Community Access Secures $15 Million OMH Grant
Here's an article published today in Crain's NY by Jonathan Lamantia:
Community Access, a nonprofit that provides housing and support to people with psychiatric illnesses, has received $15 million from the state Office of Mental Health to help develop a Bronx building. The nonprofit is planning to construct a 126-unit, 14-story building at 111 East 172nd St. The total cost of the project is $52 million, with the remainder of the funding coming from city and state government funding sources as well as low-income housing tax credits. The nonprofit bought the property in April 2014 for $2 million, according to city property records. The building will have a mix of two-bedroom apartments for families earning below 60% of the area's median income and 60 studios for people living with serious mental illness. Referrals for the units will come from the state Office of Mental Health, Medicaid health homes or other community-based providers. Steve Coe, chief executive at Community Access, said housing is essential to lowering the health care costs of Medicaid members. "Once people move into stable housing, their health outcomes improve considerably," he said. The nonprofit will hire about nine full-time workers to provide services at the site.
