Press Releases

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Email: press.office@exec.ny.gov

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New York State announced the completion of Edwin's Place, a new 125-apartment affordable and supportive housing in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood. Eighty-eight of the apartments are reserved for formerly homeless individuals and families, including veterans. Edwin's Place builds on the Governor's Vital Brooklyn initiative to revitalize Central Brooklyn, one of the most disadvantaged areas of the State.   

  

"Our most vulnerable New Yorkers deserve to have a safe, decent and affordable place to call home, as well as access to the vital services they need," former Governor Cuomo said. "Edwin's Place is an example of what we are doing to make that a reality across Brooklyn's neighborhoods. Our ongoing fight to end homelessness and housing insecurity means investing in high-quality supportive developments like this that benefit both residents and the entire community."    

  

Edwin's Place is part of New York State's commitment to providing all New Yorkers with access to safe, affordable housing thanks to the State's unprecedented $20 billion, five-year Housing Plan. The plan makes housing accessible and combats homelessness by building and preserving more than 100,000 units of affordable housing and 6,000 units of supportive housing.

 

This new development complements the State's $1.4 billion Vital Brooklyn initiative, which targets and invests in eight integrated areas including health care and housing, and establishes a new standard for addressing chronic economic and racial disparities in Brooklyn's high-need communities. Breaking Ground, the developer of Edwin's Place, is also a member of the team recently tapped to bring a modern, mixed-use wellness-oriented development to the campus of the Kingsboro Psychiatric Center, which is one of Brooklyn's largest health institutions and one of the eight Vital Brooklyn sites.    

  

Edwin's Place has a mix of studio and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. There is 3,000 square feet of retail space along the developing Livonia Avenue retail corridor that is occupied by the Brooklyn-based nonprofit Power of Two, which works with young parents to nurture the inherent potential of every child and family. On-site social services are offered to all residents in the building, which will be funded by a contract between the African American Planning Commission Inc. and New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  

  

Edwin's Place was built in accordance with New York State's policy of supporting sustainable, green and affordable development. The design features continuously insulated walls; triple-glazed windows; a green roof; and a roof-top photovoltaic solar array - all contributing to reduced energy use.   

  

The eight-story building features a 24-hour attended lobby, state of the art security systems, a laundry room, fitness room, and a multipurpose room for tenant and community events. The L-shaped building has a sunken courtyard that provides various outdoor amenities and natural lighting. In addition, a renowned artist—who requested to remain anonymous—created 125 unique paintings for incoming Edwin's Place residents to adorn their new permanent home.   

  

Alongside developer Breaking Ground is co-developer, the African American Planning Commission Inc. This is Breaking Ground's seventh building in Brooklyn and its 25th development In New York City.   

  

HCR funding for Edwin's Place included $11.7 million in tax-exempt bonds and federal low-income housing tax credits that generated $31.5 million in equity and nearly $9.5 million in subsidy. Additional State funding was provided by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance through the Homeless Housing Assistance Program. New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development provided $10.7 million through its Supportive Housing Loan Program and 88 project-based Section 8 vouchers. Additional support was provided by National Grid. Edwin's Place was designed by the renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects.  

  

HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "The $75 million investment in Edwin's Place complements Governor Cuomo's comprehensive Vital Brooklyn initiative, which was created to break down barriers to quality affordable housing, address inequalities, and build a stronger Brooklyn and more stable Brownsville. If we learned anything from the COVID pandemic, it's that home is the foundation of health and that people need to live where they feel supported and safe. That's why I am so grateful to our many partners — Breaking Ground and AAPC, our sister State agencies, the City of New York, and others — for providing this life-changing housing for 125 households. Edwin's Place renews our commitment to investing in Central Brooklyn's underserved neighborhoods and delivering the affordable homes and services that all New Yorkers deserve."   

  

OTDA Commissioner Mike Hein said, "Very often when an individual experiences homelessness, there are underlying issues that play a contributing role. The supportive housing units at Edwin's Place will provide the services housing insecure individuals can rely on to help address these issues and break cycles of homelessness. This project, like so many others supported by the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, is furthering the Governor's unprecedented $20 billion, five-year plan to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe, affordable homes." 

  

Assemblywoman Latrice Walker said, "New York is in a state of emergency when it comes to affordable housing and permanent affordable housing is exactly what we need. I look forward with great anticipation to working with Edwin's Place and their community partners which will provide resources and services that are greatly needed to stabilize this community." 

  

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, "Several years ago, I wrote that Brownsville's pain is nothing compared to its promise. Despite the decades of disinvestment and myriad challenges the neighborhood has weathered, there is still so much in Brownsville that makes me optimistic about its future for true community-driven revitalization. Projects like Edwin's Place are a case in point; this beautiful new development will provide state-of-the-art housing and amenities to a diverse community, with a particular and much-needed focus on serving formerly homeless individuals and families. This project will also help advance our shared mission of providing quality early childhood development resources to underserved areas of our borough. I thank Breaking Ground and the African American Planning Commission Inc. for investing in this community, and I look forward to working with them in the future to lift up the vulnerable and marginalized in our city by providing safe, affordable housing and good services for all our communities." 

  

HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll said, "Through the Mayor's Your Home NYC housing plan, we are working aggressively with all our partners to ensure more of the city's most vulnerable residents have the security of an affordable home, and all our neighborhoods have the assets they need to thrive. Edwin's Place represents a key milestone in the Brownsville Plan, bringing 125 affordable homes with supportive services for formerly homeless and low-income New Yorkers in addition to a dynamic community facility space in a beautifully- and sustainably-designed development that will add to the vibrancy of the Livonia Avenue retail corridor and the entire Brownsville neighborhood. I would like to thank Breaking Ground, the African American Planning Commission Inc., our partners at the State, and all those who share our commitment to creating a more affordable, equitable New York City." 

   

Brenda Rosen, President and CEO of Breaking Ground said, "The current pandemic has made clear that now more than ever, housing is health. Edwin's Place represents our commitment to developing safe and dignified homes to help vulnerable New Yorkers escape and avoid homelessness. Though this project has been many years in the making, it could not have been completed at a more crucial moment. We are proud to bring this beautiful new residence to the Brownsville community, and join our State and City partners in building a New York where people can lead stable, secure lives in thriving neighborhoods."   

  

Matthew Okebiyi, Founder & CEO of African American Planning Commission, Inc. said, "Edwin's Place is an important milestone in AAPCI's development of affordable and supportive housing. The project has allowed us to transition homeless individuals and families out of temporary homeless shelters into quality affordable and supportive housing with continued onsite support services. Tenants will live in an environment with mixed income families where they can resume normal, meaningful, productive lives. We too are proud to join our City, State and development partners in being able to bring this beautiful new residence to the Brownsville community."  

  

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