Mayor Adams Celebrates City Council Passage of HIV/AIDS Supportive, Affordable Housing Project in Hell's Kitchen

August 12, 2022

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today celebrated the New York City Council’s passage yesterday of The Lirio through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), paving the way for 112 new affordable homes, including 59 with supportive services for people with serious mental illness or substance use disorder, with a preference for long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS. Located in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, The Lirio will include an office for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and neighborhood retail space. Hell’s Kitchen has the city’s highest concentration of residents living with HIV and one of the highest rates of new infections. The ULURP application was sponsored by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

“My administration is committed to making New York a ‘City of Yes’ for all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “Working closely with our partners in the City Council and members of the community, we are delivering 112 of the affordable and supportive homes we need to tackle our affordable housing crisis, all with access to public transportation and economic opportunity. I want to thank Speaker Adrienne Adams and Councilmember Erik Bottcher for their partnership and for showing New Yorkers how we can ‘Get Stuff Done’ together.”

In addition to the 59 supportive homes, The Lirio will also include 44 much-needed permanently affordable homes for families, eight homes for formerly homeless individuals, one superintendent unit, approximately 30,000 square feet of office space for the MTA, and approximately 9,000 square feet of retail space. The new affordable homes are intended for families with household incomes ranging from 30 to 120 percent of area median income. Designed by the award-winning, international architecture firm, CetraRuddy, The Lirio will target Passive House standards for energy efficiency and participate in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Multifamily Performance Program.

Hudson Companies, in partnership with Housing Works, was designated by HPD to develop this site in Hell’s Kitchen. Supportive housing like The Lirio is a critical tool to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic by helping individuals maintain their medical regimes.

“The Lirio is a critical project to help address affordable housing needs in Hell’s Kitchen and support long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS — and a great example of how we make New York a ‘City of Yes’ for everyone,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “Thank you to Councilmember Bottcher and Speaker Adams for your partnership in paving the way for permanently affordable housing for the local community and city at large.”

“Today we celebrate the City Council’s approval of The Lirio, because this will allow the creation of 112 affordable homes in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen and provide long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS the supportive and affordable housing they need,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “These homes will change lives. Thank you to Hudson Companies and Housing Works for their proposal and to Speaker Adrienne Adams and Councilmember Erik Bottcher for their support.”

“For us to take a bite out of our affordability crisis, it is critical that we get to yes on important projects like The Lirio,” said Department of City Planning Director and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick. “That is why I want to especially thank City Councilmember Bottcher and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, as well as the Hell’s Kitchen community, for coming together and making this neighborhood part of the solution.”

“I’m proud that this 100-percent affordable housing project includes desperately needed apartments for a wide range of incomes, including supportive housing for long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS as well as for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers,” said New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. “We also secured a commitment to offer below-market-rate ground-floor commercial space for Stile’s Farmers Market, a beloved local grocer who lost his previous space years ago. I’m grateful to Mayor Adams, Community Board 4, HPD, DCP, Hudson, and Housing Works for the months of collaboration and partnership that led to today.”

“New York City Transit is committed to ensuring trains are running safely and efficiently 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Richard Davey, president, New York City Transit. “The Lirio will provide additional, much-needed space for those day-to-day functions to ensure trains keep moving in every corner of the city. The MTA commends Mayor Adams, the City Council, and HPD for their support for this much-needed project and looks forward to getting shovels in the ground for the start of construction.”

“The Lirio will not only fulfill the city’s goal of bringing 112 units of permanently affordable units to this underutilized site, but it also strives to address the needs of the Hell’s Kitchen community through a mix of affordable housing for families and supportive housing targeted to formerly homeless, long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS,” said Sarah Pizer, development director, Hudson Companies. “With a name inspired by the oldest living tree in New York City, the Liriodendron, The Lirio seeks to honor and support long-term survivors who have persisted against great odds by providing lifesaving services from Housing Works. We are grateful for the support of City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, who provided constructive input to help move this project forward.”

“Research has repeatedly shown that safe, beautiful, and affordable housing is the foundation for living a long productive life with HIV/AIDS,” said Andrew Coamey, senior vice president, Housing Works. “Housing Works is proud to partner with the Hudson Companies to develop The Lirio, which will provide just that, as well as a range of amenities and support services to residents. Aptly named after the oldest living thing in New York City — the liriodendron tree in Queens — we believe that The Lirio will serve as a home for all of its residents to live long, happy, and inspired lives.”

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