FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2022
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov I (212) 306-3322

NYCHA and Resident Leaders Select Asland Capital Partners, Breaking Ground, and Douglaston Development to Deliver $80.7 Million in Major Repairs for Sack Wern Houses

Approximately 849 residents at the Bronx-based NYCHA campus will receive renovated apartments, upgraded building systems, enhanced security, and improved on-site
social services

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), in partnership with resident leaders, announced the selection of new partners to design and implement a comprehensive rehabilitation and property management improvement plan for Sack Wern Houses – a collection of seven NYCHA buildings located in the Soundview section of the Bronx. Part of the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, the development team is comprised of Asland Capital Partners, the nonprofit Breaking Ground, and Douglaston Development. Residents engaged in a year-long engagement process during which residents outlined priority improvements; organized a committee to review proposals; and conducted site tours of projects in all proposing team portfolios. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023 after an inspection of the buildings is conducted and additional engagement with residents confirms design finishes. Levine Builders will oversee and complete construction while Clinton Management will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of the renovated properties.

“Every NYCHA apartment upgraded is a victory and advancing this PACT project will deliver 850 victories in the Bronx,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “The partnership at this development demonstrates exactly the kind of creative approach this administration is taking to advance complex, expensive revitalization projects. Resident voices have been front and center every step of the way, and the result is going to be significantly improved quality of life for all the residents of Sack Wern Houses.”

“The PACT program continues to show that empowering residents to decide the future of their homes is the path to helping NYCHA,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “Congratulations to the Sack Wern development team, Ashland Capital Partners, Breaking Ground and Douglaston Development, and thank you to the residents for their time and commitment to the resident-review process. Their leadership will help improve the lives of all their neighbors and bring $81 million in repairs to these NYCHA homes.”

“The development team selected to oversee the revitalization of Sack Wern Houses has decades of experience overseeing affordable multifamily housing projects in the Bronx and was selected after an exhaustive resident review process,” said NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We look forward to the vision they share with residents to significantly improve the quality of life, roster of amenities, and available social services at this campus in the coming months as the Authority continues to utilize the PACT program.”

“NYCHA’s planning process has included Sack Wern residents from the beginning, allowing all residents the opportunity to articulate the changes and improvements they’d like to see in their community,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia. “Centering resident priorities and having them lead the selection process ensures our partners and residents are aligned and able to achieve the long-term goals for the community. We are excited to announce this new partnership for Sack Wern Houses.”

"The Sack Wern TA Board and I appreciate the way the PACT program is being planned. We really enjoyed being able to interview the partner teams that chose to be a part of this process. Meeting people and seeing faces was very important,” said Sack Wern Tenant Association President Loretta Masterson. “We liked the fact that they listened and took what we had to say about the problems we are trying to address seriously.”

“The extensive upgrades resulting from today’s designation will benefit over 800 residents across the Sack Wern Houses campus in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx,” said NYC Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “Congratulations to the selected development teams and thank you to all our partners for their unwavering dedication in guaranteeing tenant protections and affordability, while ensuring critical improvements to our public housing stock under the PACT program.”

"We are incredibly pleased and proud to be entrusted with improving the lives of the over 800 residents of Sack Wern Houses through our partnership with NYCHA and resident leaders. NYCHA’s proven process centers on resident and community engagement and prioritizes essential social services in addition to sorely needed physical repairs and upgrades, which together will make Sack Wern Houses the high-quality affordable development that its residents deserve," said CEO of Asland Capital Partners James H. Simmons, III. "This new endeavor with Douglaston Development and Breaking Ground builds on the Asland team's 17-plus year history of investing in the Soundview neighborhood, including our 154-unit affordable senior housing development at 1940 Turnbull Avenue that commenced construction earlier this year."

“As a former NYCHA resident, and now as a developer of affordable housing, ensuring that residents have a comfortable and safe place to live is of upmost importance and priority. The renovation of Sack Wern Houses provides a unique opportunity for us to work hand in hand with the residents, NYCHA, and our partners, Asland Capital Partners and Breaking Ground, to execute a comprehensive rehabilitation of the buildings,” said Chairman of Douglaston Development, Levine Builders, and Clinton Management Jeffrey Levine. “Our work together will provide new on-site social services, additional job opportunities, and ensure the property’s longevity for the future generations of the community.”

“We are proud to join the residents of Sack Wern Houses, the New York City Housing Authority, and our partners at Douglaston Development and Asland Capital Partners in revitalizing this key public housing development in Soundview,” said President and CEO of Breaking Ground Brenda Rosen. “Throughout our history, resident and community engagement have been central to the Breaking Ground approach. We are excited to partner in building a new future for Sack Wern residents that includes exceptional living and community spaces along with crucial services to help residents thrive.”

Located near the adjoining Clason Point NYCHA campus in the Soundview section of the Bronx, Sack Wern Houses was built in 1941 and is primarily comprised of mid-rise buildings. The $234,000 repair cost per unit is significantly higher than NYCHA’s average of $187,000 per unit, and includes much-needed repairs to apartments, building exteriors, elevator systems, electrical wiring, and heat and hot water infrastructure.

The proposed upgrades and improvements submitted by the Sack Wern PACT partners development team include fully refurbished apartments with new flooring and upgraded kitchens; upgrades to plumbing, heating, and electrical systems; as well as enhanced security that includes access control, lighting, and security cameras. Hallways, lobbies, community rooms, and laundry facilities will also be renovated under the proposal. New community space will also be created under the proposal.

Leveraging the social services and community engagement expertise of PACT partner Breaking Ground, a new on-site social services provider will survey resident needs and provide resources and programming for all Sack Wern residents. This will include local hiring opportunities for NYCHA residents in management and construction.

Among the development team, Asland Capital Partners is a minority-owned firm with over 20 years of experience operating and preserving affordable and workforce housing throughout the United States. Founded in 1990, Breaking Ground is a non-profit developer and social services provider with hands-on experience developing transitional supportive housing and engaging stakeholders throughout New York City. The nonprofit operates more than 4,000 units of housing, with over 1,000 more in various stages of development. A strategic real estate development company operating for more than 40 years in the New york City area and beyond, The Douglaston Companies are comprised of Douglaston Development, property management affiliate Clinton Management, and general contracting affiliate Levine Builders. In 2020, Douglaston Development and its partners were selected to be PACT partners at Linden Houses and Penn-Wortman, developments consisting of 24 mid- and high-rise residential towers, a community center, boiler plant, and over 30 acres of grounds.

Sack Wern is a project in Round 10 of NYCHA’s PACT program. In May 2021, NYCHA released a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) to recapitalize and rehabilitate the development as one of several sites throughout the Authority’s portfolio.

Since 2016, NYCHA’s PACT program has generated more than $3.4 billion in capital funding for comprehensive apartment renovations and building infrastructure improvements for nearly 15,500 households. Approximately $579 million in renovations have already been completed, and $2.8 billion in major upgrades are underway or will begin early this year. An additional 19,700 households are part of active development projects in the process of resident engagement or pre-development. In sum, NYCHA has more than 35,000 apartments completed, in construction, or in a stage of resident engagement or pre-development.

The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), New York City’s municipal Housing Finance Agency, is the financing partner for PACT. HDC will coordinate the financing, which may include funding with bonds issued through HDC’s Multi-Family Housing Bond Resolution (the “Open Resolution”) or the newly created Housing Impact Bond Resolution (the “Impact Resolution”), a bond resolution created solely to facilitate NYCHA transactions.

More information on NYCHA’s PACT program can be found here.

###

About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.