A $48 million housing development has opened to bring 57 affordable homes and services to seniors in Brooklyn, New York.
Developed by RiseBoro Community Partnership, Bethany Senior Terraces replaces two vacant buildings formerly occupied by the Bethany Methodist Home for the Aged. The new development includes 45 studio apartments, 12 one- apartments, and one superintendent’s unit. All apartments are reserved for households earning at or below 50 percent of the area median income.
“Every New Yorker deserves a safe and affordable place to age with independence and stability,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul. “Bethany Senior Terraces transforms a long-vacant site in Brooklyn into modern, energy-efficient homes for older adults while delivering supportive services that will help vulnerable seniors thrive. Developments like this are essential to addressing our housing shortage and building healthier neighborhoods across New York.”
Eighteen apartments are reserved for residents eligible for on-site supportive services, including individuals struggling with homelessness. Services are provided by RiseBoro Community Partnership and include case management, health coordination, and social and recreational programming designed to help seniors maintain stable housing and age in place independently. The New York State Department of Health is providing operating funding for these supportive apartments through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award.
Five units are designed to accommodate residents with mobility impairments and two units to accommodate residents with sensory disabilities.
The building includes outdoor terraces that step down to a large, common garden located off the building lobby and entrances to interior social spaces at every floor. There is a hydroponic greenhouse, which uses water rather than soil to grow plants. There is a community kitchen directly connected to the greenhouse that is intended to host community demonstrations on gardening and cooking.
State financing for the development included federal and state low-income housing tax credits that generated approximately $14.4 million in equity and $7.8 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority provided $716,000 in funding, and $9.3 million in financing was provided by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Bethany Senior Terraces is part of Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.