Alexis Pelosi, Senior Advisor for Climate at the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), toured several residential sites in Yonkers on September 19th to tout green development.
Touring Yonkers’ Progress
The highlight of the tour was the forthcoming La Mora Senior Housing project. It’s currently under construction in South Yonkers’ Hollow neighborhood on Mulberry Street. With a budget of $44 million, this development aims to provide 60 energy-efficient and affordable homes for senior citizens. What sets La Mora apart is its use of the “Passive House” model. This modular housing model ensures energy conservation, self-sufficiency, and resilience against weather emergencies.
At Palisade Towers, the group learned about the replacement of outdated gas-fired heating and hot water systems. Soon, the building will be equipped with efficient, electric heat pump systems. This transition will decarbonize the 7-acre property, benefiting more than 400 families living there.
The tour’s conclusion was at Ridgeway, a transformative development located on the former Cottage Place Gardens public housing site. In partnership with The Community Builders, Ridgeway has provided affordable housing for over 400 low income families in Yonkers. Resilience measures, such as rooftop solar and emergency generator power, were showcased.
Accompanying Pelosi were Mayor Mike Spano, MHACY CEO and President Wilson Kimball and its COO Carlos LaBoy. Justin Scheid from HUD’s Office of Field Policy and Management also joined the group on their tour of various MHACY properties, including Loehr Court and Palisade Towers, both undergoing major renovations as part of the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD).
Wilson Kimball, President and CEO of the Yonkers Housing Authority, expressed her pride in hosting HUD.
The Yonkers Housing Authority was proud to welcome HUD to Yonkers to see the many ways our Mayor and the Housing Authority are preserving affordability while striving to meet the future needs for new, resilient, climate-friendly affordable housing.
The visit underscores the commitment of Yonkers to address climate challenges while ensuring housing remains affordable and accessible to all.
