Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), City agencies and development partners broke ground on Sol on Park, a 229-apartment, 100% affordable senior housing development on the Morris Houses campus in the Bronx.
The project represents the largest use of the Transfer of Assistance program to date. Through the program, NYCHA, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) are leveraging public land to create new affordable senior housing for current NYCHA residents, formerly homeless New Yorkers and low-income seniors.
"New Yorkers are facing a housing crisis, and we have no time to waste," said Mayor Mamdani. "Sol on Park shows what is possible when we invest in NYCHA and use every tool available to build affordable homes. This project will give current NYCHA residents and low-income seniors the opportunity to move into new, high-quality homes while strengthening the Morris Houses community. That's what building a city for the many looks like."
"Sol on Park shows what is possible when we bring a human-centered approach to delivering affordable housing. When this project is complete, it will provide brand-new housing to formerly homeless and low-income seniors as well as NYCHA residents - along with new community and open space. I'm grateful to the many public agencies, development partners, and neighborhood residents who have made this milestone possible and who will continue to ensure this deeply needed affordable housing is a success," said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
"Sol on Park is an excellent example of how we can leverage underutilized land on NYCHA properties and innovative tools like Transfer of Assistance to deliver brand-new, modern, and permanently affordable homes for seniors," said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. "We are investing in the Morris Houses community by reserving 80 apartments for existing residents and providing a brand new space for the Resident Association in the new 18-story building. We are grateful to the development team and all of our city partners for their collaboration and partnership in helping turn this vision into a reality."
"Sol on Park exemplifies our commitment to both seniors and public housing tenants," said HPD Commissioner Dina Levy. "Not only will the project create more than 225 affordable homes for seniors, including current NYCHA residents and formerly homeless seniors, it will also provide social services and a new health and wellness center."
"Sol on Park will help address the urgent housing needs of older New Yorkers by providing nearly 230 deeply affordable homes paired with on-site social services that will allow residents to age with dignity and stability," said HDC President Eric Enderlin. "HDC looks forward to working with all our partners to bring this transformative project to life."
Developed by The NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group and Foxy Management, Sol on Park will include 80 homes reserved for current NYCHA residents living at Morris I and II, 69 homes for formerly homeless seniors and 79 homes available through the Housing Connect lottery for low- and middle-income seniors. The development will also include health-focused amenities, more than 8,000 square feet of community space, a pedestrian plaza and a new, fully accessible space for the Morris Houses Resident Association.
Construction is now underway, with pre-leasing and early move-ins scheduled for early 2029.
Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, Sol on Park will be built to LEED Platinum and Passive House standards. The development will use a high-performance, energy-efficient design that supports resident health and comfort while reducing energy consumption. On-site services will be provided through partnerships with Union Community Health Center and Green Bronx Machine's National Health & Wellness Center.
The project represents New York City's largest application of the Transfer of Assistance program to date. The innovative financing tool uses public land and investment to create new, permanently affordable housing while opening existing NYCHA apartments for future residents and giving current residents an opportunity to move into newly constructed affordable homes.
The Mamdani administration and NYCHA plan to expand the use of the Transfer of Assistance program through the Block by Block housing plan.
Investing in public housing and rebooting NYCHA as a public developer is a key component of Block by Block. Mayor Mamdani's first capital plan includes the largest capital investment in NYCHA in recent history. Alongside additional expense budget investments, these resources will support comprehensive building repairs, bring vacant apartments back online, repair elevators and address mold and leaks.
Sol on Park is also example of the Mamdani administration's commitment to building new housing on publicly owned land. On his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani created the Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) Task Force to identify publicly owned sites and accelerate housing development. In July, the administration launched the LIFT Tracker , showing the City's work to create more than 50,000 new homes across more than 100 active sites.
The administration will continue an aggressive pace of affordable housing development on City-owned land, releasing additional requests for proposal (RFPs) each year.
"NYCHA residents should benefit from investment and new construction happening on their campus and today, we are one step closer today to being able to deliver 228 permanently affordable senior homes to this community, including 80 apartments for NYCHA residents," said NYCHA Chief Real Estate Officer Heather Beck. "By using Transfer of Assistance, we will provide senior households at Morris Houses an opportunity to move into a brand new, accessible building with social services ensuring they can age in place in dignity. We look forward to seeing construction advance and to welcoming Morris Houses seniors into their new homes."
"Sol on Park serves as a blueprint for how we build deeply affordable and quality housing that enables our older adults to age in place with the dignity and respect that they deserve," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "I am excited to break ground on this important project, which will provide stability and support to our seniors and formerly unhoused New Yorkers, giving our most vulnerable residents an opportunity to live in an environment that prioritizes their security and well-being. Thank you to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Housing Authority, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, The NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management for their support of this project and for bringing us one step closer to the finish line."
"Sol on Park represents a tremendous milestone for The NRP Group as our first development in New York City and that will deliver much-needed affordable housing for seniors and formerly unhoused New Yorkers," said Jonathan Gertman, Senior Vice President of Development at The NRP Group. "This project reflects the power of thoughtful public-private partnership, bringing together NYCHA, HPD, HDC, Selfhelp Realty Group, Foxy Management and numerous community stakeholders through one of the most innovative affordable housing financing structures we've seen in the country. We're proud to help deliver a community that will create lasting benefits for residents, the Morris Houses campus and the broader Bronx community."
"We're excited to reach this groundbreaking milestone for Sol on Park and are grateful to our partners at NYCHA, HPD, HDC, our co-developers, and especially the residents of Morris Houses, whose collaboration has been essential every step of the way. Sol on Park reflects what's possible when mission-driven partners come together with a shared focus on seniors and community," said Selfhelp Realty Group Executive Director Lisa Trub. "We're proud to break ground on Sol on Park, which will bring hundreds of permanently affordable homes, paired with social services and meaningful amenities, to the Morris Houses campus. At Selfhelp Realty Group, Sol on Park reflects our commitment to building deeply affordable housing with on-site services so older adults can age with dignity in the community they call home."
"We are incredibly grateful to our partners and the multitude of city agencies whose collaboration and ingenuity are a testament to the power of public / private partnerships," said Foxy Development Principal Jeff Fox. "As Foxy's 6th senior housing project, Sol on Park reflects Foxy's continued efforts to work with best-in-class partners to provide meaningful, service-enriched housing for our city's most vulnerable residents."
"As the president of the Morris Houses Resident Association, I want to thank the Sol on Park team for their commitment to the residents of our development," said Morris Houses Resident Association President Regina Carter. "More affordable, safe, and secure senior housing is what we needed, and it is exactly what they will deliver. We are excited to have been a part of the planning process with the Sol on Park team, NYCHA, and the entire community. I cannot wait to see our ideas put into practice."
