Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Dedicated the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence Featuring Housing for the Formerly Homeless
Building renamed after Bishop Emeritus Thomas V. Daily
Brooklyn, NY, April 5, 2017 – Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph. D., D.D., Bishop of Brooklyn, joined Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, the human services arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, to celebrate the re-opening of the Catholic Charities Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence, formerly known as St. Joseph’s Single Room Occupancy Apartments for the Elderly at 683 Dean Street in Brooklyn. HCR financed the $10.4 million substantial renovation of the complex, allowing Catholic Charities to preserve 54 apartments for the formerly homeless and create 6 new apartments.
From left to right: Christine Chisholm, Senior VP for Real Estate Development/Management and COO of Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development/Management; David Selby, tenant; John Tynan, Retired, Director, Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development; Diana Reyna, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President; Karim Camara, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services; Very Reverend Patrick J. Keating, Chief of Staff, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and CEO, Catholic Migration Services; Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily, Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn; Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D., Bishop of Brooklyn; Rev. Msgr. Alfred P. LoPinto, President & CEO, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens & Affiliated Agencies; Rev. Vincent Daily, nephew of Bishop Thomas V. Daily; and Rev. Msgr. Ralph Maresca, Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, Astoria. See more photos in our gallery.
“The Diocese of Brooklyn worked in partnership with Catholic Charities in developing much-needed affordable housing,” said Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio. “We thank Bishop Daily for being committed to the poor during his ministry and he continued to do that as the Bishop of Brooklyn. This residence is more than a building; it is a home for people.”
“A safe, affordable place to live is essential to providing stability to those who have been forced to live in shelters or on the street. For the formerly homeless, we offer a fresh start and hope for the future,” said Rev. Msgr. Alfred LoPinto, President &CEO, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. “Providing and preserving affordable housing is one of the cornerstones of the Church’s mission, and we are committed to doing everything possible to provide for those in need, they deserve nothing less.”
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, is one of the largest faith-based providers of affordable housing for low-income individuals, seniors, families and special needs populations in New York City, having developed over 3,745 units of affordable housing throughout Brooklyn and Queens.
In 1985, Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corp. converted the former Catholic grammar school known as St. Joseph’s into a traditional SRO, one of the first permanent supportive housing sites forthe homeless in the outer boroughs. The building, located at 683 Dean Street, recently underwent a gut renovation to add six new units of affordable housing, update building systems, and convert the bedrooms into efficiency apartments. Under its new name, the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence at St. Joseph’s will continue to provide a supported, affordable, safe community for single adults.
Financing of this renovation was made possible through extensive partnerships among New York State Homes and Community Renewal, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Richman Housing Resources, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Catholic Charities also worked with the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of Veteran’s Affairs and the New York City Department of Homeless Services.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Governor Cuomo is committed to creating affordable housing opportunities all New Yorkers, but especially for our homeless veterans, whose service and sacrifice deserve our gratitude and respect. The Bishop Daily Residence will change lives for the better by providing residents with a safe and supportive place to call home.”
“We congratulate Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens for its commitment to preserve and create new apartment units for the homeless,” said Kevin Hoffman Executive Vice President of Richman Housing Resources LLC. “Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence is a great example of how public-private partnerships, using federal low income housing tax credit programs, can create and maintain housing for the formerly homeless. We would also like to thank all of our partners, the City and State as well as Wells Fargo, for making Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence a great success.”
“One of HUD’s highest priorities is to end homelessness, and we are so pleased that the rededicated Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residences will provide safe and affordable housing to formerly homeless individuals,” said Mirza Orriols, Deputy Regional Administrator at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in New York and New Jersey. “HUD will provide Section 8 rental assistance to ensure these units remain affordable for many years to come, and tenants can rest assured that they can enjoy the stability afforded by permanent housing they can call home.”
“With every affordable unit preserved, one more person gains the keys for a successful life: an affordable, high quality home to call his or her own,” said Michael T. Rooney, Sr., co-Founder and Principal of MDG Design + Construction, the general contractor on the project. “Renovating the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence not only helped to preserve and maintain the 31-year-old supportive housing development; it enabled 60 formerly homeless individuals to finally have the home—and fresh start—they deserve. Congratulations to our long-time partner Catholic Charities and the new residents of the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence!”
The residence is named after Thomas Vose Daily, the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn from 1990 to 2003 and currently Bishop Emeritus of the Brooklyn Diocese. Bishop Daily is a member of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and a member of the boards of the Society of St. James the Apostle in Boston and the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities in Washington, D.C.
The Bishop Thomas V. Daily Residence is the last renovation of three single room occupancy buildings, called Caring Communities, which began in 2011. The renovations included new individual apartments, renovated lobby space and new common areas and meeting rooms for a total of 255 formerly homeless individuals. Each building reflects a philosophy that encourages individual self-sufficiency within the context of a supportive community. The other two residences, the John J. Farrell Residence in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Residence in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn were rededicated in 2015.
“With so many homeless on the streets it is critical to provide stable affordable homes,” said Msgr. LoPinto. “The need for affordable housing in New York City is overwhelming, and this newly renovated and expanded residence provides the formerly homeless with the highest quality housing and services in their own neighborhood. We are thrilled that many of these individuals now have a special place to call ‘home’.”
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See more photos of the event in our gallery.
