Richards, Sanders Celebrate Edgemere Affordable Home Development
City Council Member Donovan Richards (D-Arverne, Brookville, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens) and State Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway) joined Mayor Bill de Blasio to celebrate the opening of Beach Green Dunes II, a 100 percent affordable housing development in Edgemere.
The development is a cutting-edge affordable housing project that furthers the City’s commitment to building a stronger, more resilient Edgemere community.
The City-financed building – developed by L+M Development Partners and designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects – brings 127 new homes to Edgemere in addition to retail and outdoor recreation space, including a play area for children. Of the 127 affordable apartments, more than 50 homes are for the lowest income families making less than $50,000 a year, and 13 are set aside for homeless New Yorkers.
The eight-story building is also anticipated to receive Passive House certification, a high-performance building standard for energy efficiency, and integrates resilient design features, which mitigate and manage flooding and storm damage.
“Housing instability creates a snowball effect of issues for anyone, anywhere in Queens. We know this already,” said Richards. “This project is a crucial step in revitalizing Rockaway sustainably. Geothermal energy in affordable housing is a smart way to heat buildings, generate electricity and save money. Families will be able to spend more on other necessities. That is how you revitalize a neighborhood and an economy at large, by starting with the home.”
“Affordable housing is critically important as more and more people struggle to put a roof over their heads,” said Sanders Jr. “I am proud to welcome the new Beach Green Dunes II apartment complex to Arverne, which be environmentally friendly and will contain more than 100 new affordable housing units, giving priority to Community Board 14 residents as well as municipal employees and the disabled. We need more developments like this in our district and I will continue to fight to make sure that happens.”
Meng Introduces Legislation To End Homelessness
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park), introduced on Wednesday the Pathway to Stable and Affordable Housing for All Act, which according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, would effectively end the scourge of homelessness and housing poverty in the country.
Meng’s legislation is a ten-year investment plan and consists of four provisions. The first two parts add $10 billion in additional funding to the Emergency Solutions Grant Program, which focuses on homeless prevention, and to the Continuum of Care Program, which helps organizations help long term homeless people.
The last parts would add $40 billion per year to the Housing Trust Fund to begin eliminating the deficit of units in the affordable housing stock and supply vouchers to fund tenants.
“Housing is a human right, and everyone deserves a safe and affordable home. But too many families are stricken with the cruel and impossible decision of choosing between paying rent or paying for groceries or prescription drugs. Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing are moral crises that we must fight, once and for all,” said Meng.
Sanders To Make Major Legislative Announcement
State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway) will make a major legislative announcement during his remarks at the 55th Annual Commemoration of Malcolm X on Friday evening.
Sanders will detail state action he is proposing related to the reopening of the investigation into the death of Malcolm X. These steps will make positive strides in improving the criminal justice system and further preserving the legacy of Malcolm X.
The announcement is slated to come between 6-8 p.m., tomorrow, Feb. 21 at the 55th Annual Commemoration Anniversary of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Malcolm X at the Shabazz Center, 3940 Broadway in Harlem.
