Affordable Housing Lottery Still Open as Conversion of Downtown Brooklyn YWCA Wraps

A YWCA that opened in Downtown Brooklyn in 1912 and has served for decades as temporary housing for clients of the Office of Mental Health is just about ready to debut new affordable and supportive housing.

The Nevins Street Apartments, at 50 Nevins Street between State and Schermerhorn Streets, is made up of the 110-year-old building and a new 10-story building built on an adjacent parking lot. The two buildings, which share a common core, include 129 apartments and 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

Technically an addition, according to DOB permits, the new section broke ground in 2019. Made of light brown brick, it wraps around the top of the YWCA but is visually distinct from the Frank Freeman-designed Colonial Revival building, which the project left intact.

When Brownstoner stopped by Monday, the complex appeared all but finished. The green construction fence is still up on the ground floor and the DOB permit is not yet signed off.

Of the 129 apartments, 78 are reserved for those formerly homeless, veterans, young adults and people recovering from substance use disorder, Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press release Monday. The remaining 51 will be available to those earning at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income, or between $35,418 and $99,300 depending on apartment and family size. A lottery for the available apartments is set to close in 11 days.

The YWCA building was originally built in 1912 as a single room occupancy residential building for single women. In 1998, it was bought by the Institute for Community Living, and it has been operated by the nonprofit as a transitional housing facility for clients of the Office of Mental Health since. As part of the building’s redevelopment, undertaken by ICL, the 150 single rooms have been converted into self-contained apartments.

ICL will provide on-site support services to tenants, who will have access to the building’s common laundry facilities, 24/7 front desk security, a community room, a gym and yoga room, a computer lab and a classroom.

According to the governor’s press release, the $72 million development received $13.6 million in tax-exempt bonds, $27.3 million in equity through federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and a $9 million subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal in state financing. The New York State Office of Mental Health will provide $1.9 million annually for rental assistance and services for the supportive units through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.

New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development also provided $10.6 million from the Supportive Housing Loan Program. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in the release that the project represented “exactly what we need more of in New York City: collaboration between city and state to provide affordable homes for families in shelters, New Yorkers struggling with mental health challenges, or veterans who have served our country bravely and need a place to call home.”

City Council Member Lincoln Restler added that ICL had been providing services for Brooklynites in need for decades, saying he was “thrilled to welcome new residents into the gut-rehabbed and expanded Nevins supportive housing development.”

“Supportive housing is critical to solving our housing and homelessness crises and I’m excited to keep doing everything we can to bring more supportive housing developments to our community,” he said.

[Photos by Susan De Vries]

Related Stories

• Building of the Day: 50-66 Nevins Street
• City Council OKs Controversial Atlantic Avenue Towers After Developer Ups Affordable Units
• Lottery Launches for Affordable Housing at Former Witnesses’ Dorm With Supportive Units in DoBro

Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.