The property at 2337-2339 Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn had been the site of a variety of commercial enterprises since the early 1900s, including a pet store, an auto repair shop, and an auto parts yard.
Now, thanks to the great work of the nonprofit Concern for Independent Living and the support of the Leviticus Fund, this vacant lot will return to productive use and provide new homes for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
Concern’s plan is to build a seven-story, 42,400-square-foot apartment building on the site that will provide 35 units of supportive housing for homeless adults with psychiatric disabilities, 13 affordable units for seniors and nine units for low-income individuals and families. We provided a $3.4 million loan to support Concern’s purchase of the property and to pay for the architectural costs, legal fees, environmental testing, and other predevelopment expenses. The project is also receiving financing through various state and city programs.
Concern is highly skilled in providing housing and support services in our area. Founded in 1972 by parents and friends of psychiatric patients at the Central Islip State Hospital, it has since grown to become Long Island’s largest nonprofit provider of housing for individuals and families with psychiatric disabilities. The agency currently operates more than 1,200 units of housing at 240 sites, ranging from highly supervised community residences to independent housing, in the counties of Suffolk, Nassau, Kings (Brooklyn) and the Bronx.
Our loan for the Pitkin Avenue project is our third to Concern. We understand well the critical need for supportive and affordable housing in Brooklyn – and throughout the New York metro area – and are pleased to support Concern’s expanding mission to “provide housing and services that enrich lives and strengthen communities”.
