FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2021
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov I (212) 306-3322

NYCHA Announces New PACT Partners to Provide Approximately $260 Million in Comprehensive Repairs for More Than 660 Apartments at Frederick Samuel Apartments in Manhattan

Nearly 1,400 residents at the Harlem public housing development will receive renovated apartments, building infrastructure upgrades, and redesigned public spaces as part of an ongoing resident engagement process that will guide the scope of repairs and social services

 

Current photos and proposed renderings for the developments are available here

NEW YORK - Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) formally announced the selection of Genesis Companies and Lemor Development Group as the development team to deliver comprehensive building and apartment upgrades for nearly 1,400 residents and more than 660 units at Frederick Samuel Apartments in Manhattan. The selected PACT partners will further engage residents and continue to refine their plans for renovations over the next year, with construction expected to begin in early 2023. The Authority’s community planning process incorporated a resident review committee, which reviewed and interviewed prospective development teams about the proposed building upgrades, property management practices, sustainability and design features, and plans to enhance social services. The selection of the PACT partners is an important step in the Authority’s commitment to improve living conditions for NYCHA residents. Both development partners are Harlem-Based, Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), in fulfillment of NYCHA’s new requirements.


"NYCHA continues to improve the PACT program to ensure that the work will meet the needs of residents and bring significant upgrades to homes," said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. "This selection reflects greater involvement of tenant leadership in the choice of the developer. The project will bring a range of benefits such as workforce development, enhanced social services, and sustainable design."

“The Authority is dedicated to enlisting the input of our tenant leadership and resident associations,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “The tireless passion they exhibit in envisioning the future of their homes is an indispensable resource that we will continue to leverage, and today’s PACT designation at Frederick Samuel Apartments is indicative of this approach.”

“NYCHA residents are the backbone of our campuses, and when we facilitate collaborative working relationships between them and our partners – we can deliver holistic upgrades that conform to the needs of a specific community,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia.

“The selection of this development team will create a host of benefits for our residents, in areas ranging from workforce development and social services to sustainable urban design. Our resident review committee is pleased with the selection of this development team,” said Frederick Samuel Apartments Tenant Association President Diana Blackwell. “We believe this partnership will provide our community with services to meet our many needs. These needs are critical and are known firsthand by our residents. We also anticipate them leading us in a cleaner, greener and more sustainable environment for the future.”

"I have participated in the planning of several PACT conversions with NYCHA staff, residents, community leaders, budget experts, and legal aid and other supporters of NYCHA residents. I know that the program is successful if the tenants, and their allies, are involved in every decision that impacts their homes," said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. “I have confidence that Ms. Diana Blackwell, a very well-respected Resident Leader, will ensure that the input of tenants will be at every table and will be seriously considered. The development team and NYCHA should know that the tenants of Frederick Samuels Apartments are full partners in this PACT project."

“Today’s announcement reflects the dedicated effort underway to bring comprehensive repairs and upgrades, as well as enhanced social services, to the nearly 660 households at NYCHA’s Frederick Samuel Apartments. Following an extensive review process, the selected Harlem-based MBE development teams will partner with the NYCHA residents to ensure equitable outcomes and guaranteed affordability,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “I look forward to working together with our partners to improve the quality of life for residents under the PACT program.”

“As 100 percent black-owned firms with deep roots in the Harlem area, NYCHA’s selection of Genesis Companies and Lemor Development Group to repair and enhance the Frederick Samuel Apartments marks an important moment for us, NYCHA and the community,” said Karim Hutson, Founder and Managing Member of Genesis Companies. "Genesis has a long track record of successfully turning around some of the City’s most troubled portfolios, particularly in the Harlem community where we live and work. We look forward to partnering with tenants of Frederick Samuel Apartments to create the high-quality housing they deserve.”

