Van Dyke Family Housing

CAMBA Van Dyke transforms an 11,500 sf underutilized New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) parking lot into 101 permanently affordable apartments for low-income and formerly homeless families. Van Dyke stabilizes vulnerable families in need of permanent affordable housing, in a new LEED Gold building.

The 12-story building includes 44 one-bedroom units and 57 two-bedroom units, as well as a computer training center, two flexible community rooms for group activities, and an office suite dedicated to social services programming.

The “L” shaped building creates a transition between the street and the Van Dyke campus to distinguish the building from surrounding Van Dyke “bar” buildings. Leading into the campus, a dramatic curved corner provides the building with a strong visual identity. The project recreates the street frontage, providing a gateway to the Van Dyke campus, while incorporating sustainable elements to conserve energy, reduce environmental impacts, and promote the health of residents.

Social Services Suite

In the social services suite, which has abundant natural light through light wells, CAMBA case managers offer financial literacy training, access to employment, education & job training, and access to CAMBA’s more than 160 programs and 250 partner agencies. Linkage agreements allow CAMBA staff to connect tenants to essential medical and mental health care, substance abuse assistance, and HIV/AIDS care.

Sustainability Strategies

Van Dyke incorporates cost-effective, energy-efficient design and healthy indoor air quality meeting LEED Gold, NYSERDA and Enterprise Green Communities standards. The exterior terrace and courtyard planted with native or adaptive landscaping, Van Dyke is projected to achieve an estimated 15% energy cost savings.

The Van Dyke project has created 101 units of permanent affordable housing, helped 30 homeless families transition successfully to independent living, created job opportunities for over 125 NYCHA residents, and contributed to the NYCHA Van Dyke Houses capital improvement needs. The success of this project is an integral part of a comprehensive reinvestment strategy for the neighborhood of Brownsville and provides community resources that address key issues in housing, sustainability, physical and mental health, and employment.

Location

Brooklyn, NY

Area

107,500 sf

Completion

2017

Clients

CAMBA Housing Ventures
New York City Housing Authority

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