Mayor Adams, NYC Health + Hospitals, and HPD Announce Opening of 93 Units of Affordable and Supportive Housing at Woodhull Hospital

March 13, 2025

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LWdIRJhTCY

$41.1 Million Housing Unit Connects NYC Health + Hospitals Patients Experiencing Homelessness With Stable, Supportive Housing, On-Site Services, and Access to Health Care

Building to Offer Affordable Housing Units for Extremely Low-Income Seniors and Low-Income New Yorkers

New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz, and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. today announced the opening of the Woodhull II Residence , a new, $41.5 million 93-unit apartment building that contains both supportive housing and affordable housing for NYC Health + Hospitals patients experiencing homelessness, as well as housing for low-income seniors and low-income New Yorkers. Today's announcement, once again, builds off the historic progress the Adams administration has made creating new affordable housing, connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing, and keeping New Yorkers in the homes they already have – all helping to advance Mayor Adams' 2025 State of the City commitment to make New York City the best place to raise a family.

"Today, we are opening the doors to a healthier, safer, and more affordable New York City, and handing New Yorkers a key to their future at Woodhull Hospital," said Mayor Adams. "This investment of over $41 million will provide supportive and affordable housing to NYC Health + Hospitals patients experiencing homelessness, as well as to low-income seniors and low-income New Yorkers. This new housing facility is how we make sure we have places for New Yorkers to heal and be cared for, and provide a path to stability, lasting community, and common purpose. Every unit at Woodhull will be a place where someone can reclaim their life, renew hope, and allow their New York story to continue. Together, we are going to build more affordable housing as we make New York City the best place to raise a family."

"Our patients experiencing homelessness often struggle with an array of health conditions, and the prescription is clear: they need stable housing," said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Katz. "Permanent housing makes it easier to manage your blood pressure and diabetes, and living down the block from the hospital makes it easier to see your health care providers. NYC Health + Hospitals is so proud to open this bright, new apartment building today on the campus of Woodhull Hospital with our partners at HPD and Comunilife, and we're committed to building more housing on our land as soon as possible. Our mission is to care for New Yorkers, and today, to so many of our patients and community members, we can say welcome home."

"As we take on New York City's housing challenges head-on, this administration remains steadfast in its commitment to serving our most vulnerable neighbors – those facing serious health issues and homelessness. The Woodhull II Residence is a powerful example of that commitment," said HPD Commissioner Carrión Jr. "These 93 new homes will change lives, providing stability and support while advancing our mission to make New York a more livable city for everyone."

The residence is the latest to be opened as part of NYC Health + Hospitals' Housing for Health initiative between the health system, HPD, and non-profit Comunilife. Located on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, the residence provides stable housing and support services. Eligible patients of NYC Health + Hospitals experiencing homelessness who move into the building's 56 units of supportive housing will have access to on-site services from Comunilife and health care from Woodhull Hospital. The building also includes 21 affordable units for extremely low-income seniors, 15 affordable units for low-income New Yorkers, and one super's unit. New Yorkers can apply for the affordable housing units on NYC Housing Connect.

Today's announcement delivers a continuum-of-care for those experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness to ensure more people get the lasting help they need. The building's proximity to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull will give its residents easy access to continuing care. In 2024, the NYC Health + Hospital system provided care for over 80,000 patients experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, including over 17,000 children. Adults experiencing homelessness have three times more hospital and emergency department visits than the general population. In addition to improving participants' lives by finding them housing, the program is expected to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits and improve health care outcomes.

This is the second phase of affordable and supportive housing development on the Woodhull Hospital campus. The first phase opened in 2019 and has 89 units of affordable and supportive housing.

Developing housing on hospital land is a key piece of "Housing for Health" – NYC Health + Hospital's initiative to connect patients experiencing homelessness to stable, affordable housing – as well as a strategy outlined in Mayor Adams' housing plan – "Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness." The new Woodhull Residence II is one of several projects that will contribute to Housing for Health's commitment to create nearly 650 new affordable homes in the next five years. Within the next year, additional developments will break ground, including Just Home in the Bronx on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, 1727 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan , and River Commons at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health , Morrisania in the Bronx.

"My apartment is great. I love it," said Elvis Jordan, a patient of NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and a new resident of the Woodhull Phase II building. "It feels great to sleep in a bed. Before I came to the Safety Net Clinic, I was at rock bottom. I was at my wit's end thinking nothing would ever come through for me. Nkrumah and everyone here took good care of me. I have so much appreciation for what they did for me."

Amenities at the Woodhull II Residence will include 24-hour security, laundry, a community room, a computer room, and a bike room. The new building connects to the previous building on the first floor, and they share a commercial kitchen, community space, and back garden. The new development meets design and sustainability standards set by Enterprise Green Communities – the green housing standard for affordable housing – including a smoke-free building, energy efficient appliances, solar panels on the roof, and landscaping that uses native or adapted species with efficient irrigation.

NYC Health + Hospitals contributed land to the project through a 99-year ground lease. Financed through HPD's Supportive Housing Loan Program, the project includes a city investment of $14.6 million in city subsidy and $15.5 million in city Low Income Housing Tax Credits, as well as $500,000 in Reso A funds from the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. The project also receives operating funding for rental assistance and supportive services through the New York City 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative.

Since entering office, Mayor Adams has made historic investments toward creating affordable housing and ensuring more New Yorkers have a place to call home. Last December, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity," the most pro-housing proposal in city history that will build 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. In June 2024, City Hall and the New York City Council agreed to an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invested $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority's capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed $24.5 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. Additionally, just last month, Mayor Adams announced back-to-back record-breaking calendar years producing critically-needed affordable housing across the five boroughs.

Mayor Adams has made supporting New York City's most vulnerable, including those experiencing serious mental illness and homelessness, a top priority. The Adams administration recently announced unprecedented action to curb homelessness and support people experiencing severe mental illness with a $650 million investment in outreach, safe haven and runaway homeless youth beds, and more. The announcement – which was first unveiled as part of Mayor Adams' 2025 State of the City – also includes the creation of "Bridge to Home," a first-of-its-kind model that will provide a supportive, home-like environment to patients with serious mental illness who are ready for discharge from the hospital but do not have a place to go. The Adams administration has made the largest investment in New York City history in creating specialized shelter beds to address street homelessness. The city has opened 1,400 Safe Haven and stabilization beds since the start of the administration and doubled the number of street outreach teams. New York City's Housing for Health initiative recognizes that the chronic health issues of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness cannot be treated without stable housing. This initiative seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers by focusing on four strategic areas: navigation services, medical respite beds, affordable housing on hospital property, and social service support for patients in permanent housing.

"The Woodhull II Residence stands as a beacon of responsible development tailored to meet the urgent needs of our community," said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. "This $41.5 million investment has brought us almost 100 units to sustain low-income New Yorkers, including low-income seniors, along with supportive housing for the homeless discharged from the ER. Such discharge is a critical juncture to shatter the 'institutional circuit' of homeless cycling through our hospitals and jails. In the State Capitol, I authored the Empire State of Mind Act to require comprehensive housing and treatment plans for homeless before discharge. Together, we will provide the vital housing and healthcare infrastructure we need to support and uplift all New Yorkers, showing that hope is within reach for everyone."