October 25, 2022

Project features 199 units of affordable, permanent, supportive housing for low-income families and formerly homeless seniors, a new home for Valley Lodge Shelter featuring 110 transitional beds for older adults and amenities for the neighboring community, including a community health center and a public comfort station in the Anibal Aviles Playground

Project is the winner of a 2022 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award, in the Housing for Seniors category, and the Affordable Housing Finance 2022 Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Urban Development category

New York, NY – West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) joined with City and State officials to celebrate 199 new homes for low-income seniors and families and a new home for the 110-bed Valley Lodge Shelter for older adults at ‘WSFSSH at West 108’, today, a 193,000 sq ft affordable housing complex with on-site supportive services built on the Upper West Side which opened during the pandemic and only now is able to be celebrated safely. Photos and renderings of ‘WSFSSH at West 108’ can be viewed here.

“WSFSSH at West 108 is a project that is close to my heart. It has been a joy and an honor to work with both the WSFSSH team and the community to design a building that truly prioritizes housing people,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “Housing Our Neighbors is more than our strategic blueprint, it is a mission that will take all of our partners, and projects like this, which include people at all stages of their housing journey, are key to ensuring everyone has a home they can afford. Congratulations to the WSFSSH team and all the new residents.”

“WSFSSH at West 108 is a great example of the City’s commitment to housing our neighbors. This development brings not only 199 permanent affordable and supportive homes for formerly homeless seniors and low-income families, but it also includes 110 beds in a beautiful new space for the Valley Lodge Shelter,” said Housing Preservation & Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “We’re proud to have worked with WSFSSH and local elected officials to bring more affordable homes to the Upper West Side.”

“This development provides secure, permanently affordable housing to low-income families and formerly homeless seniors, alongside crucial supportive services, a community health center, and a new home for the Valley Lodge transitional shelter,” said Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “Thank you to our elected officials and partners for their dedication to creatively addressing our City’s housing needs through projects like WSFSSH at West 108.”

“New York City faces a decades-long housing crisis for which the city’s growing senior population is most at risk. WSFSSH at West 108 is a tremendous victory for the senior population on the Upper West Side, easing the housing burden with safe, beautiful homes for vulnerable members of our community,” said Paul R. Freitag, Executive Director of the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing. “We thank and celebrate all of the elected officials, advocates and organizations who supported this development and who have gathered with us today for this very special occasion. Together, we’ll provide a model for what can be achieved for New York’s older adults.”

A winner of both the 2022 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award, in the Housing for Seniors category, and the Affordable Housing Finance 2022 Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Urban Development category, WSFSSH at West 108 features 79 units for low-income households and 119 apartments for formerly homeless older adults who are living with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder, or requiring assistance with independent living, a growing population in New York City and across the country. Coming online amidst a growing housing crisis in New York City, WSFSSH at West 108 will provide critical housing and supportive services to those most in need.

The housing complex also features a transitional housing component, providing a new home for Valley Lodge Shelter, which has operated on this same block of West 108th Street since 1988. The redeveloped Valley Lodge Shelter provides 110 beds for homeless older adults, and serves as a stepping stone for these residents to find the stable, permanent housing they deserve.

Additional services for seniors and the community

WSFSSH at West 108 features a multitude of onsite social services for its residents, including case management, service coordination, crisis intervention, counseling, transportation services, money management classes, nutrition services, meals for Valley Lodge residents, and recreational activities.

Social services staff offer programming like art classes in the building’s activity rooms and outdoor exercise and recreational activities in the building’s backyard and elevated terrace.

In addition to the much-needed affordable senior housing WSFSSH at West 108 brings to the Upper West Side, the new housing complex also features several spaces dedicated to the community, including parking spaces for Central Park Medical Unit ambulances, public restrooms in the adjacent Anibal Aviles Playground, and community meeting spaces, as well as a community health center. The federally-qualified health center (FQHC) will be operated by the Institute for Family Health, offering primary care and specialized services at low or no cost to both residents and the entire Upper West Side community.

Designed by Dattner Architects and constructed by Procida-Butz, WSFSSH at West 108 was built to maximize the feeling of hospitality and warmth for its residents, using warmer colors for its interiors. The entry to the building features views of the exterior garden, inviting in natural light. WSFSSH at West 108’s dining room includes floor-to-ceiling glass with views of the neighboring park for even more light in the building.

The development’s funding comes from a mix of sources, including the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Housing Development Corporation, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, Chase, National Equity Fund, UMB Bank, Capital One, and Deutsche Bank.

Community members, advocates and elected officials were on hand to celebrate the milestone:

“This project exemplifies the kind of innovative, sustainable, and holistic support we envision as part of our continued efforts to raise the bar on the services we provide for vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Department of Homeless Services Administrator Joslyn Carter. “We are grateful for our partnership with the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing and others involved in bringing this incredible project to life as we continue to work together toward our shared goal of making this city more equitable and affordable for all New Yorkers, especially our vulnerable neighbors.”

“As a former tenant’s rights attorney, I understand the critical importance of investing in affordable, supportive housing resources," said New York City Council Member Shaun Abreu. "The city’s decades-long housing crisis, along with other challenges, have made it difficult for our most vulnerable communities and, especially, our seniors to secure a home WSFSSH's 199 new affordable, permanent, supportive housing units for low-income families and formerly homeless seniors is vital to building a more just, equitable New York City. Ensuring our elders have access to affordable housing is just a small thanks for a lifetime of contribution.”

“The 119 permanent supportive housing apartments will provide not only a place to live for older adults who have experienced homelessness, but onsite services that will help residents remain stably housed,” said Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz.“We are proud to have collaborated with the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing and our New York City partners and congratulate all involved on the successful completion of this much-needed development.”

“We are honored to work with West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, on this innovative project, to address both the ongoing need for affordable housing, and shelter for those experiencing homelessness,” said Jane Silverman, Executive Director, Community Development Banking, Chase. “We’re committed to working with industry leaders like WSFSSH, to help close the housing gap, and deliver needed on-site supportive services to local communities.”

“The Institute for Family Health is proud to partner with the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing to operate a family health center as part of this important project. The health center will provide primary and preventive care to the entire community, as well as the residents of the new complex, building on our 30 year history of caring for the residents of Valley Lodge,” commented Neil Calman, MD, President and CEO, Institute for Family Health.

“NYHC welcomes another high-quality affordable housing development delivering compassionate services and thoughtful design by WSFSSH,” said Rachel Fee, Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference. “Adding 199 affordable homes, a redeveloped homeless shelter, and community and services and spaces to one of New York City’s most in-demand neighborhoods, WHFSSH transformed a former parking garage to benefit New York’s most vulnerable seniors and families. We congratulate WSFSSH and Community Board 7 on today’s opening.”