More details are starting to emerge about the multi-phase development project that began with the 14 Townhouses. First, half of the 217 units at the “Schermerhorn House” will provide housing for the formerly homeless and people with special needs while the rest will be for low-income workers and artists. According to the Fort Greene Courier, residents will live in 185-square-foot studios and pay one-third of their income toward rent.

In other areas of the project…a number of artists and designers will show their work in one of the 14 Townhouses this summer as part of something called “blockparty.” (This is not a huge surprise given that Francis Greenburger, the head of Time Equities, has been very involved with the arts for years.) Also, it turns out that, in addition to Time Equities and Hamlin Ventures, others with equity in the project include the Actors’ Fund of America and Common Ground Community. Common Ground is going to manage the building and the Actors’ Fund will cover on-site social services.

The Brooklyn Eagle also reports that Abby Hamlin is actively trying to organize resistance to the reopening of the House of Detention–which is just a block away. All the negative press around the return of convicts to the upwardly-mobile stretch of Atlantic can’t be helping to sell $2.6 million houses.
Housing Takes Center Stage [Brooklyn Eagle]
New Home for Artists and Others [Fort Greene Courier]