Williamsburg Houses
In February 2022, RDC Development, The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) closed on $490 million in financing to preserve and rehabilitate Williamsburg Houses, a 20-building, 1,620-unit public housing complex in Brooklyn. The renovations of Williamsburg Houses will comprehensively improve the site, while simultaneously providing necessary social services support and property management. In addition to all property improvements, the PACT program will provide Williamsburg Houses with energy and sustainability improvements and will help to address the specific needs of the property identified by residents.
In partnership with Saint Nick’s Alliance and Grand Street Settlement, two local nonprofits with deep ties to the community and a commitment to serving New Yorkers, social services will be provided to all residents of the complex, including senior services, skills training and job placement programs, educational opportunities, and more.
Under PACT, this marks RDC’s third Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) site, totaling 4,098 units, including Betances Houses and Ocean Bay.
BETANCES
After a resounding success at Ocean Bay, RDC was selected by NYCHA to rehabilitate 1,088 units across 40 buildings throughout their Betances development in the Bronx. Betances Houses is a public-private partnership between NYCHA, RDC Development, and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York to generate funding to keep families in their homes and improve residents’ quality of life.
Over 24-months, the restoration of Betances included a major rehabilitation of building infrastructure and amenities, the implementation of security measures, and the development and implementation of a social services program tailored to the individual needs of the Betances community. The renovation also included entirely updated kitchens with new flooring, appliances, sinks, cabinetry, LED lighting, and smoke detectors; renovated bathrooms with new flooring, sinks, toilets, fixtures, and cabinetry; improved ventilation; and apartment-wide upgrades such as new windows, flooring, and fresh paint. The cumulative impact of the restoration project has improved the quality of life for this at-risk community while empowering residents to live fuller and healthier lives.
OCEAN BAY
A hallmark of RDC’s partnership is Ocean Bay, a 24-building, 1,395 unit development in Far Rockaway, Queens. It was NYCHA’s first Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) project, and the largest single-site RAD transaction in the country. Neglected due to federal divestment in public housing and devastated by Superstorm Sandy, Ocean Bay was in need of critical repairs from individual apartment units, common areas, and utility infrastructure.
RDC worked closely with NYCHA to form strong relationships with tenants, hire local, minority, and women-owned businesses, and complete all in-apartment repairs extremely efficiently with most tenants remaining in their homes. We celebrated the completion of the project, including additional resiliency and security measures, and common area improvements in Spring 2019.
