The city that never sleeps is facing a formidable housing crisis as residents find it increasingly challenging to find a place to call home. As thousands of homeless people rely on the city’s main municipal shelter system for housing, space regularly runs out and creates a critical need for more affordable and supportive housing. While obstacles for creation of housing have never been greater—due to the elimination of New York’s 421a tax incentive, higher construction costs and rising interest rates—progress is being made by collaborative developers who are taking a holistic, creative approach. Concern Housing’s new development, Concern Logan, is proof.
In the heart of Kings County at the corner of Logan Street and Pitkin Avenue, this new affordable housing development is rising from the ground up. The building will bring 65 units of supportive housing primarily for homeless veterans and adults with psychiatric disabilities in the community. To help shift this development from a vacant industrial site to a beautiful apartment building, Chase provided a $24 million construction loan.
“We are proud of the far-reaching impact this project will have, and it would not be possible without the continued work and mission of Concern Housing to change and uplift our communities,” said Chase Community Development Banker Julie Gonzalez. “Any unit of housing we can build is a positive, and the more we can build that are affordable – that, to us, is critical.”
Set to open in 2025, Concern Logan will provide safe and stable apartments for residents. Staff will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support residents as they transition out of homelessness. Providing affordable housing is the first step toward success; the second is ensuring residents have the resources they need to thrive. Concern Logan staff are trained to assist residents with a range of services including job placement, counseling and medical care.
"Until we create more housing and ensure there are more projects like this one that have all of the wraparound services and amenities people need to be successful and thriving members of the community, we're going to continue to find ourselves in the predicament that we are in today,” said Ralph Fasano, executive director of Concern Housing.
Concern Logan isn’t the only supportive housing development in Brooklyn that Concern Housing has delivered. Just down the block, Concern Pitkin takes a similar approach to addressing the affordable housing crisis in New York City. The six-story mixed-used building at 410 Warwick St. has a total of 58 apartments, all affordable with access to a community room, gym, computer room, shared laundry and outdoor patio. Concern Pitkin also provides its residents with welcome necessities including a shower curtain, coffee pot, and bedding. While small, these make a difference.
Program Director Antasha Spence knows this best. “At Concern Pitkin, I ensure the residents, many of whom are coming from shelters, have a comfortable and easy transition to their new living space,” said Spence. “I’ve worked hard to compile essential resources for our tenants, so they know firsthand where the local pantries, hospitals, libraries and grocery stores are, as many are moving into their first apartment and come from outside of Brooklyn.” Beyond providing a comfortable move-in experience, Spence’s responsibilities as program director include providing financial guidance to ensure residents understand how to pay rent. Concern Logan will provide an identical service to its residents.
Organizations like Concern Housing are transforming New York City through collaborations across the public and private sector. JPMorgan Chase, through its more than 220-year commitment to investing in New York’s economy and providing safe, secure and affordable housing for all New Yorkers, has been a long-standing partner of Concern Housing and played an integral role in making Concern Logan and Concern Pitkin a reality.
Adapted with permission from “Concern Housing and JPMorgan Chase Tackle the New York Housing Crisis One Unit at a Time,” New York Business Journal
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