MAKE MOTT HAVEN... Our Housing, People and Neighborhood 1 MAKE MOTT HAVEN... TRANSFORMATION PLAN Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Make Mott Haven... Transformation Plan October 2014 Mott Haven Neighborhood, The Bronx New York City 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 Message from NYCHA Chair 136 D. Neighborhood Plan 138 1. Safety 5 1 Executive Summary 145 2. Neighborhood Affordable Housing Development 153 3. Economic Development 14 2 Vision and Guiding Principles 161 4. Open Spaces, Parks and Culture 15 A. Vision Statement 17 B. Guiding Principles 166 6 Governance 18 3 Mott Haven Today 169 7 Appendix 19 A. History of Mott Haven A. List of Partners 24 B. Make Mott Haven... Catchment Area B. Housing Market Study 28 C. Mott Haven Today: Housing C. New Yorkers for Parks Open Space Study 33 E. Mott Haven Today: People D. Betances Household Survey Results 45 F. Mott Haven Today: Neighborhood E. Community Visioning Report F. NYCHA Existing Conditions report 53 4 Community Engagement G. Sources 55 A. Establishing Goals and Strategies 56 B. Drafting Mott Haven’s Vision 59 C. Building Residents Capacity for a Sustainable Mott Haven 64 D. Sharing Best Practices and Lessons Learned 66 5 Transformation Plan 67 A. Introduction 70 B. Housing Plan 72 1. Betances North Rehabilitation 89 2. New Mixed Use Development on NYCHA-Owned Land 90 3. Rehabilitation of Surrounding Public Housing Developments 94 C. People Plan 95 1. Education 115 2. Workforce Development 127 3. Health 3 MESSAGE FROM NYCHA CHAIR One of Mayor de Blasio’s major commitment and day care. Existing public housing will be is to reset relationships between city agencies preserved with the rehabilitation of 493 units and the residents they serve. NYCHA’s at two housing developments, along with collaboration and community engagement other upgrades and increased participation in through Choice Neighborhoods has resident self-governance. demonstrated that principle. The Mott Haven community has already begun Resource integration is central to the to see the benefits of this collaborative effort. Shola Olatoye Chair & Chief Executive Officer sustainability of a community. Our Choice Neighborhoods Initiative provides New York City Housing Authority transformation plan aims to encompass NYCHA with the unique opportunity to marry residents’ quality of life from multiple angles, housing with the economic, educational, Dear Hon. Secretary Castro, working to fortify housing while expanding and social resources to enhance community local resources. It is a roadmap which will not capacity. Resiliency will only continue to grow On behalf of the New York City Housing only address the maintenance and expansion as this initiative continues. Authority (NYCHA), I am thrilled to submit of affordable housing, but the preservation Make Mott Haven: a transformation plan for the of existing stock. It will create more usable To demonstrate our commitment, we have revitalization of Mott Haven, a neighborhood in open space, increase youth programming, dedicated resources to push our plan forward. the Bronx, New York. This plan is the product implement crime-reduction programming, We will create a Steering Committee so that of two years of input from public housing and increase access to community health diverse stakeholders can help us expand our residents and community stakeholders, resources. vision and implement our roadmap. If NYCHA and broad collaboration with local agencies is chosen, the implementation grant will and organizations. This letter serves as a This roadmap will create new jobs, increase be leveraged by multiple city agencies as a commitment to this project, and a commitment access through job training, and thus enhance testament to future collaboration. to the future of public housing. the local economy. As such, our multi-pronged transformation plan will expand opportunity I look forward to Making Mott Haven a reality The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative and vibrancy in Mott Haven. Affordable for generations to come. is a demonstration of effective agency housing will be developed on three new sites collaboration. This framework is a cornerstone with mixed-use opportunities for community Sincerely, of how NYCHA will transform as a business. amenities such as schools, supermarkets Shola Olatoye 4 MAKE MOTT HAVEN... MESSAGE FROM NYCHA CHAIR 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Make Mott Haven… as the key issues. They included: violent crime rates in the city, particularly gun crimes. The Neighborhood Challenge • NYCHA developments are in disrepair. Mott Haven – located in the southernmost • The affordable housing supply is Over the course of the two year planning section of the Bronx – is the focus of limited. period, we focused on addressing these the New York