When St. Nicks Alliance was founded in 1975, Williamsburg was plagued by abandoned buildings and arson. Now gentrification is leading to skyrocketing rents. So how do they plan to deliver affordable, energy-efficient multi-family housing in Brooklyn?
By joining forces with other community nonprofits – and with a loan from the Leviticus Fund.
Unified Neighborhood Partners (UNP) is made up of St. Nicks Alliance, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Southside United Housing Development Fund Corporation – Los Sures, and United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg (UJO).
The Leviticus Fund has made a $1.9 million predevelopment loan commitment to UNP to support construction of 78 new units of affordable housing, serving households in the range of 30% – 80% of Average Median Income. Bartlett Crossing will be one of five entirely new affordable buildings making up the Broadway Triangle project. A combined total of 387 new apartments will extremely low-, very low-, and low-income, as well as formerly homeless people.
In addition to affordable apartments, the buildings will include a workforce development center operated by St. Nicks Alliance in over 7,000 square feet of community facility space.
St. Nicks tagline, “Where Opportunity Grows,” references A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith’s 1943 novel about Williamsburg. The Leviticus Fund looks forward to continuing our work with St. Nicks, planting seeds of hope where they are needed most.
