$783 Million PACT Modernization Project at Edenwald Houses Moves Forward
A robust resident engagement process led the way for comprehensive renovations for the largest public housing development in the Bronx
Nearly 5,000 residents living in 40 buildings will benefit from fully renovated apartments, open space improvements, infrastructure upgrades, new community spaces, increased safety and security features, and access to important social services
On June 27, NYCHA closed on the financing of the latest Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) project that will fund comprehensive repairs for nearly 5,000 residents living across 2,035 apartments at Edenwald Houses. The infusion of $783 million in capital funding will enable the PACT partner team to begin the work of fully rehabilitating the Bronx’s largest public housing development, which was built in 1953, making it also one of New York City’s oldest; the PACT partner team is composed of Camber Property Group (which successfully co-led the transformation of another PACT project at NYCHA’s Baychester Houses, located across the street from Edenwald); Stuart Alexander and Associates, Inc., a minority-owned business enterprise; Henge Development, a minority- and woman-owned business enterprise; and L&M Builders Group. Edenwald’s scope of rehabilitation will address the 20-year capital needs of the property while prioritizing resident preferences and investments towards healthy and efficient buildings within a resilient campus. Social services will be expanded through partnerships with Catholic Charities and R.A.I.N.
The PACT partner team, which was selected by resident association leadership, worked closely with residents and NYCHA over the past several years to design every aspect of the development’s transformation. After months of virtual and in-person resident meetings, in-home assessments, community events, surveying, and other activities, the plans for the large-scale renovation have been completed and the necessary financing has been secured to move ahead with construction.
Every apartment will receive comprehensive upgrades to bathrooms and kitchens, new windows, new flooring and painting, and free broadband internet, as well as lead paint removal and mold remediation where necessary. Buildings will receive comprehensive façade repairs; mechanical system modernization; new entryways; enhanced security and access control; full lobby and common area upgrades; new roofs; and extensive site, landscaping, and outdoor amenity repairs and upgrades. Heating system upgrades will provide consistent, stabilized heat in every apartment during the winter heating season, and new, properly sized window air conditioning units will be provided for cooling in the summertime.
Additional details on the planned investments and improvements are outlined in the Edenwald Community Plan, which was reviewed and approved by resident leadership and is being distributed to every household prior to the start of construction.
“Over and over again, our administration is partnering with NYCHA residents across the city to deliver desperately needed, transformative repairs and improve quality of life. I am so excited to put that proven model to work for the 5,000 residents of Edenwald Houses,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “This process put residents front and center — a hallmark of our approach to improving living conditions at NYCHA — and the resulting project will turn one of the Bronx’s oldest public housing developments into one of its most desirable.”
“Today all New Yorkers have cause to celebrate an inspiring and extraordinary achievement for NYCHA and the Edenwald Houses development partners, who will deliver transformative quality of life improvements to 5,000 families at the largest public housing development in the Bronx,” said New York City Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “NYCHA’s PACT program is a proven pathway to revitalize and preserve the City’s largest portfolio of affordable housing, and most importantly, it is a commitment to, and investment in, the very New Yorkers who are central to our economic and community advancement.”
“PACT is a proven method of providing NYCHA residents with the improved quality of life that they deserve,” said NYCHA Interim CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Whether in the form of physical and functional upgrades to apartments, enhanced safety and security features, capable and responsive property management, or the delivery of critical social services, we are making the sort of comprehensive improvements residents need in their day-to-day lives through PACT.”
“The financial closing to modernize Edenwald through the PACT program would not have been possible without strong partnerships. NYCHA staff, Edenwald residents, and our PACT partners came together to plan comprehensive PACT investments into community spaces, community programs, apartment renovations, and building infrastructure repairs in response to resident priorities,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Real Estate Development Jonathan Gouveia. “We look forward to continuing our work together as construction starts and seeing the PACT program deliver critical repairs to over 5,000 Edenwald residents.”
“It has been an exciting journey and I am looking forward to the future of Edenwald with an uplifted quality of life for all our residents,” said Edenwald Houses Tenant Association President Walter J. McNeil. “As residents, we are most excited about the opening of the senior center, where seniors will finally have a place to go. Also, it is fantastic that each resident will be able to receive a beautifully renovated apartment, an improvement in the landscape around Edenwald campus, and much-needed new laundry rooms as part of the PACT conversion.”
“During a recent visit to Edenwald Houses, I was pleased to hear from Tenant Association President McNeil that residents were on board after seeing the positive changes across the street at the recently renovated Baychester Houses. Resident input will ensure a modernization that meets their needs and fulfills the promise of improved living conditions, increased safety, and better access to services,” said HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey Alicka Ampry-Samuel. “The public and private partners maximized funding, which includes national historical landmark status support to leverage resources to create homes families can be proud of.”
“The far-reaching scope of this project will benefit more than 2,000 NYCHA households, underscoring our ongoing commitment under the PACT program to bring urgently needed investments to the city’s public housing stock,” said NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “HDC is proud to support this transaction with critical bond financing and would like to congratulate the residents and all our partners on a successful closing.”
The site’s new property manager, C+C Management, will respond promptly to all maintenance and repair requests, regularly clean all common areas, manage trash collection, provide regular extermination services, and employ security staff who will be responsible for actively monitoring all cameras and responding to public safety concerns. C+C Management will also employ a Director of Social Services and Case Manager, who will be responsible for overseeing all resident support services and programs, as well as bringing a range of new activities to the Edenwald community. Social services will be expanded through a partnership with Catholic Charities, which will offer counseling and case management services to all Edenwald households, with a particular focus on assistance with obtaining public benefits, academic enrichment, health and wellness, and financial literacy. The PACT partners will also open a new on-site senior center operated by R.A.I.N., which will bring creative and leisure activities, food services, and physical health programs to the senior community at Edenwald.
Starting this summer, the main campus and building repairs will take place over three years, while apartment renovations will take place in phases over the course of four years. Building construction will occur in clusters of five to six buildings. The PACT partners will work with residents directly on the specific timing of all work to be completed in their homes.
The PACT program transitions developments from traditional public housing assistance to the more stable, federally funded Project-Based Section 8 program — unlocking funding for designated PACT partners to complete comprehensive repairs. As of today’s announcement, NYCHA is in the engagement or pre-development phase, started construction, or completed construction at 138 NYCHA developments representing just over 37,000 apartments in all five boroughs. The Authority is working to include 62,000 apartments in the PACT program in order to bring the benefits of comprehensive apartment repairs and building upgrades, as well as enhanced property management and social services, to more than 142,000 residents. The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), New York City’s municipal Housing Finance Agency, is the key financing partner for PACT. In addition to providing or arranging the financing, HDC provides ongoing asset management and compliance support for PACT transactions.
