Yonkers, NY Governor Kathy Hochul and Westhab celebrated the completion of the Dayspring Campus, a $43 million development with 63 affordable and supportive apartments and a newly renovated community center. Financed with $20.6 million in assistance from state Homes and Community Renewal, the development includes 37 apartments reserved for homeless families, including young adult parents with children, and families with special needs.
The six-story Dayspring Commons residential building is located at 227 Elm St. in Yonkers and includes a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. The building includes 25 apartments designated as affordable for households earning at or below 50% of the area median income, with one apartment reserved for a live-in superintendent.
The development also includes 37 supportive housing units that will be funded by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative through the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Westhab, the project’s developer, will also provide supportive services, including individual case management, employment counseling, and mental health services.
Residential building amenities at Dayspring Commons include a supportive services office, community room, laundry room, round-the-clock security personnel, a landscaped yard, and free, covered parking. All apartments and common areas are equipped with Energy Star-rated appliances, LED light fixtures, and water-saving fixtures for showers, sinks, and water closets.
Residents of Dayspring Commons will have full access to the recently renovated church on the campus that has been transformed into a 27,400 s/f community facility called the Dayspring Community Center. The center will provide a range of services including comprehensive youth and adult education programs, year-round after school and summer youth programming, vocational training and employment counseling, family programming, and a food pantry.
State financing for the development includes $7.1 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal low-income housing tax credits that generated $15.2 million in equity and $13.5 million in subsidy from HCR. Westhab raised $5.3 million in donations to support renovations as well as operations and a robust line-up of programs. The Westchester County New Homes Land Acquisition contributed more than $1.7 million to the project. The City of Yonkers provided $160,000 in pre-development funds as well as $1 million for the renovation of the Dayspring Community Center, and additional incentives through the Yonkers IDA.
“As we move our state forward, we must ensure all New Yorkers have access to secure homes, including the most vulnerable among us,” governor Hochul said. “The Dayspring Campus provides both affordable and supportive housing, along with a state-of-the-art community center that offers job training, childcare services, after school programming, and many other amenities that working families can rely on to succeed. This project, along with many others underway across the state, are helping to forge a bright, healthy future for New York.”
Westhab, Inc. president and CEO Richard Nightingale said, “We envision the Dayspring campus as an anchor institution for the community and a catalyst for additional community development investment. Nodine Hill has been calling for a Dayspring, and Westhab is excited to deliver. We are deeply grateful to the community, our partners, and the entire Dayspring village that helped this vision become a reality.”
HCR commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “The COVID pandemic has demonstrated how crucial safe and affordable homes are to helping young families succeed. We hope the 63 households that now call Dayspring Commons home will thrive in these beautiful and sustainable homes with easy access to life-enhancing services at the adjacent Dayspring Community Center. We are proud to partner with Westhab on this $43 million development that expands opportunities for the residents Nodine Hill, especially those struggling with homelessness, and furthers our commitment to addressing the shortage of quality affordable homes in the city.”
OTDA commissioner Mike Hein said, “Supportive housing is a central component of our efforts to confront homelessness throughout New York State. Developments like Dayspring Commons provide critical services to help housing insecure individuals identify and address problems that are either underlying factors or directly contributing to their housing insecurity. I applaud governor Hochul for supporting these projects and bolstering our efforts to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe, affordable housing.”
Yonkers mayor Mike Spano said, “I’m thrilled to see the completion of the Dayspring Campus, which is a win-win for both the residents of Dayspring Commons and the Nodine Hill neighborhood. Dayspring is providing much-needed affordable and supportive housing for a mix of individuals in Yonkers. It is also a significant asset to all area residents with its brand-new, state-of-the-art community center with a wide range of programming.”
Congressman Jamaal Bowman said, “I’m so excited to join the Yonkers and greater Westchester community in celebrating the opening of Westhab’s Dayspring Campus. We are living through a housing and public health crisis, and this residence is an essential investment in the community that will transform lives. I look forward to joining residents in recreational, educational, and social activities and welcome the campus into New York’s 16th Congressional District.”
Senate majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Westhab has been a champion when it comes to providing affordable and permanent housing in Yonkers. The Dayspring Campus is their latest and most visionary. It is not only affordable housing, but also will include a full-service community center. We desperately need more affordable housing so that low- and moderate-income families have a quality and safe place to call home. I have always made this issue a top priority by providing funding so that the New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance can help developments like Dayspring become a reality. Congratulations to you all.”
Assemblyman Nader Sayegh said, “The lack of quality affordable housing for all members of our community hurts families and our city as it works to move forward. I applaud the completion of Westhab’s Daysprings Commons because it will change the lives of many for the better, and demonstrates how working together for a common goal raises us all.”
Westchester County executive George Latimer said, “I am proud to join with governor Kathy Hochul, New York State Homes and Community Renewal and Westhab as we officially open the Dayspring Campus in Yonkers, a housing development dedicated specifically to those with limited incomes and their families. Affordable housing opportunities across Westchester is something we strongly believe in; we want to see these projects come to fruition in all of our communities. Every resident deserves to have a safe, affordable place they can call home with the amenities they need to live a full and happy life here in Westchester.”
Supportive Housing Network of New York executive director Laura Mascuch said, “The Dayspring Commons complex is a perfect example of the power of supportive housing and how it can positively impact lives while also uplifting entire communities. We know that supportive housing is the most significant tool available to us to end chronic homelessness by providing New Yorkers not only with a safe and affordable home, but also the services they need to maintain that home and succeed in the long term. This kind of investment helps improve safety and stability for individuals and families as well as the greater communities in which they live. And Dayspring has the added benefit of a community center that will be a significant resource for both residents and the neighborhood, writ large. New York needs more projects like Dayspring Commons to help offset its affordable housing crisis, and we look forward to working to make that a reality in the years to come.”
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