GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF $16.8 MILLION ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

State-of-the-Art Oak Ridge Apartments in Middletown Will Provide Affordable Homes, Including for Those with Developmental Disabilities

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the opening of the Oak Ridge Apartments, affordable housing located within the Town of Walkill in Orange County. The newly constructed complex, three separate properties utilizing state-of the art energy efficiency, consists of 77 affordable units, including 15 units for people with developmental disabilities.

“We have said that every New Yorker deserves a safe and decent place to live, and today we are demonstrating that through our commitment to affordable housing, as well as to supportive housing for at-risk populations,” said Governor Cuomo. “This new project builds on the successes of both our Medicaid Redesign Team and our $1 billion House New York program. Both initiatives are critical to my administration’s efforts to finding better and more cost-effective health care and housing solutions. In addition to providing for those with developmental disabilities, the Oak Ridge Apartments will help us realize our goal to create new affordable housing in the Mid- Hudson Region and around the state.”

Located on East Main Street in Middletown, the Oak Ridge project involved the new construction of three separate buildings, each that includes a community room with pantry, laundry facilities on the ground floor, a library, lounge, card room and tenant storage facilities on the second floor, and a television room, craft room and tenant storage facilities on the third floor. The project was designed to meet Green Building and Energy Efficiency standards.

HCR Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns said, “Working together with our government and private partners, Oak Ridge Apartments is development of which the entire community can be proud. Under the Governor’s leadership, this critical project got built quickly and efficiently — and will now be a safe place to live for dozens of families. I offer my congratulations to Jonah Mandelbaum, Warwick Properties and all of our other partners who were involved in creating these beautiful and affordable homes.”

The project’s total development cost of $16.8 million was largely financed by $13.6 million in federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), administered by HCR, and which will be syndicated by First Sterling Financial, Inc. The project was further supported by a $2.6 million loan from the Community Preservation Corporation, as well as $500,000 from Orange County. The New York State Office of People with Development Disabilities (OPWDD) will provide ongoing operating support for the units serving the at-risk clients.

OPWDD Acting Commissioner Kerry Delaney said: “The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) applauds Governor Cuomo for his continued commitment to helping individuals with developmental disabilities in New York State live richer, fuller lives in their communities,. As we continue our efforts to transform OPWDD’s system away from institutional care and towards community based living and supports, it is evident that more and more individuals are enjoying a greater quality of life. The development of the Oak Ridge Apartments in Middletown will provide individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live in the home of their choice with the people they want to live with, be closer to their families, take control of their own daily activities and participate in their community.”

State Senator John Bonacic said: “I am so grateful that Governor Cuomo made this project an important part of his housing agenda, and offer my congratulations to Warwick Properties for a job well done.”

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther said: “Today is a celebration of the people and communities of Orange County. We are bringing Middletown a beautiful and new development of affordable homes that the community really needed. I congratulate Warwick Properties, HCR, and especially Governor Cuomo for committing resources to the kind of project that the State of New York can be proud.”

The development team for the Oak Ridge Apartments was: developer Occupations Inc./Warwick Properties Inc.; general contractor MJJ Builders Corporation; management agent Devon Management Corp; and architect Coppola Associates.

Jonah Mandelbaum, President of Warwick Properties said: “ We thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership and support of this project. We were proud to have brought together two critically important state agencies – HCR and OPWDD — on a development project for the very first time, and hope everyone is as pleased as we are with the final results.”

The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) coordinates supports and services for more than 126,000 New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, and other neurological impairments. The OPWDD provides supports directly and through a network of approximately 800 nonprofit service providing agencies, with about 80 percent of services provided by the private nonprofits and 20 percent provided by state-run services. Individuals supported by this agency and their family members have forged a strong working partnership with the agency that has shaped the way the system has grown to support increasing numbers of individuals to live with greater independence in their communities.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) consists of all the State’s major housing and community renewal agencies, including the Affordable Housing Corporation, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the Housing Finance Agency, State of New York Mortgage Agency, Housing Trust Fund Corporation and others.

HCR is in the second year of the $1 billion House New York program, which creates thousands of new units over five years, and is the largest investment in affordable housing in at least 15 years. House New York will also preserve thousands of Mitchell-Lama units, extending affordability for 40 years. The House New York initiative builds on the successes of unprecedented efforts to protect more than two million rent-regulated tenants, with the greatest strengthening of the state’s rent laws in 30 years, and the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit which proactively audits and investigates landlord wrongdoing.