Rendering of the Stemma. NYC HPD.
On March 21, 2025, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced the leads for the Stemma Project, a new affordable housing development to be built on a vacant lot in Crotona Park East in the Bronx at the corner of Stebbins Avenue and East 170th Street. The announced partners include The Doe Fund Inc., Xenolith Partners, LLC, and Ametrine Group.
The Stemma will comprise of 149 sustainable homes and include a recreation centner operated by a nonprofit, Asphalt Green, which is dedicated to improving access to fitness and wellness. The housing will serve a range of income levels, from formerly homeless households to those earning 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). There will also be supportive housing units for homeless young adults or young adults at risk of homelessness through the NYC HRA 15/15 program.
The building will include the following: various units ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, approximately 30,000 square feet of community facility space on the lower level and first floor, a social services office, community room, an exercise room, and laundry facilities.
The City Department of Housing Preservation and Development conducted community engagement through conducting a site questionnaire, which received nearly 200 responses. The responses vocalized the communities concerns over local housing costs and preferences for community-oriented ground-floor usage in a proposed building. There were five neighborhood tabling events and an in-person community workshop near the development site to gain community feedback.
Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr. said, “The Adams administration is using every tool at our disposal to tackle the housing crisis working-class families are facing — long-vacant lots that have served no community purpose present excellent opportunities to deliver truly affordable housing for hardworking New Yorkers. The Stemma is a prime example of this type of opportunity. With our rigorous community engagement, we are transforming an empty lot into 149 world-class sustainable homes and a state-of-the-art recreational center, bringing affordability as well as community services and educational opportunities to New Yorkers to ensure that New York City is the best place to raise a family.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)