CITY OFFICIALS JOIN MACQUESTEN AND UNION GROVE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF MOTHER ARNETTA CRAWFORD HOUSING COMPLEX

$27 Million Project on Hoe Avenue is Helping to Transform Neighborhood with High Quality, Affordable Apartments

BRONX, N.Y. (October 16, 2015) – The New York City Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) joined Rella Fogliano, President of MacQuesten Development, the Union Grove Community Economic Development Corporation (UGCEDC), and development partners along with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., New York City Councilwoman Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, and representatives from Bronx Community Board 3,  today to celebrate the Grand Opening of Mother Arnetta Crawford Apartments, a newly constructed apartment complex that is aiding in the  transformation of the Crotona Park East neighborhood of the Bronx.

Also in attendance was Gloria Velez, a resident of the new apartment complex who was the winner of a unique lottery held in August for prospective tenants by MacQuesten Development. Velez was selected among prospective tenants to move into a fully furnished and decorated two-bedroom apartment at the complex.

“The fundamental reason we work to create affordable housing is to provide opportunity for those in need. This development made possible new opportunities through stable, quality homes for 84 low-income families and individuals. Affordable housing also anchors communities, and so it is only fitting that this development and the one that preceded it are named after individuals who have long anchored this neighborhood and this community,” said HPD Commissioner Vicki Been. “I would like to thank MacQuesten Development and Union Baptist Church, and our colleagues at NYCHA and HDC for partnering with us to create this important project. It is because of your commitment and dedication that these families are able to call this beautiful new development home.”

“HDC is committed to working with partners, like MacQuesten Development and Union Grove Baptist Church to create safe, quality affordable homes that add value to neighborhoods, and make a profound impact on people’s lives,” said Gary Rodney, President of HDC.  “Mother Arnetta Crawford exemplifies what can be accomplished through public-private partnership to foster strong, sustainable communities. I would like to thank our elected officials and all our partners for their commitment to this project and our mission of providing quality, affordable housing for all New Yorkers.”

“We are very proud to celebrate the grand opening today of this beautiful new building which is providing residents with attractively designed affordable apartments. The focus of all our projects is to provide well-designed, sustainable multi-family and affordable housing for the communities where they are needed the most. And that’s exactly what we have achieved with this new project. Finally, I would like to thank Union Grove Community Economic Development Corporation and the city officials joining us today who helped make this project a reality,” said Rella Fogliano, President of MacQuesten Development.

Located at 1500 Hoe Avenue in the Bronx, Mother Arnetta Crawford Apartments is a seven-story, 78,000-square-foot building with 84 one- and two-bedroom affordable apartments. In order to maximize natural light in corridors the architects designed a full height glass wall at the elevator court facing Hoe Avenue. The building’s construction is masonry and concrete plank.  The building has two elevators, two means of egress, full sprinkler system, trash chute with recycling room and a secure lobby; all the mechanicals are placed on the top floor. Accessory residential uses includes a laundry, tenant storage and community space. The indoor community space is located on the 8th floor and has a roof terrace; included in the design is a secure, outdoor recreation area housing benches and game tables and children’s play equipment as well as bicycle racks housed in the parking area. The attractively designed building features LEED Silver Level design and construction, minimizing its impact on the environment.

All apartments in this development are affordable to low-income households earning an annual income no more than $36,120 for an individual and $46,440 for a family of three. Additionally 20 percent of the units have been set aside for formerly homeless households. An additional 25 percent of the units were set aside for households referred to by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from its waitlist.  The above income levels are set according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2015 calculations.

This project was developed as the second phase of the Rev. Dr. Fletcher C. Crawford Apartments which was completed in 2012. The developments namesake Rev. Dr. Crawford led the Union Grove Baptist Church for 50 years and retired in 2006. A veteran of World War II, Rev. Dr. Crawford is a member of numerous organizations and has been a strong leader in the community. In doing so, he has organized a number of community initiatives such as summer youth programs and programs to assist residents with social services. Rev. Dr. Crawford accomplished all of this alongside his wife, affectionately known as ‘Mother Arnetta Crawford.’ The couple has been married since 1962, they, along with their four children, continue to serve the Union Grove Baptist Church and work to meet the needs of the community.

The total development cost for Mother Arnetta Crawford Apartments is approximately $26.5 million.  HDC provided $13.25 million in tax-exempt bonds for the construction financing and $3.7 million in permanent.  HPD contributed $4.9 million in 421a funds, as well as $1.5 million in Reso A and a $164,693 NYSERDA grant.  Additionally, Bank of America provided $10.7 million in Tax Credit equity.

City financed affordable housing units are rented through NYC Housing Connect, an Open Lottery System to ensure fair and equitable distribution of housing to income-eligible applicants. Marketing of the apartments and the application process for the lottery typically begins when construction is approximately 70 percent complete. For more information regarding the affordable housing lottery process or if you would like to receive an e-mail when HPD updates its available apartment and home website listings for City-subsidized housing in the five boroughs, please visit the ‘Find Housing’ page under the ‘Renter’ tab at www.nyc.gov/hpd. Current housing lotteries are also available at www.nyc.gov/housingconnect. Applicants may submit either a paper application or an electronic application. Duplicate applications will be disqualified.

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About New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD):
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York: A Five-Borough Ten-Year Plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable units for New Yorkers at the very lowest incomes to those in the middle class. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/nychpd and www.twitter.com/nychousing.

About the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC):
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 120,000 housing units using over $13.7 billion in bonds, and provided in excess of $1.6 billion in subsidy from corporate reserves. HDC has been the #1 issuer in the nation of mortgage revenue bonds for affordable multi-family housing in each of the last three years. In Affordable Housing Finance Magazine’s most recently published annual listing of the nation’s top ten funders of multi-family housing, HDC is the only municipal entity on the list.  HDC is also the third largest affordable housing lender in the U.S. after Citi and Wells Fargo, ranking ahead of such industry leaders as Bank of America and Capital One. For additional information, visit: www.nychdc.com.

MacQuesten Development:
Based in Pelham, NY, MacQuesten Development specializes in financing, designing and construction management of multi-family, affordable housing and commercial properties, which are then privately held by affiliated companies. The company has developed 11 buildings and 1,500 units of affordable housing in New York City and Westchester County since 1992. MacQuesten has current development projects in excess of $200 million throughout the five boroughs and Westchester County. The company’s other affordable housing developments in the Bronx include Palmer Court Homes, Claremont Park Apartments, Rev. Dr. Fletcher C. Crawford Housing, Webster Place Apartments and Hughes Avenue Crescent.

Contact: Juliet Morris (HPD),
Christina Sanchez (HDC),