A recent ribbon-cutting celebrated the official opening of an affordable housing development on Webster Avenue.
On Thursday, September 19, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul joined The Doe Fund to celebrate the official opening of Webster Green, an affordable housing development at 3100 Webster Avenue.
Webster Green, located just off East 204th Street, provides eight floors of residential space offering a total of 82 rental units.
State financing for Webster Green included federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that were syndicated by Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc. and generated $12.8 million in equity and $4.5 million in subsidy from NYS Homes and Community Renewal.
The NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance provided $6.5 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program. The NYS Energy Research and Development Authority provided $98,400.
Additional financing of $4.6 million was provided by city the NYC Human Resources Administration is providing referrals for the 81 supportive apartments. The developer is The Doe Fund in partnership with Robert Sanborn Development.
City funding was not allocated toward this project, but The Doe Fund did use the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program to up-zone the site.
The MIH, which was enacted in 2016, allows the developer to build floor area above the zoning’s limitations in exchange for building affordable, subsidized housing.
The building’s design, by lead architect Fernando Villa of MAP Architects, incorporated many high-quality features into the 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments for low-income families by adding elements and considerations to optimize the health and well being of the tenants.
Building features include dedicated space to offer supportive services and case management provided by The Doe Fund for the residents.
Tenant amenities include a rear garden, a computer room, laundry facilities, bike room and a tenant lounge, to help support tenants to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles and self-sufficiency. There is also 24-hour security and a live-in superintendent.
The Bedford Park community itself would have access to the spacious community room for events. The facility features a range of art donated to The Doe Fund. Complementing these elements is high-efficiency Gold LEED certification.
The developer of the project is affordable housing builder Robert Sanborn Development.
“With this development, (81) families have been provided with a sense of security and a piece of mind,” said Hochul, stating that Governor Cuomo has allocated a total of $137 million toward housing, in the Bronx alone, since 2011.
Hochul was proud to announce that this is her seventh ribbon cutting in the Bronx this year.
George MacDonald, president and founder of The Doe Fund, who was accompanied at the ribbon-cutting ceremony by his wife, Harriet, said, “Providing homes for families and individuals has been a mission of The Doe Fund for over 30 years.”
“I would like to thank The Doe Fund and all parties involved in this project, for making this place look like a home – like a place someone would want to live in,” said Senator Jamaal Bailey. “I am proud to say that this place is a part of my district.”
