$37M Newburgh affordable housing development completed
East End II, a project that created 62 affordable housing units in 24 properties amid a seven-block area of Newburgh has been formally opened with a ribbon-cutting event. The ribbon-cutting for the $37 million project was held in front of the former United Methodist Church at 245 Liberty St.
The church building, along with 257 Liberty St., have been transformed into 17,000 square feet of community and commercial space named Highpoint as an adjunct to the affordable housing. Highpoint is being managed by the organization LYNC, which will provide daycare, co-working space, retail space and a health center.
The nonprofit RUPCO undertook East End II as a follow-up to its project East End I, which was completed in 2018 and created 45 mixed-income apartments in 15 buildings adjacent to Newburgh’s Broadway business and government corridor.
In the East End II project, a total of 24 buildings were either restored or built from scratch to create the total of 62 new residential units. Ten of the units will house formerly homeless persons who now receive rental subsidies and case management services through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative grant from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports. There are 13 one-bedroom apartments, 17 two-bedroom apartments, and 32 three-bedroom units. The rents are established to be affordable to people earning up to 70% of the Area Median Income.
State financing for East End II includes $12.9 million in Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and $15.5 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). In addition, the project anticipated $5.8 million in federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits. Orange County provided $2.4 million in funding. Additional financing was through Raymond James Financial and Webster Bank.
“This second phase of the East End revitalization provides 62 critically needed affordable homes in Newburgh, while using a combination of new construction and adaptive reuse of blighted structures to unlock this historic community”™s potential,” said RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of HCR. “The result is an expansive, transformative, and attractive development that will benefit residents and the entire city.”
According to Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus, “Families who live and work in the community will benefit tremendously from this latest public-private partnership. I congratulate RUPCO on the completion of this important revitalization project and appreciate its investment into the City of Newburgh and Orange County.”