Health-focused supportive and affordable housing complex breaks ground in the Bronx
Yesterday, mental health nonprofit Community Access broke ground on a new, $52.2 million supportive and affordable housing complex in the Mount Eden neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 111 East 172nd Street, the building has 126 units, 60 of which will be set aside for Medicaid high-need individuals with mental health concerns and 65 for low-income families. It incorporates sustainable elements such as solar panels and a co-generation plant, as well as health-focused amenities like a community garden and kitchen to encourage and teach about healthy eating, outdoor exercise equipment, and a bike sharing program.
The mission of Community Access is to “expand opportunities for people living with mental health concerns to recover from trauma and discrimination through affordable housing, training, advocacy and healing-focused services.” The 172nd Street project will be their seventh in the Bronx; they’re also responsible for Gouverneur Court on the Lower East Side. This will be their first, however, to incorporate all the programs offered across the other projects. “It’s really a culmination of everything we’ve learned over the past 40 years,” Community Access CEO Steve Coe told NY1. Rica Bryan, the organization’s Health and Wellness coordinator, added, “We really see food and physical activity as a pathway to connection here at community access.”
The building is seeking LEED silver certification and will meet the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Green Communities standards. Both the city and state are providing partial funding and rental subsidies for the project, which is expected to be complete in 18 months.
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Renderings via Community Access
