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LONDON: 195 affordable seniors housing apartments will be incorporated into a mixed use project in the middle of the city.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), city Housing Authority and the city Housing Development Corporation announced Thursday plans to build approximately 195 affordable homes for seniors in the Morrisania section of the Bronx.

The Sol on Park development will give rise to a 15-story mixed-use building paired with a new community health center, a nutrition education facility and a career-training spaces accessible to residents and the community at-large.

“As we try to make New York City healthier, greener, more affordable, and more prosperous, we need projects like this one that do everything at the same time,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We are creating homes for hundreds of Bronxites and New Yorkers, and we are doing it the right way — with access to the economic opportunity and health resources we all need.”

A development team comprised of NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management was selected to construct Site 1 of the Seniors First Kingsborough and Morris Houses RFP located at the corner of St. Paul’s Place and Park Avenue within the Morris II public housing development in Morrisania. Sol on Park employs a health-centric design and a robust social services model for senior households earning up to 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), or approximately $41,800 annually for a single occupant.

All households will receive project-based Section 8 vouchers, with a portion of homes set aside for both NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents and seniors experiencing homelessness. Social services for the seniors will be provided by Selfhelp’s Active Services for Aging Model (SHASAM), helping residents to manage chronic health issues, aging. and providing culturally competent health programming.

The project is part of the city’s Seniors First initiative to develop and preserve senior housing on NYCHA land and support the growth of New York’s aging population. NYCHA staff met with residents and resident leaders of Morris Houses in 2019 to inform them of the developments plans which honor residents’ preferences for senior affordable housing designed to support healthcare services, outdoor activities, nutrition, jobs and amenities that serve seniors.

The development team gave the project the theme “housing is health; health is housing,” speaking to its design and features that promote healthy living and healthy lifestyles. NYCHA and the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development sought community input to determine the development’s public-facing facilities and partnered with highly regarded local organizations on utilizing 11,500 square feet of space for new community resources including new healthcare, nutrition and career training facilities.

Sol on Park plans include:

• The Union Community Health Center, delivering a combination of primary care, dental services, behavioral health services, physical and occupational therapy, and will include career fellowship programs in healthcare, dental care and health administration.
• The Green Bronx Machine’s National Health & Wellness Center to bring urban agriculture and nutritional education programming dedicated to youth and intergenerational engagement.
• TheSUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center to focus on adult education and training for careers in healthcare and technology, helping to grow the area’s healthcare workforce and career development opportunities.
• Selfhelp’s Home Care Program and Training Center for Home Health Aides to prepare community members for careers in at-home care.