City Housing Authority’s • Parks are underutilized because concerns. The result is a comprehensive (NYCHA) Choice Neighborhoods Initiative residents do not feel safe in them. transformation plan which will change the Transformation Plan. Within the area, trajectory of Mott Haven. there are thousands of units of public • All children are not school ready or testing at/above grade level. housing, local businesses, places of Historically, the presence of public housing worship, institutions of education, • Students are not prepared for 21st prevented a full-scale abandonment of community gardens and many resources century jobs. the neighborhood in the 1970s, and the for both seniors and youth. Despite these • Residents’ skills are mismatched with construction of new public housing in the assets, Mott Haven is in one of the poorest the current needs of the economy, and 1970s and 1980s helped to revitalize the congressional districts in the country, limited job training opportunities are area. Public housing preservation will help and is plagued by deteriorating housing, available for growth-sector industries. to ensure that new generations of residents low educational achievement, few job • Limited jobs in the neighborhood benefit from the stability and security prospects, and high crime. Unfortunately, make it difficult to connect to workforce that permanently affordable housing these difficult challenges have come to opportunities. provides. And in many ways, it is why define the neighborhood and its residents. the neighborhood revitalization is deeply • Local small businesses need support connected to public housing. Preserving to grow. In early 2013, NYCHA embarked on a the existing public housing stock is the core comprehensive planning process to • Rates of chronic diseases are very of the transformation plan. Furthermore, reverse these trends, funded by HUD’s high in Mott Haven, and residents with NYCHA residents, consisting of a third of Choice Neighborhood Initiative. Early chronic disease need targeted and the population, have long standing roots on, 10 neighborhood challenges were consistent support. in the neighborhood which sustain and identified by the community and elevated • Mott Haven has among the highest support the surrounding community. 6 MAKE MOTT HAVEN... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY a substantial increase in private and public Mott Haven… is based on hundreds of investment, and enlarging the circle of hours of community outreach conducted partners. by NYCHA and Local Initiatives Support Corporation NYC (LISC), which was Planning for Neighborhood engaged by the Authority to coordinate Transformation the planning and visioning efforts that In five years, Make Mott Haven… envisions underlay the plan. Implementation will a safe and healthy neighborhood with consist of strategic alliances with resident decent, affordable housing that offers associations, dozens of community-based quality education and opportunities for organizations, governmental and social economic success. services agencies, businesses and large anchor institutions. Strategies detailed In planning for this neighborhood in the Transformation Plan emphasize transformation, the collective “we” had to NYCHA’s commitment to partnering with Alongside residents, we named the Choice tackle the overarching question: How can everyone who shares our goal of igniting Neighborhoods Initiative Transformation community revitalization and development transformational change in Mott Haven. Plan Make Mott Haven… The premise is reconnect a disinvested neighborhood that through a transparent and inclusive back into the economic mainstream and Transforming Housing process, we can make the community change the economic conditions of the Make Mott Haven… is unique in that it into a celebrated, vibrant, and diverse people who live there? And how do we envisions transformational change through place to live and raise a family. Make Mott do so in a way that leverages assets that a preservation strategy: rehabilitation Haven… is a call to action for the residents, currently exist, fills in the gaps, and creates of existing buildings and re-designing local organizations, government and a cohesive strategy that has meaningful the neighborhood. We have developed businesses. No longer can organizations impact and is multi-dimensional? a plan that weaves together community operate in silos or residents accept a needs with market conditions to preserve deteriorating neighborhood. All of the At the heart of the planning process were the current public housing resources and stakeholders will come together to residents, organizations and institutions provide needed affordable housing in be part of the solution. The plan is a that are essential to the community’s life Mott Haven. The plan encourages public