Mayor de Blasio, City Officials and State Supportive Services Agencies Join the Center for Urban Community Services to Announce the Opening of the Sydelle Supportive Housing Residence

June 6, 2016

Mayor de Blasio joins HPD, HDC, DOHMH, NYS OTDA, NYS OMH and development partners to celebrate more than 100 new homes created for low-income and special needs individuals and families

NEW YORK––Over 100 homeless and low-income individuals and families in the Bronx will now have access to supportive housing and on-site support services thanks to the newly opened Sydelle residence, Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced.

“We are working hard to ensure that all New Yorkers have a safe, secure and affordable place to live,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Homeless New Yorkers face countless daily challenges, and finding a safe place to sleep each night should not be one of them. Developments like the Sydelle provide life-changing services to people in need. This is a model of supportive housing we stand behind, and a model upon which we will continue to build.”

The City’s newest supportive housing residence is located at 600 East 181st Street and provides 108 homes and offers on-site support services to homeless and low-income individuals and families, including people with complex psychiatric and medical needs. This new project was developed by the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), one of the nation’s largest supportive housing services providers.

Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated the opening of the Sydelle with City and State agencies, including the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene (DOHMH), along with the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) and the Office of Mental Health Services (OMH).

“These beautiful new homes will offer a safe and supportive environment for more than 100 families with special needs for decades to come,” HPD Commissioner Vicki Been said. “I am deeply moved by the important work we have done here, and the dedication to supportive housing by the Center for Urban Community Services and Breaking Ground. I thank my colleagues at HPD and HDC, along with Sydelle’s development team, and all of our partners for adding to the store of much-needed supportive housing in New York City.”

“Providing services to New York’s most vulnerable residents is critical to our mission of creating a more affordable and just City. We are proud to finance developments like the Sydelle that provide both important services and critical affordable housing for those in need. I would like to congratulate the Center for Urban Community Services, Breaking Ground, HPD, DOH, OTDA, NYS OMH and all of our partners who made this project possible,” said HDC President Gary Rodney.

NYS OTDA Commissioner Samuel D. Roberts said, “Supportive housing is a proven tool in helping to stabilize the lives of homeless individuals and families. The housing and services tenants will receive at the Sydelle will have long-term, positive impacts on their lives. Congratulations to CUCS and all of our partners that were involved in bringing this much-needed project to fruition.”

“New York State is the birthplace of the supportive housing model and with projects like the Sydelle, we continue to lead the way in the provision of safe, secure and affordable housing for individuals with behavioral health concerns,” said NYS OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the Office of Mental Health has developed over 7,500 units of supportive housing in the last five years, with another 7,000 units in development. Most importantly, I wish the Sydelle’s future residents success in their ongoing recovery!”

“For three decades CUCS has been committed to helping families and individuals exit homelessness and rise from poverty. Our integrated support services at the Sydelle will help those who now call it home to rebuild their lives,” said CUCS President and CEO Tony Hannigan. “Building and subsequently operating a residence like the Sydelle would not have been possible without the support of our partners from New York City and New York State, which has been integral throughout each step of the process from breaking ground and through daily operations.”

Keynote speakers at the opening ceremony on Monday included Commissioner Vicki Been, Department of Housing Preservation and Development; Deputy Executive Commissioner Gary Belkin, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Commissioner Samuel Roberts, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance; and Commissioner Ann Sullivan, New York State Office of Mental Health.

The Sydelle offers amenities such as 24-hour on-site security, laundry facilities, computer lab, a gym and bike storage. On-site services, available to all tenants, include crisis prevention and intervention; entitlement and legal assistance; household management and coaching; and employment assistance. Primary medical care and psychiatric services will be provided at the residence’s on-site medical suite through CUCS’ acclaimed Janian Medical Care program.

The Sydelle is a LEED Silver environmentally certified building. The property features a range of energy efficient and environmentally sustainable elements, including: green roofs, landscaping, Energy Star appliances, and energy efficient heating and cooling systems. A strong emphasis is placed on creating beautiful living residences with aesthetically pleasing details such as landscaping, roof gardens and attractive design materials

“Affordable housing with on-site supportive services like the Sydelle is a proven and cost-effective solution to chronic homelessness, especially for individuals with additional barriers such as mental illness,” said Judi Kende, Vice President and New York Market Leader at Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. “Thanks to this great public-private partnership, over 100 low-income and formerly homeless individuals and families now have the stability they need in order to lead healthy, successful lives.”

The Sydelle was named in recognition of the ongoing support of the Ostberg Foundation. Sydelle and Henry Ostberg founded their family foundation, The Ostberg Foundation, in 1980. The Foundation has provided assistance to local and international individuals with a special focus on individuals in need living in African and European nations, and residents of the Caribbean island of Haiti.

The total development cost for the Sydelle is approximately $38.1 million. The project received $7.5 million through HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP). HPD also provided Project-based Section 8 rental assistance to subsidize rents and allow formerly homeless residents to pay only 30 percent of their monthly income towards rent. HDC financing included $19.4 in tax exempt bonds towards construction financing, and $7.02 million in financing from Corporate Reserves towards permanent financing. New York State provided $3.8 million in financing through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP). The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided $123,600 towards the project. JP Morgan Chase acted as lender.

Operating support is provided by the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Breaking Ground will serve as the building’s property manager.

“The development of a supportive housing building, such as the Sydelle, will not only provide homeless individuals with special needs and low income families in the Bronx with an affordable place to live, but will also connect them to a series of supportive services that will help them on their path to self-sustenance and stability,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “I commend the City and State agencies involved and CUCS for partnering to help some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers thrive."

“The supportive housing model is a proven system to lift up vulnerable individuals and their families by providing on-site services, support and a strong community. For these reasons the Sydelle residence will be a great addition to the Bronx. I welcome the residents to their new home and wish them much success,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres.

About the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS)
The Center for Urban Community Services’ mission is to rebuild the lives of homeless and disadvantages individuals and families. It has been providing integrated programs that link housing, health, and social services for New York’s most vulnerable people for over three decades. Each year more than 50,000 are served by CUCS. www.cucs.org

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough Ten-Year Plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable units for New Yorkers at the very lowest incomes to those in the middle class. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/nychpd and www.twitter.com/nychousing.

About the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC):
HDC is the nation's largest municipal Housing Finance Agency and is charged with helping to finance the creation or preservation of affordable housing under Mayor Bill de Blasio's Housing New York plan. Since 2003, HDC has financed more than 140,000 housing units using over $15 billion in bonds, and provided in excess of $1.9 billion in subsidy from corporate reserves. HDC ranks among the nation's top issuers of mortgage revenue bonds for affordable multi-family housing on Thomson Reuter's annual list of multi-family bond issuers. In each of the last four consecutive years, HDC's annual bond issuance has surpassed $1 billion. For additional information, visit: www.nychdc.com.