The Rise, a nearly $50 million affordable and supportive housing development in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, is gaining renewed attention as a model for combining affordable housing, supportive services and sustainable design.
The seven-story development provides 71 affordable homes, including 47 supportive apartments for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. The remaining affordable apartments serve households earning up to 60% of area median income.
The project was developed by Xenolith Partners through New York State’s Vital Brooklyn Initiative and was completed in November 2024. New York State formally announced the development’s completion in May 2025.
Supportive housing at the center of the project
The 47 supportive apartments are paired with on-site services intended to help residents achieve long-term housing stability.
Services include trauma-informed case management, mental health and substance-use services, employment and educational assistance, life-skills programming and wellness support.
The Women’s Prison Association and The Osborne Association provide supportive services for eligible tenants. Community Capacity Development provides community programming, while Project EATS operates the development’s rooftop farm.
Affordable housing with community investment
The Rise extends beyond its residential component.
The development includes more than 13,000 square feet of community and administrative space, along with extensive rooftop green space. Programming available to residents and members of the surrounding Brownsville community includes employment assistance, legal services, health and wellness resources, education and workforce-development opportunities.
The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York recently highlighted the project after providing $811,243 through its Affordable Housing Program in partnership with HSBC Bank.
The project was financed through a combination of public and private resources, including approximately $21 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, supportive housing funding, Housing Trust Fund resources, federal Housing Trust Fund financing and $10 million through New York State’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.
Sustainability built into the development
The Rise is an all-electric, Passive House-certified development designed to reduce energy consumption while improving indoor environmental quality.
Building features include photovoltaic solar panels, high-performance building systems, heat-pump hot water, energy-recovery ventilation, electric appliances and LED lighting.
The project also received recognition through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Buildings of Excellence program.
The combination of affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, community services and high-performance construction makes The Rise a notable example of how affordable housing developments are increasingly being designed to address needs beyond housing alone.
The Rise demonstrates how affordable housing development can combine deeply affordable homes, permanent supportive housing, resident services and sustainable construction within a single project. Its layered financing structure also shows how LIHTC equity, state housing programs, federal resources and private-sector capital can be assembled to deliver supportive housing for residents facing significant barriers to housing stability.
Low-income households and formerly incarcerated individuals and families in Brooklyn are the primary beneficiaries. The project is also relevant to affordable housing developers, owners, housing agencies, supportive-housing providers and investors evaluating models that combine affordable housing with on-site services and high-performance building standards.
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