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NEW YORK - Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, Gotham Organization, Christian Cultural Center (CCC) and Monadnock Development celebrated two major milestones at Innovative Urban Village (IUV), an affordable housing development on CCC's campus in East New York, Brooklyn. Leaders cut the ribbon on the project's first phase, delivering 386 permanently affordable homes, and marked the topping out of the next phase, which will add 453 affordable homes and a child care facility.
When complete, IUV will bring nearly 2,000 permanently affordable homes across 10 buildings to East New York, alongside child care, community programming, workforce development, a performing arts center, neighborhood retail and approximately three acres of publicly accessible open space. New streets and pedestrian routes will connect the development to the surrounding community.
"Every New Yorker deserves a safe, stable and affordable place to call home. Today, 386 homes are opening their doors in East New York, and construction is moving forward on hundreds more," said Mayor Mamdani. "Innovative Urban Village shows what we can accomplish when we build housing alongside the resources families need to thrive. We will keep building on this investment, creating and preserving affordable homes at the scale that New Yorkers need across the five boroughs."
"Today, we're celebrating a huge milestone for the East New York community - a place where generations of New Yorkers will be able to live and flourish as a result of bold choices and a grand vision for New York's future," said Governor Hochul. "Innovative Urban Village has the potential to transform lives by not only providing housing to hardworking families, but also ensuring access essential services and amenities including on-site child care, accessible grocery stores, exciting programming and career support right in their community. With today's announcement, we are not just cutting the ribbon on a beautiful new building. We are answering a prayer for hundreds of New Yorkers."
"This project shows what is possible when leaders are dedicated to delivering the affordable housing that our communities need. Today's ribbon-cutting is an exciting milestone for East New York, the Christian Cultural Center, Gotham, Monadnock and the entire city. I'm grateful for their dedication to this work and the collaboration of City and State agencies to make this a reality and look forward to seeing the full project come to fruition as a part of our citywide work to deliver the housing relief that New Yorkers deserve," said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
"Today, we are opening the doors to more than a building; we are delivering the first piece of a community shaped by years of partnership with Reverend Bernard, Christian Cultural Center and the residents of East New York," said Bryan Kelly, President at Gotham Organization. "Phase 1A demonstrates what is possible when housing, community amenities and programming, and neighborhood resources are planned together. With Phase 1B now topped out, we are also celebrating the momentum behind the next 453 homes and childcare facility that will continue bringing the broader Innovative Urban Village vision to life."
"Innovative Urban Village grew from a belief that housing should be connected to the full range of resources people and families need to thrive," said Reverend A.R. Bernard, Founder and Senior Pastor of Christian Cultural Center. "This ribbon cutting turns that belief into a lived reality for hundreds of New Yorkers. It is a powerful moment for East New York, and an important step toward the inclusive, sustainable community our partners and neighbors have envisioned together."
IUV advances the Mamdani and Hochul administrations' affordable housing goals. In May, the Mamdani administration released Block by Block: The Housing Plan for A New Era , its "all-of-the-above" approach to the city's housing crisis. The plan calls for creating 200,000 new affordable homes and preserving another 200,000 over the next decade, backed by $22 billion in affordable housing capital over five years. It also commits to holding negligent landlords accountable, investing in public housing and homeownership and accelerating affordable housing development.
Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has created or preserved more than 12,000 affordable homes in Brooklyn. Innovative Urban Village continues this effort and is part of the Governor's $25 billion five-year Housing Plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
