Queens BP Donovan Richards, Related Companies & Win unveil Harriet Tubman supportive housing in Far Rockaway, Queens

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Related Companies and Win (formerly Women in Need) today unveil The Harriet Tubman Building in Far Rockaway, Queens. The Harriet Tubman Building is a 75,049-square-foot, 100% supportive housing development with 63 units. Win, the largest provider of supportive housing for families in the city, will offer on-site, tailored social services for residents. The building, adjacent to Related’s Gateway Apartments, will also include a 1,200-square-foot community room and a 2,000-square-foot children’s playground that will be open to the public.

The Harriet Tubman Building, located at 1403 Gateway Boulevard, offers high-quality units through a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Win, founded in 1982 with the mission to transform lives by providing the safe housing, critical services and ground-breaking programs needed for families to succeed on their own, will staff the building with case workers and support staff to provide each family with individualized counseling, educational and employment services and skill-building and recreational activities.

“This development is an opportunity to stabilize families by reducing long-term homelessness with permanent affordable housing that includes critical supportive services,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. “This project a critical piece to the revitalization of Far Rockaway and provides community space for children, families and local organizations to create a better place to live and thrive. Thank you to Related Companies and Win for their commitment to investing in Far Rockaway the Rockaways and for delivering the resources to lift up our community.”

“Approaching the city to create new affordable housing units adjacent to a development we preserved over 10 years ago was important to us as a company and emblematic of our commitment to building strong, inclusive communities for all,” said Jeff T. Blau, CEO of Related Companies. “As one of the largest private owners of affordable housing in the United States, we are extremely proud of this public-private partnership and to work closely with Borough President Richards and Christine Quinn to bring crucial health and human services to those in need.”

“These brand new units of supportive housing will provide families leaving shelter with a safe place to call home that will help them find long-term independence and stability,” said Christine C. Quinn, president and CEO of Win. “Win thanks Queens Borough President Donovan Richards for his partnership and we are excited to work with Related Companies to offer wraparound, on-site services to these families, ensuring residents have the support and resources they need to break the cycle of homelessness permanently.”

“I am proud to have been a part in bringing 100% supportive housing and much needed resources to the Far Rockaway community,” said Jamar Adams, managing partner of Essence Development. “Thank you to Christine Quinn and Win, Queens BP Donovan Richards, the team at Related, MHG Architects and Monadnock for your partnership in this extraordinary project.”

“Pairing affordable housing with supportive services is a critical pillar of the mayor’s housing plan, and the new Harriet Tubman building is the latest project designed to give our most vulnerable neighbors a better opportunity to live an independent, full and healthy life,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “Harriet Tubman residents will get individual support for their physical and mental wellbeing, empowering them to seize education and job opportunities to secure a better future. I want to thank Related Companies, WIN and the Queens Borough President Donovan Richards for their partnership on this beautiful development and welcome the residents to their new homes.”

The Harriet Tubman Building’s on-site social services will address individual medical and clinical needs including mental and behavioral health services, counseling targeted to support the youngest residents, educational opportunities, job and career readiness development programs, building security, tenant relations, rent collection support, recreational group activities and more. The building will also have its own case managers who will develop service plans that lay out specific actions and steps a client will take, the actions and steps the case manager will take to support the client and the additional resources that are available to support the client. In addition to this, a certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner will be on-site in the Licensed Area at least two days each week.

The Harriet Tubman Building was designed by MHG Architects and Monadnock Construction served as the construction manager. All units have set aside income limits of 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) with 10% of the units set aside at 40% of AMI. Tenants were referred by the City Department of Homeless Services and many came from Win’s temporary homeless shelters.

The Harriet Tubman Building is part of the final phase of a public-private, multi-phase initiative to bring lasting and impactful investment to Far Rockaway. That phase is the development of supportive, affordable, mixed-income and market rate housing spurred by the rezoning of downtown Far Rockaway. In total, the city has pledged or invested $288 million to bring housing, shopping, business opportunities, transportation and infrastructure fixes, arts programs and more to Far Rockaway. Other upgrades include a completed $25 million sewer system upgrade; a Small Business Service program to renovate storefronts along Mott Avenue, on which Rockaway South sits; and $4.4 million in upgrades to local parks.

Public investment in Rockaway, starting with large-scale infrastructure upgrades to the transportation system including new ferry service and bus lines, has continued with a series of other infrastructure upgrades undertaken by NYCEDC. This effort will culminate with a Snøhetta-designed, Public Design Commission Award-winning library set amid a fully redesigned green plaza. Coupled with the NYCEDC work, the city has designated a long-abandoned shopping center directly across from the subway station in downtown Far Rockaway as an Urban Renewal Area, acquiring the site, which is slated for development by Phipps Houses, for $91 million. Phipps Houses recently secured loans in the amount of roughly $230 million from Housing Development Corporation to begin the construction of Far Rockaway Village on the site. Far Rockaway Village will include roughly 1,700 units when completed.

For high-resolution renderings of Harriet Tubman Supportive Housing, please visit: https://related.box.com/s/fbtnojfgoctd5nnxoqh2v72fqi391jw9

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About Related Companies:
Related Companies is a global real estate and lifestyle company defined by innovation and the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States. Formed over 45 years ago, Related is the largest private owner of affordable housing and a fully-integrated, highly diversified industry leader with experience in virtually every aspect of development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing, and sales. Headquartered in New York City, Related has offices and major developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Florida, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi and London, and boasts a team of approximately 4,000 professionals. With over $60 billion in assets owned or under development including the 28-acre Hudson Yards neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side, The Grand and Related Santa Clara in California and The 78 in Chicago. Related was recently named to Fast Company Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World. For more information about Related, please visit www.related.com.