The City of Newburgh’s Planning Board is moving closer to a vote on whether to give its approval to a plan by The Newburgh Ministry to build a 50-unit supportive housing project at 17-19 Johnston St. The proposed building would be adjacent to the ministry’s current headquarters at 9 Johnston St., where a 19-bed homeless shelter is situated. The new five-story building, to be known as Legacy House, would replace two structures, one of which was gutted by a fire.
The Newburgh Ministry is a nonprofit that has Colin Jarvis as its executive director. It was founded in 1983 by five Catholic sisters from different local orders who opened a storefront on Broadway where they offered help to people in Newburgh struggling with poverty, homelessness, drug addiction and other issues.
Jarvis said the ministry owns the property at 9 Johnston St. and that 17 Johnston St. is subject to a Site Development Agreement with the City of Newburgh. He said they purchased 19 Johnston St. to extend the property with the intention of new construction for this residential facility next to the established shelter at 9 Johnston.
The Newburgh Ministry said that the proposed Legacy House would provide affordable housing to low-income people, with rent not exceeding 30% of a tenant’s income. The Newburgh Ministry plans for most of the project to be funded by state grants that support low-income housing through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative. The project would offer on-site resources for tenants to help deal with issues of substance abuse and mental health. Case management would take place at the facility, which would have around the clock security. There would be 10 studio apartments and 40 one-bedroom units in the building.
The construction cost is estimated at $15 to $17 million.
The Newburgh Ministry reached out to its supporters asking them to appear at public hearings and submit comments to counteract opposition to the project. “The very aggressive backlash we’ve received isn’t going away, and that’s why we need your support,” the ministry said. At one of the hearings conducted by the Planning Board, nine people spoke in favor of the project while five were against. At a Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing, 33 people expressed support for the project while six spoke against. The ministry applied to the ZBA board for variances from some of the city’s setback and site requirements.
Jarvis had told the Planning Board that The Newburgh Ministry hoped to break ground on the new building in the fall of next year.
