December 12, 2019
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the start of construction on Dayspring Campus, a $39 million development with 63 affordable apartments and a newly renovated community center in Southwest Yonkers. Dayspring Commons, the campus's residential building, will include 37 apartments reserved for formerly homeless individuals who will receive onsite supportive services. Additionally, a former church will be transformed into a state-of-the-art 27,400 square- foot community facility called the Dayspring Community Center. The center will provide childcare, recreation, employment and counseling services for neighborhood residents.
"The Dayspring Campus is a strategic investment in the city of Yonkers that will create more affordable housing, reduce homelessness and further economic development in the city's downtown," Governor Cuomo said. "This is the latest step forward in our historic investment to ensure that every New Yorker has a home, and this Campus will provide the critical services necessary so that the Southwest Yonkers community can grow and thrive."
Dayspring Commons, the newly constructed, six-story residential building, located at 227 Elm Street, will include a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments. Most of the apartments will be affordable to households earning at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income, with 15 apartments for households earning at or below 30 percent of the Area Median Income. Building amenities will include a community room, exercise room, laundry room, covered parking garage, security office and an outdoor landscaped seating area.
Thirty-seven apartments will be reserved for homeless families, including young parents with children and families with special needs. These households will receive supportive services funded by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance through the Governor's Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative. Supportive services will be provided by Westhab, the project's developer, and will include case management, employment and mental health services.
Originally constructed in the late 19th century, the Dayspring Presbyterian Church, later known as the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, will undergo extensive renovations. Located at 320 Walnut Street, the church operated as the Dayspring Community Center in recent years. The program is currently operating in temporary space in the neighborhood while the building is renovated.
The new Dayspring Community Center will provide an unmet need of human and youth services for the Nodine Hill community. Westhab will operate the center and offer adult education, employment services, child care and after school care services. Employment services will include workshops on job readiness skills including job seeking methods, networking opportunities with employers and job retention services.
State financing for the development includes $7.1 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $15.2 million in equity, and $13.5 million in subsidy from HCR. OTDA will provide rental subsidies and funding for onsite supportive services for the ESSHI units. The city of Yonkers previously provided $1 million in funding to the project.
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Dayspring Commons will offer 63 households the opportunity to live in a beautiful new building with easy access to child care, continuing education and employment services at the Dayspring Community Center next door. Formerly homeless families will have the support they need to get back on their feet and achieve independence. We are proud to partner with Westhab on this transformative development that will benefit the entire community and keep revitalization efforts in Yonkers moving forward."
OTDA Commissioner Mike Hein said, "Dayspring Commons is a phenomenal adaptive reuse of a historic church property that will soon bring new hope and promise to young families experiencing homelessness in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Yonkers. The supportive units that are part of this project and the adjacent Dayspring Community Center will provide the resources these families can use to address underlying issues that contributed to their housing instability. We are proud to partner in this endeavor and look forward to seeing the positive reverberations his project will undoubtedly have in the Nodine Hill community."
Westhab, Inc. President and CEO Richard Nightingale said, "The combined "Dayspring campus" - the Dayspring Community Center and Dayspring Commons residence - will be transformative for the Nodine Hill neighborhood of Yonkers. Dayspring is the result of many years of community development and will be the biggest investment in this community in a generation. Dayspring will be both a central community anchor and a catalyst for continued community development."
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "Dayspring Campus will bring affordable housing and crucial services to our community in Yonkers. This facility will include 63 units, of which 37 will be reserved for individuals experiencing homelessness, families with special needs, and young adult parents to help ensure they have the services and support they need. Additionally, the Dayspring Community Center will have provide local employment, counseling and childcare services. Simply put, Dayspring Campus will help change people's lives and I'm proud to support this investment."
Assembly Member Nader Sayegh said, "Upon completion, the Dayspring Campus will be an innovative new facility which emphasizes inclusivity above all. We're proud to have a new campus which underscores our commitment to urban renewal in addition to a new holistic approach on how we can best serve our communities in need."
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, "The need for affordable housing is evident in every corner of this County, and I thank Governor Cuomo for his commitment to this pressing issue. My office recently undertook an Affordable Housing Needs Assessment to establish a data-based foundation to ensure the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Westchester. The Dayspring Campus will not only create additional affordable opportunities for some of our most vulnerable families, but will also provide necessary amenities such as childcare, recreation and employment services."
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said, "Investing over $1 million in this project, Yonkers is committed to providing quality, affordable housing, as well as robust amenity and supportive services to our most underserved residents. Dayspring Commons will provide a 360-approach in assisting these individuals and become a hub for the local community. Thank you to partners like Governor Cuomo, our state agencies and Westhab in collaborating in this effort for the betterment of our city and its residents."
The Housing Plan
Governor Cuomo's commitment to providing all New Yorkers with access to safe, affordable housing is reflected in his unprecedented $20 billion, five-year Housing Plan. The Plan is making housing accessible and combatting homelessness by building or preserving more than 100,000 affordable homes and 6,000 with supportive services.
Since 2011, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has invested nearly $895 million in the Mid-Hudson Region, which includes Westchester County, creating or preserving more than 11,000 affordable homes for about 30,000 residents.