NEW YORK—Castle Gardens, an apartment complex in West Harlem for low-income families and formerly incarcerated residents, opened its doors on Wednesday.
The 114-unit complex is in part created by the Fortune Society, a non-profit organization seeking to reintegrate former prisoners into communities.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and elected officials congratulated the society for their efforts and came out to welcome residents to their new homes.
“If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere, but sometimes you need a second chance to get your priorities back on track,” said Bloomberg in a statement.
Fifty of the units will be allocated to homeless men and women who were formally incarcerated as part of the Fortune Society reintegration program, while the remainder will be set aside for residents whose incomes are 60 percent or less of the neighborhood’s average. The applicants will be interviewed to ensure they do not pose a threat to the community.
Apartments at the Castle Gardens, located at 625 West 140th Street, will range from $624 per month for a studio to $1,127 per month for a three-bedroom unit.
The project was managed by Jonathan Rose Companies, with the New York City Department of Housing contributing $8.3 million as part of Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan.
The complex is LEED certified and includes a variety of energy-efficient features, which are expected to cut operation costs. Green features include a rooftop garden and rain-harvesting system, a high-efficiency boiler, and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
“The Castle Gardens is a vision realized,” said JoAnne Page, president and CEO of the Fortune Society. “This is a place of real hope. It is a place where dreams will be made, where families will thrive, and, make no mistake, where lives will be saved.”
“These supportive housing units will help ex-offenders address the multiple challenges they face upon re-entering society—lack of a place to live, substance abuse or mental health issues, lack of education and the skills needed to become employed,” said Elizabeth Berlin, executive deputy commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, in a statement.
Belkis Alonzo, a new tenant at Castle Gardens told The Wall Street Journal she was initially concerned for herself and her young daughter to be sharing the building with ex-convicts. She says she felt more at ease however, upon learning about security measures in place and that screenings of each tenant would be conducted.
The 114-unit complex is in part created by the Fortune Society, a non-profit organization seeking to reintegrate former prisoners into communities.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and elected officials congratulated the society for their efforts and came out to welcome residents to their new homes.
“If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere, but sometimes you need a second chance to get your priorities back on track,” said Bloomberg in a statement.
Fifty of the units will be allocated to homeless men and women who were formally incarcerated as part of the Fortune Society reintegration program, while the remainder will be set aside for residents whose incomes are 60 percent or less of the neighborhood’s average. The applicants will be interviewed to ensure they do not pose a threat to the community.
Apartments at the Castle Gardens, located at 625 West 140th Street, will range from $624 per month for a studio to $1,127 per month for a three-bedroom unit.
The project was managed by Jonathan Rose Companies, with the New York City Department of Housing contributing $8.3 million as part of Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan.
The complex is LEED certified and includes a variety of energy-efficient features, which are expected to cut operation costs. Green features include a rooftop garden and rain-harvesting system, a high-efficiency boiler, and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
“The Castle Gardens is a vision realized,” said JoAnne Page, president and CEO of the Fortune Society. “This is a place of real hope. It is a place where dreams will be made, where families will thrive, and, make no mistake, where lives will be saved.”
“These supportive housing units will help ex-offenders address the multiple challenges they face upon re-entering society—lack of a place to live, substance abuse or mental health issues, lack of education and the skills needed to become employed,” said Elizabeth Berlin, executive deputy commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, in a statement.
Belkis Alonzo, a new tenant at Castle Gardens told The Wall Street Journal she was initially concerned for herself and her young daughter to be sharing the building with ex-convicts. She says she felt more at ease however, upon learning about security measures in place and that screenings of each tenant would be conducted.
