The 351 Powers project seeks to build affordable housing on an empty lot in Mott Haven. Image Credit: HPD.
The South Bronx development will include approximately 80 new affordable homes and a building designed to withstand climate change. On August 18, 2022, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) began accepting proposals to build an 100 percent affordable, climate resilient housing project in Mott Haven, Bronx. Located on an undeveloped stretch of 351 Powers Avenue, the finished project will include approximately 80 new affordable homes.
The 351 Powers project is one of dozens of forthcoming projects that will help the City prepare for climate change. Currently, a pilot program led by the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice is working to incorporate design standards specified in the Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines into public projects. The Adams Administration is also advancing climate mitigation strategies for neighborhoods hit the hardest by climate change as part of the Mayor’s Housing Blueprint, which includes Mott Haven and the greater South Bronx area.
In developing the 351 Powers Request for Proposals (RFP), HPD held a six-month engagement series to gather community input. The goals and priorities generated from HPD’s local outreach are outlined in the 351 Powers Avenue Community Visioning Report.
Health and wellness focused design and planning are encouraged components of RFP submissions, and a key goal of the project’s design should address heat vulnerability. The South Bronx is one of several NYC communities already experiencing extreme heat, and temperatures are expected to increase due to climate change. HPD’s Equitable Ownership Requirement also applies to the project, meaning a minority or women owned business enterprise (M/WBE) or an eligible nonprofit must hold a minimum 25 percent ownership stake.
Community Housing Development Organizations, Community Development Corporations, M/WBEs and Community Land Trusts that bring enhanced and tangible community development benefits are encouraged to submit proposals. The final deadline for 351 Powers RFP submissions is November 18 at 4pm. To access and download the RFP, which contains more detailed instructions, HPD has issued a registration form. For comments and questions, all communications must be made in writing to 351powersrfp@hpd.nyc.gov.
HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. shared, “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. 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.”
City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, who represents the neighborhood, added that “Mott Haven is in dire need of affordable housing and that’s exactly what we will deliver on this site. 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.”
Mayor Adams: “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. 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.”
By: Cassidy Strong (Cassidy is a CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2024.)
HPD Seeks Partners and Proposals for a Climate Resilient 100-Percent Affordable Housing Project in the South Bronx, August 18, 2022.