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Q&A
Council Member Kamillah Hanks questions HPD and West Harlem Group Assistance about housing rehabilitation project
0:32:56
ยท
3 min
Council Member Kamillah Hanks inquires about the details of a housing rehabilitation project, focusing on the history of the buildings, the relocation process for current tenants, and the project timeline. Representatives from HPD and West Harlem Group Assistance Inc. provide responses, explaining the city's ownership of the buildings, the need for rehabilitation, and the plans for tenant relocation and support.
- The buildings have been in city ownership for decades and require gut rehabilitation due to insufficient rental income for maintenance.
- All current residents will be temporarily relocated during construction, with assistance from a hired consultant.
- The project aims to begin construction in the summer, pending completion of tenant relocation and approval of financing.
Kamillah Hanks
0:32:56
So I have a few questions.
0:32:59
Can you briefly describe in detail how the current buildings in the respective sites fell into disrepair?
0:33:06
And what is the process that has been working, both with the current tenants, both in relocation and providing an opportunity for them to move back into the buildings if they so choose?
Arielle Rawlings
0:33:18
So the the buildings, all four of them are in city ownership and have been for many decades.
0:33:25
I would have to confirm the exact date, but I'm happy to.
0:33:29
In honor around the early two thousands, they signed a net lease through the tenant interim lease program, which is part of HPD's asset management team and have been managed as city owned rental buildings since then.
0:33:41
The rents on all of those units have remained flat since that period and do not produce enough income to support the buildings, which Regina spoke to a bit.
0:33:50
And so part of the rehabilitation process is restructuring the rents to maintenance amounts once the buildings convert to cooperative that ensure that the buildings are producing enough income to maintain them.
0:34:02
HPD also, through the project budget, will provide the buildings with substantial reserve contributions at convergent to cooperative that help the building with any unforeseen expenses that come up in the future.
0:34:15
And to speak to relocation, mister Nodes can provide more specific details.
0:34:20
But ahead of the building's beginning construction, all of them need to be a % vacant due to the scope of the of work, which is quite deep.
0:34:28
They're all being gut rehabilitated.
0:34:31
And so all the residents will be relocated to a probably a combination of market rate units and potentially some within WAGA's portfolio.
Donald C. Notice
0:34:39
Yes.
Arielle Rawlings
0:34:40
And it's being overseen by an organization that WAGA has partnered with to identify those market rate units if there are not suitable units within the portfolio.
Kamillah Hanks
0:34:50
Thank you so much.
0:34:51
Just one more question.
0:34:52
What is the proposed timeline regarding with the completion of this project?
Arielle Rawlings
0:34:58
So our hope would be to dispose of the buildings in the summer and begin construction at that point, but the actual construction period is predicated on the buildings being vacated.
0:35:09
So relocation is now starting.
0:35:12
We actually WAGA and and members representatives from HPD are meeting with the residents this evening to discuss provide updates on the relocation process.
0:35:20
So over the next two to three months, residents will be relocated, and the building will close on construction financing.
0:35:28
Our team is working with OMB and and has to submit the budget to get the HPD loan approved.
0:35:33
And after all that comes together, hopefully in the summer of this year, the buildings would begin construction.
Donald C. Notice
0:35:40
And we're working with SAB, who is a consultant, who's going to do the relocation.
Kamillah Hanks
0:35:45
Yeah, was going to ask about that because, you know, is there the communication of the relocation, it's extremely traumatic for folks.
0:35:53
So, I just want to make sure that you are working with council member Salam, and we're making sure that residents in this project is, you know, does it as planned.
Donald C. Notice
0:36:05
Yes.
0:36:06
And we normally do the relocation ourselves, but because of the 38 families getting relocated, we hired a consultant to help us along that process.
Arielle Rawlings
0:36:16
And as you may have seen in the unit mix of the future rehab buildings, are many large units in this project, which is quite exciting, but there are also many large intergenerational families that need to be relocated.
0:36:28
So, SAV relocation services is helping support identify those larger relocation units, which are hard to find in New York.
Kamillah Hanks
0:36:36
Yes.
0:36:36
Well, look forward to looking and seeing that process, making sure it runs smoothly.
0:36:41
Thank you.
0:36:42
This applicant panel is now excused.