A veterans housing organization is eyeing the former School No. 75 and surrounding land for its latest project that could include up to 50 apartments and 15 townhouses. The NY Veterans Housing Coalition is seeking to purchase the former school at 57 Howard Street and neighboring parcels at 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 79, 81, 85, 86 Adams, 44, 48, 50, 86, 90, 92, 96, 98 Howard, 82, 84, 88, 90, 126, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 136, 138 Monroe, and 104, 106 Watson.
The Common Council Committee on Community Development will consider naming the organization designated developer for the City-owned sites on Tuesday.
NY Veterans Housing Coalition, Inc. (WNYVHC) was founded in 1987 to provide housing for homeless Veterans and Veterans with special needs. Since then the organization has expanded its focus by developing and managing residential housing for “low income” persons, severely disabled, homeless, and other persons who have “special needs”. They currently manage four apartment complexes consisting of 100 units in the city. It provides housing, case management, and program services to individuals who might otherwise face homelessness.
Since October 2016, WNY Veterans Housing Coalition has held five community meetings with neighborhood residents and community members and four meetings with an advisory committee that was established for the project. Based on the feedback received as a result of the meetings, the developer believes there is a community support for the project going forward.
The Developer proposes the historic adaptive reuse of the former School 75, and the construction of townhomes on vacant lots surrounding the School 75. The development plan proposes the conversion of the school building into approximately 40 to 50, one and two-bedroom affordable housing units, and new construction of between 10 and 15 single-family three or four-bedroom townhomes on the surrounding vacant lots.
In addition to the rental apartments, the former school building will include a community room for resident use, programming/service space, laundry facilities, and the management office space. The grounds of the building, including the original interior courtyard, will be used for outdoor recreation for residents. The apartments will be available for households with annual incomes at or below approximately $28,000 and $47,000, depending on household size.
The project costs are estimated at $22 million. Proposed financing includes:
- $2.2 million from the NYS Housing Trust Fund Corp
- $15 million from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity
- $5.5 million from Historic Tax Credit Equity
- $74,000 from NYS Energy Research and Development Authority