The community of Inwood in Upper Manhattan, a neighborhood that is also considered part of the Little Dominican Republic in New York, celebrated on Wednesday the 26th the inauguration of The Eliza, the new building of 100% affordable housing and spaces for community services.
This inauguration marks a milestone for the Inwood Rezoning Plan, which aims to build 1,600 new affordable homes and preserve 2,500 units in that Upper Manhattan neighborhood, with a large Quisqueyan population.
In the midst of a severe housing crisis, marked by historically limited rental options, this 14-story complex, with 174 affordable apartments, had more than 80,000 applications from New Yorkers, a number that underscores the urgent need for housing solutions for the class. worker.
This housing, community and educational solution is located at 4790 Broadway, the site of the former Inwood Independent Library. This project includes a state-of-the-art library, an extensive community learning center, and a universal preschool center operated by the New York City Department of Education (DOE).
In addition to the new Inwood Library, located in the Joseph and Sheila Rosenblant complex, the building includes a mix of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments affordable to low-income households earning 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less.
Goals for 2032
Amenities include bike lockers, a shared laundry room, a recreation room, a fitness center, rooftop gardens, remote work spaces, an all-weather lounge, a deck overlooking the Hudson River, and a live-in manager. the place. The apartments have low consumption appliances.
“We have set a goal of building 500,000 new homes by 2032. We have wasted no time in implementing new state laws to create more housing and are moving full steam ahead to continue the ‘City of Yes to Housing Opportunities’ plan.” , reported Mayor Eric Adams.
The new complex, named in honor of Eliza Hamilton, the wife of Alexander Hamilton, was developed by a partnership between Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), Children’s Village, Ranger Properties, Alembic Community Development and Housing Workshop.
The winds of new zoning
This innovative concept gained traction, following an initial contribution from Robin Hood, which was made possible by a donation from Sam Rosenblatt, Sarah Goos and Jill Gordon, in honor of their late parents, Joseph and Sheila Rosenblatt. This investment was supported by a counterpart from the City, which promoted an alliance composed of private entities and local nonprofit organizations.
The development was based on a neighborhood zoning change first proposed more than a decade ago by former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.
This change in land use gave way to the possibility of constructing taller buildings than Inwood had previously allowed, to encourage the addition of more housing, particularly for low-income families.
This opening marks the first step of the promise to build subsidized housing in public places, thus expanding the affordable housing stock in that town, for the first time in decades.
This neighborhood has been put on the city map, as it is one of the places where most families have displaced, due to the impossibility of finding affordable housing.
In fact, a 2023 study by New York University’s Furman Center counted fewer than 160 affordable apartments built in Inwood and Washington Heights over the past ten years.
Indeed, all the data indicates that Inwood has the lowest proportion of public housing than most neighborhoods in the city.
“The Eliza is a great example of what the future can look like when we work together to creatively address housing challenges. We are changing the lives of more than 170 families, delivering a modern library and investing in the future of Inwood, bringing housing, education, technology and culture under one roof. That’s what we call the city of yes! said New York City Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr.
The data:
- 80,000 New Yorkers applied in the housing lottery for the 174 apartments at The Eliza, which are 100% affordable.