Nonprofit builds new supportive, affordable housing in East Harlem
The nonprofit Breaking Ground NYC has broken ground on renovations to an East Harlem building recently used to house asylum seekers.
An old dorm is about to become the third-largest supportive housing complex in the country in a neighborhood that is among those needing the most help.
Over 400 new affordable apartments coming to East 97th Street
Thirty-five years after its founding, Breaking Ground has built its foundation on building up the lives of thousands struggling through society.
President and CEO Brenda Rosen showed off their newest effort on East 97th Street to offer more than 400 new affordable apartment homes.
"They have a home, and not just a room," Rosen said of the studios taking shape. "We are always thinking about how to take a small space and make it feel larger."
The entire interior is in the midst of an extensive remodel, retrofitting it for formerly homeless and substance-dependent tenants who still need services, alongside Housing Preservation and Development lottery applicants who earn less than 60% of the area median income.
Wells Fargo Bank and its foundation have provided significant financial support for Breaking Ground's groundbreaking work since 2010.
Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment director Page Travelstead said each of the bank's partnering projects has seen success, which is why her division oversaw the nearly $25 million letter of credit for the building, as the Foundation dedicates another $500,000 to programming and furnishings once it opens.
"This is just a way that we can give back to our communities that we serve, but also to make the places that we work a better place for everyone that's there," Travelstead said.
Breaking Ground's East Harlem building will open in about two years, with lottery applications for apartments accepted, starting next year. To see and apply for available HPD lotteries, click here.
"You live independently, but we are there"
Wells Fargo staff also volunteer at sites to continue supporting those Breaking Ground serves, like at the 90 Sands building in Dumbo, Brooklyn, which bears the bank's name and is the second-largest supportive housing complex in the country.
"This is permanent housing, and everybody has a lease, so you live independently, but we are there," Rosen said.
Nora Leach has been staying in her 90 Sands studio since last summer. She ended up in the shelter system after her son's murder in 2020, which left her in a state of depression and unable to support herself.
"I wake up in the morning and look at his picture," Leach said. "That keeps me going."
Now Leach's apartment overlooks the subway she rides to visit her grandkids.
"I worked hard for this, and I ain't letting nobody make me give it up," Leach said.
Breaking Ground's outreach teams work closely with city homeless services to identify those ready to take the next step, and they build relationships to ensure a smooth transition.
"They actually feel safer out on the streets," Rosen said, "so our job is to understand that, and when they are ready to come inside, we are here to help them."
Another Breaking Ground building, especially for low-income seniors, opens later this year in Jamaica, Queens.
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