Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani was joined by The Doe Fund and local leaders to break ground on the Casanova Residence, a new supportive and affordable housing development in Hunts Point, the Bronx. When complete, the residence will provide 96 supportive and affordable homes with on-site services.
Casanova reflects the Mamdani administration's commitment to confronting New York City's housing crisis with the urgency it demands. Through Block by Block, the administration's housing plan, and the recently adopted City budget, Mayor Mamdani is investing $1 billion over the next two fiscal years to create and preserve supportive housing - a 60% increase over the previous two fiscal years.
"Affordable and supportive housing is how we build a city where every New Yorker can live with dignity. We're making historic investments in homes that will give New Yorkers the stability they deserve and show what's possible when government meets the housing crisis with urgency instead of excuses. This groundbreaking is another step toward a more affordable city," said Mayor Mamdani.
"Supportive housing plays a critical role in the city's housing ecosystem, and I'm happy to mark this milestone with The Doe Fund, for future Casanova tenants and for Hunts Point. This project will help New Yorkers for decades to come," said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. "We are investing in supportive and affordable housing at an unprecedented scale across the city, including through creating new housing like Casanova, and by providing the preservation assistance that many of our existing supportive housing residents deserve."
"This project represents the type of innovative housing we need to support the New Yorkers most at risk of homelessness and displacement," said HPD Commissioner Dina Levy. "Nearly 100 families and individuals will have an affordable and safe place to live. A majority of these will be in supportive housing - with on-site social services, case management, and job training. Housing like this is helping our neighbors get back on track and live dignified, fulfilling lives."
"Having worked in the Hunts Point community since 2016, I've seen firsthand the urgent need for more affordable housing here," said Jennifer Mitchell, President & CEO of The Doe Fund. "That's why I'm so excited for The Doe Fund to break ground on the Casanova Residence, and, once completed, I look forward to welcoming tenants to the newest addition to our growing portfolio. Today, that portfolio provides more than 1,300 safe, dignified affordable and supportive homes across New York City - part of our nearly 40-year record of providing New Yorkers with histories of homelessness with the tools to build brighter futures."
Fifty-eight apartments at Casanova will be supportive housing, pairing affordable homes with on-site services for individuals and families living with mental illness, substance use disorders, or disabling medical conditions. The remaining affordable apartments will be available for working class New Yorkers through the City's housing lottery.
Residents will have access to comprehensive on-site services including case management, education and job training. The building will also include free broadband, a fitness center, landscaped outdoor space, and dedicated community and service areas operated by The Doe Fund.
The Casanova Residence is one part of the Mamdani administration's broader effort to strengthen supportive housing across New York City. Earlier this year, the City launched the Supportive Preservation Program , which provides dedicated funding and technical assistance to preserve and stabilize existing supportive housing, including developments financed through city, state and federal programs. The administration has also advanced its "SPEED" initiatives, which will reduce pre-development timelines for affordable and supportive housing by as much as two years so New Yorkers can move into housing sooner.
These investments are part of the administration's "all of the above" approach to addressing the housing crisis through Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era . The plan charts a path to create 200,000 new affordable homes and preserve another 200,000 over the next decade while investing in public housing, strengthening tenant protections and expanding homeownership opportunities.
