New eco-friendly homes are coming to Queens

On Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams and Council speaker Adrienne Adams visited Southeast Queens and kicked off the construction of the “Habitat Net Zero” project. The initiative will transform 13 vacant tumble-down buildings, previously owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), into 16 sustainable and affordable homes. 

The project was developed by a non-profit housing organization known as Habitat for Humanity, which serves New Yorkers across all five boroughs. New buildings will incorporate passive house principles. Green homes will feature solar panels and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.

“NYCHA, in partnership with HPD and local non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester, has made great progress in connecting low- and moderate-income residents to housing opportunities across New York City,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Greg Russ. 

“By leveraging underutilized assets in our portfolio, we can facilitate the construction of homes that enrich our local neighborhoods, while making the dream of homeownership possible for a new generation of New Yorkers.”

New homes will be affordable to low- and moderate-income households earning between 51 and 120 percent of the area median income (AMI), 6 sqft reports. According to the “Habitat Net Zero” project, 13 out of 16 green buildings will be new constructions, and the remaining 3 will be rehabilitations of the existing structures. 

The project is part of the city’s effort to create affordable housing for families and first-time homebuyers. The land for affordable homes will be transferred to the Interboro Community Land Trust (CLT) to ensure long-term affordability.

Image credit:

Paul A. Castrucci Architects website

Resources:

“Project transforming run-down city buildings into ‘green’ affordable housing kicks off in Queens,” by Aaron Ginsburg (6sqft, 2022)

“Mayor Adams Announces Significant Quality-of-Life Improvements, new Affordable Homeownership Opportunities in Southeast Queens,” (NYC, 2022)

“Mayor Adams Announces Significant Quality-of-Life Improvements, New Affordable Homeownership Opportunities in Southeast Queens,” (Press release, NYC, 2022)