Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park attended the ceremonial opening of a new affordable housing development in Wakefield on Thursday—one of the first to prioritize rentals for women-led households.
At the “housewarming” for residents of 4180 Carpenter Ave., tenants received marble nightstands to celebrate their transition out of shelters and into permanent homes. Adams said at the event that 70% of the building’s 64 units were rented to women-led households, as he drew a connection to March as Women’s History Month.
“When women thrive as heads of households, the entire family thrives,” he said.
The property aims to address the lack of available housing in the city, which is especially dire for those waiting to move out of shelters. Currently about 11,000 CityFHEPS voucher holders—mostly former shelter residents who rely on city subsidies to help cover their rent—remain unable to find housing due to the ongoing shortage, according to the Department of Social Services.
Under the city’s Affordable Housing Services (AHS) program, which included the new development at 4180 Carpenter Ave., DSS helps nonprofits buy or lease buildings to house CityFHEPS users, expediting openings and locking in long-term stability and affordability.
For this Wakefield development, DSS partnered with the nonprofit Community Housing Innovations (CHI), which has over 40 years of experience in New York City and the surrounding area. Another AHS project with 64 units opened in December in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood, in partnership with the Doe Fund, and more are in the pipeline to open this summer.
In total, the AHS initiative has created 460 deeply affordable homes across seven sites for people moving out of shelters, according to DSS.
Commissioner Molly Park said her agency had to get creative amid the city’s historically low 1.4% vacancy rate.
“Although most people don’t think of us as a housing agency, we have jumped feet-first into the housing space,” she said during Thursday’s opening ceremony.
CHI CEO Ron Abad said he was raised in Wakefield and lived in the area for years into adulthood.
“This is a housewarming,” he said. “We are here to celebrate the folks who now have a key of their own, a lease of their own.”
Chanda James-Govan, a Hunts Point native, moved in Feb. 28 and said her new home was perfect for her and her 18-year-old son, who has autism.
Going from a shelter with no windows for six months to a fully furnished apartment has been a “remarkable experience,” she said.
“To be able to stay in the Bronx was very important to me,” said James-Govan. “Not only did I find a wonderful place to live … but the supportive people in charge here are unmatched.”
Her apartment came furnished with beds, a dining table and chairs, appliances, dressers, cleaning supplies and more. James-Govan said she has been delighted by the CHI staff onsite, who help tenants resolve issues and ensure their needs are met.
“They make it their business to make sure we are comfortable and that we are in no danger of being evicted or put out,” she said. “We don’t feel shifty. We feel our feet are firmly planted on the ground.”
In terms of the city’s overall housing outlook, Adams said he is concerned about actions at the federal level that may impact New York City residents. But despite possible federal cuts to emergency housing vouchers and major staffing cuts at agencies like HUD, “our mission is not going to change.”
“We’re going to continue to articulate for the funding that we need, then we’re going to pivot and shift and adjust,” he said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
