HPD Seeks Partners and Proposals for a Climate Resilient 100-Percent Affordable Housing Project in the South Bronx

August 18, 2022

The City Expects to Build Approximately 80 New Affordable Homes Serving Low-Income Families in a Building Designed to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Heat Waves

NEW YORK, NY - The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is now accepting proposals to build a climate resilient, 100 percent affordable housing project for approximately 80 homes in the South Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven. The 351 Powers Avenue Request for Proposals (RFP) builds on the neighborhood's vision to transform an undeveloped City-owned lot into new high-quality affordable housing for low-income families that includes features to ensure safe and healthy homes amid a future changed climate.

As part of the Housing Our Neighbors blueprint for housing and homelessness, the Adams Administration is advancing climate risk mitigation strategies for the neighborhoods facing the worst impacts of climate change. The 351 Powers Avenue project is one of dozens of forthcoming projects that will help the City prepare for a changing climate through a pilot program led by the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) aimed at incorporating design standards specified in the City's Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines (CRDG), into the City's building and infrastructure projects.

"Our administration is working every day to tackle our affordable housing and climate crises, and, with this project, we're tackling both at the same time," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "This project will create the green jobs and deliver the green affordable housing the city needs, and I look forward to seeing this building provide homes for Bronxites and New Yorkers."

"The science is clear - New York City's affordable housing stock must be built to withstand increasingly high temperatures and rising sea levels, particularly in parts of the city that are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. "We look forward to reviewing proposals for the 351 Powers Avenue site that are designed with the city's future and the residents' wellbeing in mind."

"Resilient and forward-looking design must become an integral part of the project planning process as we adapt our city for a changing climate," said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. "We applaud HPD's use of the City's Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines in the design of this 100-percent affordable project to safeguard the health, safety, and affordability of our housing stock for this and future generations."

"Mott Haven is in dire need of affordable housing and that's exactly what we will deliver on this site," said New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. "We pushed to make this site available, and with the launch of the RFP process, we will transform this undeveloped lot into roughly 80 new affordable homes that stand up to the impacts of climate change. Thank you to HPD and Mayor Adams for launching this exciting process."

Located on an undeveloped portion of 351 Powers Avenue, the project is expected to yield approximately 80 new affordable homes. In developing the RFP, HPD gathered community input through a 6-month engagement series. The goals and priorities generated from this process are outlined in the 351 Powers Avenue Community Visioning Report.

A key goal of the development's design and performance should address extreme heat in the region. The South Bronx is one of several New York City communities already vulnerable to extremely high temperatures and expected to increase due to climate change. Health and wellness focused design and planning are also encouraged components of RFP submissions.

Additionally, HPD's Equitable Ownership Requirement applies to the project - an M/WBE or eligible non-profit must hold a minimum 25 percent managing ownership stake in the project. M/WBEs, Community Housing Development Organizations, Community Development Corporations, and Community Land Trusts that bring enhanced and tangible community development benefits are encouraged to submit proposals.

Heat-Resilient Building Guidelines

Every summer, over 100 New Yorkers die from causes exacerbated by extreme heat as the New York City region has seen a steady increase in temperatures. By the 2050s, the number of days at or above 90°F is expected to double, and the frequency and length of heat waves will triple. New Yorkers in certain areas - particularly east Brooklyn, the South Bronx, northern Manhattan, and southeast Queens - already face increased heat-related mortality risks due to socio-economic conditions that determine sensitivity to heat including age, income, location, tree coverage, and the percentage of dark, heat absorptive surfaces in their neighborhoods. The City recognizes the need to ensure that its capital projects, particularly those serving vulnerable New Yorkers, must be designed to withstand and provide safe and healthy shelter to occupants even as the climate changes. The project at 351 Powers Avenue is part of a pilot program to roll out this new climate resilient design standard. By 2026, all City capital projects will have to incorporate data on future climate change into their designs and certify their preparedness for extreme weather threats including intense rainfall, coastal storm surge, chronic high tide flooding, and extreme heat.

A pre-submission conference will be held on September 13, which applicants are highly encouraged to attend and ask questions. The deadline for submissions to the RFP is November 18. For more information on the 351 Powers Avenue RFP, visit the HPD website.

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