229 New Affordable Homes Coming to the Morris Houses Campus
On September 29, NYCHA, along with its City agency and development partners, broke ground on Sol on Park, a 229-apartment, 100 percent affordable senior housing development on the Morris Houses campus in the Bronx.
The project represents the largest use of the Transfer of Assistance program to date. Through the program, NYCHA, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) are leveraging public land to create new affordable senior housing for current NYCHA residents, formerly homeless New Yorkers, and low-income seniors.
“Sol on Park shows what is possible when we bring a human-centered approach to delivering affordable housing. When this project is complete, it will provide brand-new housing to formerly homeless and low-income seniors as well as NYCHA residents – along with new community and open space. I’m grateful to the many public agencies, development partners, and neighborhood residents who have made this milestone possible and who will continue to ensure this deeply needed affordable housing is a success,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
“Sol on Park is an excellent example of how we can leverage underutilized land on NYCHA properties and innovative tools like Transfer of Assistance to deliver brand-new, modern, and permanently affordable homes for seniors,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We are investing in the Morris Houses community by reserving 80 apartments for existing residents and providing a brand-new space for the resident association in the new 18-story building. We are grateful to the development team and all of our City partners for their collaboration and partnership in helping turn this vision into a reality.”
“Sol on Park exemplifies our commitment to both seniors and public housing tenants,” said HPD Commissioner Dina Levy. “Not only will the project create more than 225 affordable homes for seniors, including current NYCHA residents and formerly homeless seniors, it will also provide social services and a new health and wellness center.”
“Sol on Park will help address the urgent housing needs of older New Yorkers by providing nearly 230 deeply affordable homes paired with on-site social services that will allow residents to age with dignity and stability,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “HDC looks forward to working with all our partners to bring this transformative project to life.”
Developed by The NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management, Sol on Park will include 80 homes reserved for current NYCHA residents living at Morris I and II, 69 homes for formerly homeless seniors and 79 homes available through the Housing Connect lottery for low- and middle-income seniors. The development will also include health-focused amenities, more than 8,000 square feet of community space, a pedestrian plaza, and a new, fully accessible space for the Morris Houses Resident Association.
Construction is now underway, with pre-leasing and early move-ins scheduled for early 2029.
Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, Sol on Park will be built to LEED Platinum and Passive House standards. The development will use a high-performance, energy-efficient design that supports resident health and comfort while reducing energy consumption. On-site services will be provided through partnerships with Union Community Health Center and Green Bronx Machine’s National Health & Wellness Center.
The project represents New York City’s largest application of the Transfer of Assistance program to date. The innovative financing tool uses public land and investment to create new, permanently affordable housing while opening existing NYCHA apartments for future residents and giving current residents an opportunity to move into newly constructed affordable homes.
The Mamdani administration and NYCHA plan to expand the use of the Transfer of Assistance program through the Block by Block housing plan.
Investing in public housing and rebooting NYCHA as a public developer is a key component of Block by Block. Mayor Mamdani’s first capital plan includes the largest capital investment in NYCHA in recent history. Alongside additional expense budget investments, these resources will support comprehensive building repairs, bring vacant apartments back online, repair elevators, and address mold and leaks.
“NYCHA residents should benefit from investment and new construction happening on their campus, and today we are one step closer today to being able to deliver 228 permanently affordable senior homes to this community, including 80 apartments for NYCHA residents,” said NYCHA Chief Real Estate Officer Heather Beck. “By using Transfer of Assistance, we will provide senior households at Morris Houses an opportunity to move into a brand-new, accessible building with social services, ensuring they can age in place in dignity. We look forward to seeing construction advance and to welcoming Morris Houses seniors into their new homes.”
“As the president of the Morris Houses Resident Association, I want to thank the Sol on Park team for their commitment to the residents of our development,” said Morris Houses Resident Association President Regina Carter. “More affordable, safe, and secure senior housing is what we needed, and it is exactly what they will deliver. We are excited to have been a part of the planning process with the Sol on Park team, NYCHA, and the entire community. I cannot wait to see our ideas put into practice.”