“We are extremely proud to play such a significant role in providing long-term stabilized housing for residents of Frederick Samuel Apartments,” said Kenneth Morrison, Co-Managing Member of Lemor Development Group. “As a second-generation real estate professional, it was my father’s vision to develop in the Central Harlem community he grew up in. With an office located in close proximity to these residents, it is a dream to enhance the living conditions for our neighbors. We are extremely humbled and honored to play such a pivotal role.”

Hundreds of residents of Frederick Samuel Apartments attended meetings about the PACT program, their rights and protections, the developer selection process, and how the Authority identifies partners best positioned to address areas of need. To assist with the engagement process, the tenant association identified several building captains to help share information about the PACT program and to answer questions from residents. Once proposals were received, a resident review committee was also convened to work with the Authority to vet submitted proposals, assess their feasibility, and interview the development teams directly. The review committee included members of the tenant association, building captains, and other residents. Review committee members provided critical insight on several resident needs and preferences across key issues such as pest management, sustainability measures, job opportunities for residents, and repairs and investments in community spaces and gardens.

Genesis Companies and Lemor Development Group will lead the project as co-developers; Monadnock Construction will be the general contractor; and VPH Management Services LLC will be the property manager. In the coming months, a non-profit social service provider will be added to the team. Both Genesis Companies and Lemor Development Group have deep ties to the Harlem community. Genesis was founded in 2004 as a full-service real estate development firm. The firm has a portfolio of 49 developments in the Harlem area and the average life span of those buildings is more than a century-old. Lemor Development Group, another minority owned entity, was established in Harlem in 2014 to manage the acquisition, development, and management of underperforming government and privately funded multifamily properties and projects. The company focuses on affordable and workforce housing in New York City, New Jersey and select markets throughout the country. The 42 buildings comprising the Frederick Samuel Apartments were constructed between 1910 and 1928. NYCHA assumed control and responsibility for managing the upkeep of the properties in 1994.

The selected PACT teams will use the Rental Assistance Demonstration program to transition operating subsidy to the Project-Based Section 8 program and finance the 20-year capital needs at each development. They will also be responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the development. NYCHA will continue to own the land and buildings, administer the Section 8 subsidy, set rents, manage the waitlist for vacant apartments, and monitor conditions at the development. With the development team now in place, NYCHA and its partners will continue to work closely with residents and tenant association leaders to plan and prepare for these historic community investments.

The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), New York City’s municipal Housing Finance Agency, is the financing partner for PACT. HDC will coordinate or provide loan financing funding by bonds issued through HDC’s Multi-Family Housing Bond Resolution (the “Open Resolution”) or the newly created Housing Impact Bond Resolution (the “Impact Resolution’), a bond resolution created solely to facilitate NYCHA transactions.

The PACT program has generated more than $1.7 billion in comprehensive apartment renovations and building infrastructure improvements to date for more than 9,500 households, with $1.2 billion in major upgrades underway and approximately $579 million in renovations that have already been completed. An additional 25,600 households are part of active development projects in the process of resident engagement or pre-development. In sum, NYCHA has more than 35,000 units completed, in construction, or in a stage of resident engagement or pre-development.

More information on NYCHA’s PACT program can be found here and here. For more information regarding upcoming PACT meetings, residents can call NYCHA at (212) 306-4036 or email pact@nycha.nyc.gov.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 15 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 350,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 20,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 75,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.

About the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC)
The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is the nation’s largest municipal Housing Finance Agency and is charged with helping to finance the creation or preservation of affordable housing under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York plan. Since 2003, HDC has financed more than 180,000 housing units using over $23.5 billion in bonds and other debt obligations, and provided in excess of $2.9 billion in subsidy. HDC ranks among the nation’s top issuers of mortgage revenue bonds for affordable multi-family housing on Thomson Reuter’s annual list of multi-family bond issuers. In each of the last seven consecutive years, HDC’s annual bond issuance has surpassed $1 billion. For additional information, visit: www.nychdc.com.