Mayor Adams, Unions, Advocates, Bronxites Rally for Affordable Housing for the East Bronx

September 7, 2022

Video available at: https://youtu.be/OcJE71GanmE

Proposed Bruckner Boulevard Project Includes Affordable Homes for Seniors, Veterans

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Adams administration officials today were joined by labor unions, advocacy groups, and Bronx community partners in support of a proposed affordable housing project, with homes for seniors and veterans, on Bruckner Boulevard in Throggs Neck. As New York City continues to face affordable housing and homelessness crises, this project would help realize Mayor Adams' vision for getting New Yorkers into the safe, high-quality, affordable housing they deserve.

"A handful of voices saying 'No' can't stop the 'City of Yes,'" said Mayor Adams. "Safe, stable, and affordable housing should not be a privilege — but we can only provide that for every New Yorker if we say yes to new affordable housing all across the city. And with family-sustaining jobs, a modern grocery store, and affordable homes, this project will enrich this community and help us make New York a city for everyone. I want to thank our brothers and sisters in labor, all the advocates, and the elected officials who have supported this project and worked so hard to make it a reality."

The proposed Bruckner Boulevard would create 349 new homes for the East Bronx, including 168 with rent protections. Among those homes would be 99 reserved for seniors and 22 for veterans in need, as well as a modernized grocery store and community facilities, including space for local youth after-school programming. If adopted, it would add much-needed housing in a community that produced just 58 new affordable homes between January 2014 and December 2021 — among the lowest of any neighborhood in the city — even while welcoming 10,000 new residents in the last decade.

The proposal requires approval by the New York City Council and is being heard today by the Council's Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. It was approved by the City Planning Commission on August 24, 2022. It has been the subject of significant public engagement in its respective community.

On June 1, 2022, Mayor Adams laid out a plan to use the city's zoning tools to create affordable housing, support small businesses, and promote sustainability — part of his vision for New York to become a more inclusive, equitable "City of Yes." The Zoning for Housing Opportunity citywide text amendment will encourage the creation of more housing in neighborhoods across the entire city.

"Every New York City neighborhood must do its part to create safe, accessible, and affordable homes for New Yorkers. This project will bring hundreds of units of new housing, including permanently affordable housing and homes for seniors and veterans," said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. "I'm proud that our administration is supporting these types of projects that will help our city not only recover from the pandemic but also thrive in its wake."

"Tackling our city's housing shortage means welcoming new neighbors into our communities citywide — and standing up to those who refuse to do so. While the Bruckner rezoning is a small-scale project, it sends an important message," said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. "New York City is the greatest city in the world because it continues to grow, change, and welcome new people. We must continue to build new housing to serve future New Yorkers and those who are struggling to afford to stay here today. We are all responsible for making this city more affordable, and that starts with projects like this one. I hope the City Council will vote yes and help us house our neighbors."

"This area has seen barely any affordable housing creation over the past decade, and these proposals are an important step in correcting that problem," said New York City Department of City Planning Director and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick. "For the sake of seniors, veterans, and all New Yorkers who are struggling to find a place to live, we need to get this done."

"Our city faces a crisis of homelessness and affordability, and every community has to be a part of the solution to expand the supply of housing," said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. "The Bronx is my home, and as a member of this community and this administration, I say yes to more affordable housing, yes to more supportive housing and compassion for our neighbors in need, and yes to more opportunities for New Yorkers to live and grow here. I call on my fellow Bronxites to say yes with me."

"This project is yet another example that New York is the model age-inclusive city. It represents an incredible opportunity to ensure working-class Bronx residents can continue to live in New York City for decades to come," said New York City Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. "We must take every opportunity to promote equitable and inclusive housing, and I welcome the City Council's partnership in this regard."

"The Bruckner Boulevard project strikes a necessary balance by creating new affordable housing that promotes family-sized units for our most vulnerable residents, opportunities for our youth to safely recreate, and a renovated supermarket for the neighborhood to access fresh and healthy food options while providing jobs to the local community," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "This project is an investment in our seniors and veterans who are in desperate need of stable housing, and we have a responsibility as a city to not turn our backs on New Yorkers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities. We should not accept segregated housing of any type in our borough and city and instead should identify ways to welcome new residents and families that add value to our neighborhoods. There are neighborhoods that are saturated with affordable and supportive housing across the city, and lower-density neighborhoods need to take on their fair share of affordable housing. On behalf of the nearly 1.5 million residents I represent, which includes the communities of Throggs Neck and Schuylerville, I want to thank Mayor Adams, the administration, our labor unions, housing advocates, and many others for their commitment to investing in housing equity, recreational activities for our youth, permanent employment opportunities, and amenities for all New Yorkers. Every project has to work on its own merits, and this one does."

"As a Bronx resident and an officer with 32BJ, I see the impacts of our city's affordable housing crisis in my borough and at work every day," said Shirley Aldebol, vice president, 32BJ SEIU. "These are urgent and real problems that require courageous and immediate action from our city's elected officials. Our union is proud to stand with Mayor Eric Adams in support of the Bruckner Rezoning currently going through the ULURP process. This rezoning is a perfect example of how we can tackle these problems at once and create better opportunities for working-class New Yorkers to thrive in this amazing city and neighborhoods like my very own Throggs Neck."

"New York City's commitment to affordable supportive housing is crucial to the health and well-being of all our residents," said Tori Lyon, CEO, Jericho Project. "For our veterans in particular, who have sacrificed so much for us, it is an honor to enable them to access safe, clean and welcoming communities."

"The citywide affordable housing crisis impacts every neighborhood, so every neighborhood must be part of the solution," said Brendan Cheney, director of policy and communications, New York Housing Conference. "Unfortunately, Council District 13, which includes Throggs Neck, is not doing its share. Over the past eight years, the district produced just 58 units of new affordable housing — the fifth-smallest number in the city during that time period. Meanwhile, the district has a real need for affordable housing: 14.7 percent of its households live below the poverty level, and more than half of renters are rent-burdened. It's time for every neighborhood to say 'Yes' to more affordable housing, and only when that happens will we be able to truly solve this problem in an equitable and sustainable manner."