August 14, 2025

Local non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee selected to develop 100% affordable housing on a city-owned parking lot on the corner of Nevins Street and Wyckoff Street 

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations to be housed in community facility space to expand their workforce training programming in the Boerum Hill community

NEW YORK – Following April’s announcement of the development plans for the first of two affordable housing projects resulting from the Nevins and Third Request for Proposals (RFP), HPD is announcing that Brooklyn-based non-profit Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) will convert the parking lot at 153 Nevins Street into approximately 70 brand-new affordable, rent stabilized homes. The announcement comes shortly after #NYCHousingWeek2025 where the City announced record production of new affordable rental homes and supportive units for formerly homeless households.

FAC was selected to be the sole and lead developer for the project, 153 Nevins, after extensive community engagement and a months-long competitive review process. Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC (MAP) will lead the architectural design of the new building.

In addition to the vitally needed affordable housing that this project will provide, FAC’s partnership with Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) will utilize approximately 3,000 square feet of community facility space for classes and trainings so that jobless and working poor New Yorkers can gain the skills they need to establish lasting careers. BWI will also locally manufacture sustainable cabinets and do architectural millwork for the project – employing  graduates of their Brooklyn Woods woodworking training program. BWI is an FAC-affiliated organization that has helped more than 10,000 low-income jobless New Yorkers through highly effective job training and placement services since its inception in 2000. Many New Yorkers who participate in BWI’s programming live in NYCHA or HPD-subsidized affordable housing. 

“To combat the housing crisis, every piece of underutilized city land must be unlocked to provide safe and healthy affordable housing,” said Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrion Jr. “That is why transforming a parking lot into affordable housing and a job center that will provide workforce training and services to the Boerum Hill community is the right thing to do. Congratulations to Fifth Avenue Committee for such an inspiring project proposal that will provide New Yorkers with the housing and job training they need to succeed.”

“The designation of 153 Nevins Street to Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) marks an important step forward in our commitment to creating deeply affordable, community-centered housing in high-cost neighborhoods like Boerum Hill,” said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “This project reflects the values and priorities we heard from the community and brings us closer to realizing a more inclusive future for all New Yorkers. We’re proud to work with partners like FAC who share a vision for a New York where everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.” 

“Our mission is clear, our resolve is strong and we're taking action every day to build more housing across every neighborhood so that every New Yorker has a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Acting HPD Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “After a comprehensive neighborhood engagement process, we are proud to partner with the Fifth Avenue Committee—a trusted, community-based organization—to transform this parking lot into new, deeply affordable homes in Boerum Hill. In addition to housing, we’re excited to bring a workforce training center to the neighborhood, providing greater access to the tools and resources New Yorkers need to thrive. We are grateful for the support of the Council Member, the participation of the local community including key resident associations, government partners and civic groups, and the broader coalition of housing advocates across the city who continue to push for urgency and tangible solutions to this crisis.”

“The 153 Nevins Street project is a powerful example of what happens when community vision, trusted partners, and public resources come together,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif.  "I’m proud that it will deliver 100 percent affordable housing, with priority for families, larger units, and formerly homeless households. With the Fifth Avenue Committee and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations as our site partners, we’re also creating job training and employment opportunities for nearby NYCHA residents in our community. Alongside the new fully affordable senior housing at 107-114 Third Avenue, also shaped by the Nevins & Third Avenue Community Visioning, these projects reflect our commitment to keeping Boerum Hill affordable, inclusive, and resilient.”

The Development Team:

Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing economic, social, and racial justice in Brooklyn and beyond since 1978. FAC has extensive roots and experience in Boerum Hill and Gowanus. FAC led the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice for over seven years, and has organized community and NYCHA residents, civic associations, and other community-based organizations around land use actions, including 280 Bergen Street, which led to HPD’s Nevins and Third RFP for these two development sites. Read more about FAC here.

Magnusson Architecture and Planning, PC (MAP Architects) has over three decades of experience in New York City working with nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and for-profit developers to improve the lives of those who live and work in their communities. Read more about MAP Architects here.

“FAC is thrilled to have been selected by HPD to bring 70 new, beautiful affordable homes to Boerum Hill! We know firsthand how much these deeply and permanently affordable homes are needed in addition to the impactful workforce development programs provided by FAC’s workforce development affiliate, Brooklyn Workforce Innovations,” said Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee.  “FAC and our talented development team look forward to working with the local community, our elected officials, and HPD to bring this vision to reality and build on the incredible transformation underway locally as a result of the 2021 Gowanus rezoning.”

Good evening, Chair Buery, Vice Chair Greenberger, Secretary Bozorg, and members of the Charter Revision Commission. I am Ahmed Tigani, Acting Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). I am joined by my colleague Michael Sandler, Associate Commissioner for Neighborhood Strategies. We’re thankful for the opportunity to testify on how this Commission’s proposed revisions to the City Charter will accelerate our agency’s work to create and preserve affordable housing for New Yorkers and help address our long-standing fair housing challenges.

Developed with – and for – the Community:

The plan for 153 Nevins, which will replace the approximately 11,500-square-foot parking lot, was informed by the Nevins and Third Community Visioning Report and the goals outlined in the Request for Proposals (RFP), as well as with input from over 200 community members, local elected leaders, and community organizations. Community members emphasized that housing cost is a barrier to enter and stay in the neighborhood, and deeply affordable housing is needed for people facing housing insecurity. There was a desire for the ground floor use of the new building to serve the needs of the broader community, including nearby NYCHA residents, and help build community in the neighborhood.

Approximately 21 of the 70 new homes will be reserved for formerly homeless families and individuals, and the remaining 49 homes will be available on the NYC Housing Lottery. The proposed project also prioritizes inclusion of two- and three-bedroom apartments.

In addition to the workforce center operated by BWI, the building will have a large community room on the ground floor for residents to gather, host meetings, and work or play, which will open to a residential courtyard with play and seating areas. The building will also contain an emergency generator that will ensure continuous use of building elevators, Wi-Fi, and more. In the event of an emergency or loss of power, the lobby and community room will be made areas of refuge that will be heated and cooled by the generator and will provide receptacles for cell phone charging and refrigerators to cool any critical medications.

Top Notch Amenities for Building Residents:

In addition to new housing, the building will also include:

• A ground floor community room
• In-building laundry facilities for tenants
• An exercise room
• Bike storage
• Outdoor play and seating areas in the backyard.

What Comes Next:

The development team will work with HPD to:

• Communicate project updates to community stakeholders, including community boards 2 and 6, throughout the predevelopment process and during construction.
• Obtain necessary public approvals for the project, including for the disposition of City-owned property.
• Secure financing for the project before construction can begin.

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