45 Years Strong

Manhattan Valley Dev. Corp.

By Leah Etling on May 6, 2013 in People

The Manhattan Valley Development Corporation will mark 45 years of providing affordable housing in Manhattan at the end of 2013.  As part of the celebration of this milestone anniversary, Yardi client MVDC will award the first Leah Schneider scholarship in honor of the organization’s former director who passed away in 2001.

Since 1968, MVDC has maintained a focus on one vital goal: providing and maintaining affordable, safe housing in Manhattan’s upper Westside. Over the years, MVDC rehabilitated and developed more than 1200 housing units, including affordable ownership projects that were sold to residents at below-market prices. Today, MVDC oversees 784 apartments in 47 buildings, serving around 3,000 residents.

The ongoing challenge of maintaining affordable housing in New York City, one of the nation’s priciest apartment markets, and serving an aging resident population are two priorities for MVDC Executive Director Lucille McEwen.

“There are market forces and gentrification and pressure to create more high-end living in this immediate area, but we’ve always maintained affordable housing and that’s our real focus,” said McEwen (left), an attorney who has a passion for affordable housing and is also a lifelong Manhattan resident.  “We are reaching out to other like-minded individuals and organizations to see what we can do collectively.”

“One of the things we’re trying to figure out is: How do we get more housing that’s targeted towards low-income seniors? That’s a great need in the community. They can’t afford to move, and they can’t afford these new construction co-ops and condos that are going up. They need the accessibility ramps to get into buildings, and elevators, and other things that help when you have limited mobility.”

Many of MVDC’s residents have been living in their apartments for years, even decades. McEwen knows of one man who has been in his apartment since 1962. And since most of the 47 buildings are walk-ups, access for senior citizens is a pressing issue. Vacancies are almost unheard of. Out of 784 units, just two were empty, McEwen said. And the waiting list to receive an apartment could take years to exhaust.

In addition to affordable housing, MVDC has a social services component to its organization, which has been part of its programming since the early days. Volunteers and staff assist residents with the application process for social security benefits, subsidized health care, metro transit access and food assistance.

Another one of McEwen’s goals is to expand the volunteer program that assists MVDC residents and add an immigration assistance component to help legal residents who would like to obtain U.S. citizenship. She hopes to attract college students from New York’s many universities to participate as volunteers.

“Our community is very diverse. It includes Latinos from the Dominican Republic, from Puerto Rico, from Mexico, many Haitians, and recent immigrants from other countries. There are many that would benefit from assistance in gaining full citizenship and receive all of the additional economic benefits that would come with that,” McEwen said.

MVDC is known for a high degree of resident involvement, and profiles of some of its employees and board members highlight the affection they have for the community. Board member Mildred Dweck, an activist since the Civil Rights movement, assists MVDC seniors with obtaining social services. Rhina Mercedes, a bilingual property manager who lives in a MVDC building, enjoys being able to assist immigrants from Latin America. Board Member Tyrone Green grew up in the neighborhood and benefited from MVDC summer programs, and was recently employed at a local elementary school. Eleanor Pettaway, also on the Board, volunteers teaching neighborhood kids to read. They are just a few of the staff and volunteers who make MVDC a vibrant community.

“Everyone wants a safe, affordable place that they can call home, and that’s the passion for most of us,” said McEwen. Ensuring that such places maintain affordability, and offer expanded services for seniors, will be the goal as MVDC heads into its 46^th successful year.

Yardi congratulates Manhattan Valley Development Corporation, a Yardi client, on its 45^th anniversary serving the West Manhattan community.