New York Land Opportunity Program (2016)
 

New York Land Opportunity Program (2016)

In 2016, the New York Land Opportunity Program (NYLOP) was a first-of-its kind LISC NY program that helped mission-driven organizations with limited real estate experience to partner with experienced developers to develop new affordable housing on their land.

In the first phase of NYLOP, LISC NY offered four city-wide workshops attended by 300 individuals, primarily representing faith based organizations. Then, through a competitive application process, LISC NY selected five mission-driven organizations—all churches—to receive a comprehensive set of technical assistance services to evaluate their land, create a development scenario and identify a developer partner through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. They are:

  • Community Church in Murray Hill, Manhattan
  • Shiloh Church of Christ in Harlem, Manhattan
  • St. John’s Global Ministry of the Kingdom, near downtown Jamaica, Queens
  • St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, in Williamsbridge, Bronx
  • Wakefield Grace United Methodist Church in Wakefield, Bronx

The cohort received extensive technical assistance from LISC NY, including pro-bono architectural, legal, and financial modeling assistance. Upon completing this nine-month training program, four churches finalized and issued Request for Proposals (RFPs) to identify experienced developer partners.

To date, three NYLOP churches have formed partnerships with developers—all to develop 100 percent affordable housing and community spaces. The program has been widely covered in national and local media, including the Wall Street Journal, Affordable Housing Finance Magazine, the NY Daily News and more.

Through NYLOP, these churches will remain in their communities, while working with their developer partners to build hundreds of new units of affordable housing and community space so that they can continue offering programs that address the needs of youth, seniors and those struggling with hunger, poverty and homelessness in their neighborhoods.

Workshops:

In fall/winter 2016, LISC NY offered four NYLOP technical assistance workshops in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan, reaching over 300 participants. These workshops covered: (1) what it takes to develop affordable housing through a joint venture partnership; (2) case studies of successful joint venture partnerships to develop affordable housing; (3) resources for development and long-term stewardship of affordable housing; and (4) an overview of LISC NY’s NYLOP technical assistance program.

Thanks to our Partners!

NYLOP is a LISC NY partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit.

NYLOP was launched with generous support of Booth Ferris Foundation, along with BankUnited, Deutsche Bank, M&T Bank, and Santander Bank.

Special thanks to our technical assistance partners: Goldstein Hall and Edelman Sultan Knox Wood / Architects.