By Linda Collins
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

FLATBUSH — In its second round of awarding federal stimulus dollars for constructing affordable housing citywide, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has announced funding for 600 units in 10 additional developments for a total of $28.7 million — including one in Brooklyn.

HPD Commissioner Rafael Cestero said the city became the first, earlier this year, to begin construction of new affordable housing using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP).

Building affordable housing is a central component of Mayor Bloomberg’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to create jobs for New Yorkers today, implement a vision for long-term economic growth and build affordable, attractive neighborhoods.

“This TCAP funding is exactly the kind of critical resource the industry needs to help keep projects moving, get ground broken and put hardworking people into quality affordable housing,� said Cestero. “These new projects will add an additional 600 units of affordable housing and will further strengthen and stabilize the neighborhoods we serve.�

TCAP provides grants through a formula-based allocation to state housing agencies.

Earlier this year, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $2.25 billion in TCAP funding nationwide. Of the $250 million allocated to New York State, the city received $85 million. All of the 604 units created through this round of funding will be affordable to families earning at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or what is equal to an annual income of $46,100 for a family of four.

The Brooklyn development is at 97 Crooke Ave. in Flatbush, where CAMBA Housing Ventures is constructing 53 units of affordable housing, including 32 units of supportive housing and 21 units at the 60 percent AMI level. CAMBA will receive $2.239 million for this project.

During HPD’s first round of TCAP funding, the city spent roughly $60 million to help finance four developments now underway, including one in Brooklyn: Livonia Terrace in East New York will provide 173 affordable units.

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