In May, nonprofit community service organization Goddard Riverside acquired 235 West 107th Street, also known as the Morningside Inn. Members of the West 107th Street Block Association spoke last week to Goddard executives about their intention to develop the property, originally a 95-unit SRO, and to preserve its past use as permanent affordable housing.
via Google Maps
Goddard’s plan is to create about 82 units for single people, with shared kitchenettes and at least one bathroom for every two units. Forty percent of the units are expected to be affordable low-income housing. Sixty percent will be supportive housing for men and women exiting homelessness. Those tenants, assessed by Goddard’s Homeless Outreach team for suitability for permanent housing, may have mental illness, physical disability, and substance abuse problems.
The building will undergo significant renovation, likely to begin in January or February 2022, before transitioning to its new use in 2023. In the meantime, a new superintendent is maintaining the facility. Current occupants of the building include seven SRO tenants, who will be permitted to stay permanently, and eight people temporarily placed there by the Department of Homeless Services.
As Goddard finalizes building plans, it will share them with the public via presentations to Community Board 7. To learn about Goddard’s programs, and for additional details about 235 West 107th Street as they become available, visit goddard.org.
This article published on June 23, 2021 states:
“The building will undergo significant renovation, likely to begin in January or February 2021…”
Are these renovations already in progress?
Our mistake – just a typo. We’ve corrected it. Thanks for catching!
I was under the impression that SRO buildings could not be converted or altered. By what avenue is Goddard Riverside able to implement such renovations?
Hi Angie, You are under a mistaken impression. There was a 5-year moratorium on conversion or demolition of SROs in the late 1980s during the Koch administration–but that expired decades ago. While there remain some protections before a property owner can convert, alter, or demolish an SRO, since that time, thousands of SRO units have been lost or converted. Yet, thousands of SRO units have also been preserved as desperately needed permanent affordable housing—known as Supportive Housing. For more info and history, see: https://shnny.org/blog/entry/supportive-housing-the-innovative-model-for-ending-chronic-homelessness/ cheers!