Cuomo Touts 12 Bushwick Supportive Units Amid Homelessness Crisis

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — Gov. Andrew Cuomo championed 76 new affordable Bushwick apartments as a victory against homelessness Tuesday as advocates reported a mounting epidemic that left more than 63,000 people sleeping in shelters this January.

Lawmakers and developers celebrated the opening of Our Lady of Lourdes Apartments, a three-building, $31 million affordable housing complex on De Sales Place and Broadway, the same day the Coalition For The Homeless released a grim report on increasing citywide homelessness.

"We are combating homelessness and providing crucial services to those who need it most," Cuomo said of the project, which will bring 12 apartments for formerly homeless New Yorkers and an 8,000-square-foot space for Workforce Development and Homelessness Prevention Services.

"With continued investments like this in neighborhoods across the state, we can ensure our most vulnerable neighbors are given more than just a home, but a chance to grow and thrive."

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Our Lady of Lourdes Apartments, co-developed by RiseBoro Community Partnership and Georgia Green Ventures, is comprised of three buildings: the former Our Lady of Lourdes rectory building at 11 De Sales Place, now fitted with 14 apartments, a six-story building at 21 De Sales Place with 44 apartments and a new eight-story building at 1875 Broadway with 18 apartments, lawmakers said.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who came to Bushwick to celebrate the opening, said the the affordable housing development signified "an investment in the people of Brooklyn."

"Now residents have a new sense of confidence knowing they have a stable home and a roof over their head," Hochul said.

"Here in New York we take care of each other, and today is a manifestation of that commitment."

But the 76 units will do little to address concerns raised in "State Of The Homeless 2019," the coalition's 40-page report that found the city has seen the number of homeless single adults double and the number of homeless families spike from 9,600 to more than 15,000 in the past decade.

The report also issued report cards to New York city and state policies regarding affordable housing, homelessness prevention and the maintenance and running of shelters. On six key criteria, New York State earned three Fs, one D, a C+ and a C.

Among multiple factors contributing to increased mass homelessness, the report blamed city and state lawmakers for responding too slowly to the need for housing for the formerly homeless.

The city’s initial goal was to open 500 supportive housing units by 2017 and expand openings each following year, but it had only opened about 850 by 2018, according to the report. In the same timeframe, New York State opened only about 550 supportive housing units.

"The Governor’s and Mayor’s delays in building supportive housing units have had tragic consequences for the most vulnerable homeless New Yorkers," the report reads.

The Coalition For The Homeless laid out numerous suggestions for Mayor Bill de Blasio — such as building at least 24,000 new units for homeless households — and for Cuomo, whom it would like to see pass the Home Stability Support program to create a longterm rent subsidy for New Yorkers who are either homeless or at risk of losing their homes.

"Both the City and State governments bear responsibility for the growing crisis," the report reads. "And both have the tools at their disposal to address it if only they had the political will."