Regional Administrator Lynne Patton Breaks Ground on Bedford Green Supportive Housing Development

Regional Administrator Patton delivers remarks at the Bedford Green Ribbon Cutting next to a project rendering.

Regional Administrator Lynne Patton delivered remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Bedford Green House supportive housing project in the Bronx. The 118-unit development, funded in part by $2 million in HUD HOME funds, will provide supportive and affordable housing for more than 160 residents, including families, singles, and seniors.

The project will feature a number of unique and innovative elements including a rooftop aquaponics greenhouse, a living green façade, a community playground, and custom artwork from the Bronx community. Located at 2865 Creston Avenue, the 13-story, block-and-plank building will meet or exceed LEED Gold standards for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design.

The rooftop greenhouse will be filled with nutritious produce in an innovative vertical farming system called aquaponics, in which residents will raise delicious, nutritious fish and vegetables in a symbiotic ecosystem. Edible tilapia fish will live in large tanks connected to a bio-filter that breaks down fish waste and carries nutrients to the plant roots; meanwhile the plants will clean the water for the fish. Because the aquaponics growing platforms can be stacked vertically, produce yields per square foot will be many times higher than with traditional soil-based farming.

"Healthy homes lead to healthy residents, a principle that Secretary Carson knows from experience to be true and one that will prove itself for the formerly homeless families and individuals that will call Bedford Green home," said Regional Administrator Patton. "This extraordinarily designed project will nurture the minds, bodies, and spirits of its clients, helping set them on the path to economic recovery and self-sufficiency."

The Bedford Green House is sponsored by Project Renewal, a New York City-based nonprofit organization that works to end the cycle of homelessness by empowering adults and children to renew their lives with health, homes and jobs. Learn more about Project Renewal at www.projectrenewal.org.

To learn more about HUD's HOME program, visit hudexchange.info/home.

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