Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Announces Construction is Underway on $270 Million 385-unit Affordable and Supportive Housing Development in Brooklyn

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that construction is underway at Innovative Urban Village Phase 1A, a 385-unit affordable housing development with commercial space for a fresh food grocery store in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. The $270 million project is part of the comprehensive redevelopment of the Christian Cultural Center’s campus. Event images and project renderings are available here. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has financed more than 7,700 affordable homes in Brooklyn. Innovative Urban Village continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

As I'm accustomed to saying when I'm invited to address the congregants of CCC, we start off with this is the day the Lord has made. This is the day because of the Lord, we are gathered here in his name to celebrate — not just this project — but the fulfillment of a vision of an individual who would not take no for an answer. Someone who reminds me of the story unfolding in the Book of Nehemiah, a man on a mission, a man who overcame obstacles because he was dedicated to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. And in so doing, rebuilding a people. I see that same spirit of determination and I've worked with Reverend Bernard for exactly 11 years I've been in office. We've been great friends, but I don't recall a single conversation where he did not bring up this project and what it meant to him to transform this community.

So ladies and gentlemen, can we give a huge round of applause to our modern day Nehemiah, Reverend A.R. Bernard. First lady Karen, who's been inspiring all of us, overcoming challenges with just great determination. I also want to thank Bryan Kelly, who I sat next to, who believes in this, to his core of what we're actually doing here to transform people's lives and his work. Scribbling out plans on a piece of paper — a decade ago has really made a difference with the Gotham organization. I want to give another round of applause to Bryan. You'll be hearing from him.

I want to give another round of applause to Bryan Kelly, you'll be hearing from him. Kirk Goodrich, Monadnock Development — partners like that, but also I have my partners too, and I have extraordinary leaders in state and local government who are the wind beneath my wings as we accomplish so much collectively together for the people we all represent.

Senator Roxanne Persaud — I want to give her a huge round of applause for being there so many times with an answer of “yes, let's get it done.” Councilwoman Farah Louis, thank you for championing this project as well. It is people like you who are making a real profound difference. Also, I know that we've been joined by Nikki Lucas — Nikki's here, Nikki's here; great to see you, Nikki Lucas.

Chris Banks, our in-district Councilmember here as well — thank you, Chris. And Deputy Mayor Carrion has joined us. RuthAnne Visnauskas, please stand up, RuthAnne. If you do not know her, she's doing an incredible, incredible job as the head of our housing community renewal. I see Dan Grodnik here and others representing the Adams administration as well. This is a partnership, there's a vision — a man with a mission like Nehemiah, but also so many others who stepped up.

And I'm going to tell you this, as the first Governor in 50 years who's taken on the challenge of building affordable housing, I know what opposition looks and feels like. I've been there. I know how hard it is. I don't know why it's so hard because I believe, to my core, that every human being deserves the dignity of a safe, secure roof over their heads. So why is there so much opposition out there to this? Because we're simply living the message that in my church, Jesus Christ taught us to look out for those who have less than others.

This has been a cause championing back to my parents in the ’60s — joining an organization in its infancy designed to break down the walls of segregation, invite people into communities where they had been previously encountering hostility; that's in my DNA to be that housing justice champion. So as Governor, a project like this comes to me — I know there's a lot of money needed, but I also found a way to get to “yes.”

And for a $270 million phase one out of many phases project that'll ultimately build 2,000 homes for people — think about the scale of that, 2,000 people who are right now housing insecure, income insecure, who finally can put their head on a pillow and feel safe.

I know what that feeling is all about because of our efforts with our $25 billion statewide affordable housing plan. I'm finally at the phase now after pushing this so hard my first couple years as governor — where I've given the keys to a new home to women — particularly moms from Buffalo to Gowanus — and I so look forward to handing a set of keys to the first occupant of this extraordinary project.

Because you can see in their eyes, up until that moment they didn't know if they were worthy of this. In Gowanus, this mom was going into a home it wasn't big — it was kinda like the size of my apartment. But she had access to that of everyone else who had more money had access to, she had a rooftop pool even. I mean, this is something she never dreamed possible.

So we are making dreams happen because we are investing billions of dollars into projects like these. And that gives me such a strong sense of pride, as the Governor of this great state. of what we can do working together. So of a $270 million project, $190 million of state support — I think it's worth every penny of it.

And that's going to change the lives, for this phase one, of over 400 people — and I know we can do more — I'm undeterred by those who stand in our way. We’ve got, with the support of the legislature, changes that have been talked about but never acted on for decades. Converting office space that was underused after the pandemic into housing.

There were laws against doing that until we said, why, why, why does it have to be this way? 71,000 more housing units are being built because we pushed out the deadline for 421-A. You may not know what these numbers mean or really care — but to me it's the 71,000 homes that are coming online. The City of Yes, the mayor calls me late one night, and says, “we’ve got to get this done, but I can't get it done without a billion dollars from the state.”

Now others in my position probably would've extracted more than a pound of flesh for that, except our interests were aligned. I want people to have housing in the city of New York, because why not. So that billion dollars got us over the finish line and that project is extraordinary in its scale as well.

So these are the things that we can do at the government level with great partners in state and local government. But it takes a person like Reverend Bernard, pulling together the team and the son and the developers who say, we can get this done. So today we celebrate them, we celebrate them and also the future tenants of these homes who may not know right now that they're going to be given a gift literally from God that says, you have value.

You are all God's children, and we will give you the beauty of dignity of a secure safe home for you and your family. So for me, this is the day the Lord has made, and I'm so honored to be in this position right now to be able to say yes to projects like these — and you can count on many, many more for years to come.

Thank you very much everyone.