The New York Times: How a Hotel Was Converted into Housing for Formerly Homeless People
- December 11, 2022
- •Homes
Though Mayor Eric Adams estimated that 25,000 hotel rooms could be turned into supportive and affordable housing, only one building has been converted so far. And it was in the works before the plan.
George Karatzidis stood in his new high-rise studio apartment overlooking the city skyline and spread his arms wide.
“This is why I’m alive,” he said, pointing to a spartan metal bed frame with a mattress wrapped in a gray sheet.
Mr. Karatzidis, 41, is one of the first residents of the 30-story renovated tower in Dumbo, Brooklyn, one of the richest neighborhoods in the city. Before November, he was homeless.
His building — with nearly 500 units, a gym, computer lab, bike room and a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Manhattan and the East River — is one of the nation’s largest supportive housing developments. In supportive housing, formerly homeless tenants get permanent housing and access to on-site mental health and support services. Read the full article.
