors and 19 for extremely low- to moderate-income households— eight of which are reserved for formerly homeless individuals. Co-developed by Settlement Housing Fund and The Beechwood Organization on a longtime vacant city-owned lot, this beautiful and energy efficient property designed by ESKW/Architects is the first of two affordable New York City housing projects awarded to Settlement Housing Fund and The Beechwood Organization through HPD’s Neighborhood Construction Program.

The Weeksville Place Ribbon Cutting on Tuesday, May 13th brought together Brooklyn officials, residents, and a host of project partners to celebrate the opening of these new affordable apartments in the heart of the historic Weeksville community of Crown Heights. Fifty-eight percent of units are for extremely low- and very low-income seniors. Forty-two percent of units are for extremely low- and low- to moderate-income families and individuals, 18% set aside for formerly homeless seniors, families and individuals for which the developer was awarded Section 8 project- based vouchers. In addition to funding through HPD’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Neighborhood Construction Program, the development received $500,000 in Reso A funds from former Borough President, now Mayor, Eric Adams and $500,000 from former Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel and was financed by TD Bank, the Community Preservation Corporation, Richman Housing Resources, and HPD.

The building has been fully leased and is nearly fully occupied. Residents enter through a covered porch into a bright lobby with freestanding mailboxes, an open lounge, and a community room with a warming pantry. The landscaped rear yard has multiple levels of gathering areas, planters, a grill, and a unique rock garden-walled design. Other amenities include a social services suite, run by Jericho Project, a bike room, a 7th-floor laundry room and a landscaped outdoor terrace. This energy efficient and sustainable building exceeds Enterprise Green Communities (EGC) standards and incorporates high-albedo roofing to reduce the heat island effect, water conserving plumbing fixtures, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and a solar photovoltaics array. Many of the apartments have sweeping views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline.

“Settlement Housing Fund is thrilled to welcome our newest residents home to Weeksville Place, providing essential affordable housing for seniors and other low-income community members,” says Judy Herbstman, President of Settlement Housing Fund. “We are so grateful to our partners for all of their contributions to make this beautiful residential building a reality.”

“Beechwood is proud to have partnered with Settlement Housing Fund to help meet the need for quality affordable housing for New Yorkers,” says Steven Dubb, President and Principal, The Beechwood Organization. “Though our company is best known for our master planned communities across Long Island, and in the metro area at Arverne by the Sea in the Rockaways, our roots are in affordable housing in the outer boroughs of New York City since the 1980s. It is rewarding to see the vision for Weeksville Place come to fruition, to see its new residents enjoy their new homes, and to see our work contribute to the revitalization of this historic Brooklyn neighborhood.”

“Weeksville Place is a model for the kind of multi-generational housing New York City needs— where older New Yorkers, families, and individuals can all build stability, community, and a true sense of belonging,” said HPD’s Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “With more than two dozen homes reserved for older adults on fixed incomes, this development helps ensure that those who’ve spent their lives giving back to this city can retire with dignity and remain rooted in the neighborhoods they love.”

“I am so proud to celebrate the opening of Weeksville Place and the arrival of more than 45 desperately needed affordable housing units to Crown Heights,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “This once vacant lot is now filled with dignified homes for some of our most vulnerable neighbors from formerly homeless individuals to older adults. I am so thankful to Settlement Housing Fund, The Beechwood Organization, ESKW/Architects, and NYC Housing Preservation & Development for working together to bring much-needed homes to Brooklyn.”

“Weeksville Place is a shining example of what joint efforts can do to help address New York City’s housing crisis, especially for some of our city’s most vulnerable populations,” said Brandie Moreno, VP, Mortgage Officer, at The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC). “CPC is proud to be part of a project that turned a vacant lot into an energy-efficient, multi-unit home for low-to-moderate income New York City residents. I want to thank Settlement Housing Fund, The Beechwood Organization, HPD, Richman Housing Resources, and our other partners on a fantastic job making Weeksville Place a reality.”

About Settlement Housing Fund:

Settlement Housing Fund creates and sustains high quality affordable housing and programs, building strong and economically diverse neighborhoods throughout New York City. Settlement Housing Fund works closely with community partners to provide low‐ and moderate‐income New Yorkers with pathways to long‐term affordable housing, education, employment, and wellness. Since its founding in 1969, the organization has developed 73 projects with over 9,000 apartments – rentals, cooperatives, and two-family houses – that are home to more than 25,000 low- and moderate- income residents, including a substantial number of families that have experienced homelessness.

For more information, visit www.settlementhousingfund.org or connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube.