The Casanova Residence, a 96-unit affordable housing development on Casanova Street in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, broke ground on Monday, August 3, marking another milestone in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s effort to accelerate housing construction across the borough. The project, developed by The Doe Fund in partnership with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, will pair permanently affordable apartments with on-site supportive services for residents transitioning out of homelessness.
- The Casanova Residence will deliver 58 supportive housing units and 38 rent-stabilized apartments available through the NYC Housing Connect lottery.
- The Mamdani administration is investing $1 billion over the next two fiscal years to create and preserve supportive housing, a 60 percent increase over the prior two-year period.
- Casanova is The Doe Fund’s 13th permanent residence and its 11th affordable housing project in the Bronx, bringing the nonprofit’s portfolio to more than 1,400 units citywide.
- The building will include on-site case management, job training, free broadband, a fitness center, and landscaped outdoor space.
- HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program financed the project, with additional backing from Raymond James and Webster Bank.
- Once completed, the development will sit directly across from a planned 20,000-square-foot municipal grocery store at The Peninsula, the city’s first publicly run supermarket.
Fifty-Eight Units Reserved for Formerly Homeless New Yorkers
The bulk of the Casanova Residence will serve a population that has historically cycled through shelters and emergency services without a stable path out. Fifty-eight of the building’s 96 apartments are designated as supportive housing for individuals and families living with mental illness, substance use disorders, or disabling medical conditions. Each of those residents will have access to on-site case management, education programs, workforce development, and addiction recovery support operated by The Doe Fund.
The remaining 38 units will be rent-stabilized apartments marketed through the NYC Housing Connect lottery system, opening them to working-class Bronx residents who meet income eligibility requirements. The building will also include communal amenities: a fitness center, a landscaped outdoor area, dedicated community and service spaces, and free broadband for all tenants.
Jennifer Mitchell, President and CEO of The Doe Fund, noted during the groundbreaking ceremony that the organization has worked in the Hunts Point community since 2016. The Doe Fund’s housing portfolio now comprises more than 2,100 units across New York City when counting properties in operation, under construction, and in pre-development. Casanova will be the nonprofit’s 13th permanent residence, bringing its completed portfolio to more than 1,400 units. The organization has operated in affordable and supportive housing for nearly 40 years, pairing stable homes with workforce training, digital literacy, financial education, legal services, and community programming at each of its sites.
A $1 Billion Commitment Under the Block by Block Housing Plan
The Casanova groundbreaking lands within a broader housing strategy that the Mamdani administration has branded “Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era.” That plan sets a target of creating 200,000 new affordable homes and preserving another 200,000 over the next decade, while also expanding public housing investment and tenant protections.
The administration’s recently adopted city budget allocates $1 billion over the next two fiscal years specifically to create and preserve supportive housing. That figure represents a 60 percent increase over what the city spent on supportive housing in the prior two-year budget cycle. HPD Commissioner Dina Levy described the Casanova project as representative of the kind of housing needed to reach residents who face overlapping challenges of homelessness, health conditions, and economic instability, noting that the majority of the building’s residents will have access to on-site social services, case management, and job training.
The city has also launched complementary programs to speed up housing delivery. The Supportive Preservation Program, introduced earlier this year, provides dedicated funding and technical assistance to stabilize existing supportive housing developments across the five boroughs. And the administration’s “SPEED” initiative is designed to cut pre-development timelines for affordable and supportive housing by as much as two years, addressing one of the most persistent bottlenecks in New York City’s housing pipeline.
Hunts Point Emerges as a Testing Ground for Bronx Investment
The Casanova Residence sits within a stretch of Hunts Point that the Mamdani administration has positioned as a showcase for its Bronx-focused policy agenda. Once complete, the building will stand directly across from The Peninsula, a five-acre campus on the former site of the Spofford Juvenile Detention Center. That project, developed by Gilbane Development Company, Hudson Companies, and MHANY Management, will ultimately bring 740 units of affordable housing, more than 50,000 square feet of public open space, and 30,000 square feet of light industrial manufacturing space to the neighborhood.
In May 2026, the administration announced that The Peninsula had been selected as the second location for the city’s municipal grocery store program. The 20,000-square-foot publicly run supermarket is expected to open in 2027 and deliver lower food costs by operating on city-owned property, reducing the overhead expenses that typically drive prices higher for shoppers. The program fulfills one of Mamdani’s core campaign pledges: to establish one publicly supported grocery store in each borough before the end of his first term. Hunts Point already anchors a critical piece of the city’s food infrastructure — the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center handles roughly 40 percent of New York City’s food supply.
Financing and Development Partners
The Casanova Residence was financed through HPD’s Supportive Housing Loan Program, which provides below-market-rate financing for developments that pair permanently affordable apartments with on-site social services. Additional project financing came from Raymond James and Webster Bank. Council Member Justin Sanchez and Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson joined Mayor Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg, and HPD Deputy Commissioner for Development Patrick Love at the Monday groundbreaking.
Borough President Gibson described the project as aligned with her priority of expanding housing across the Bronx that reflects the needs of working-class families, vulnerable residents, and formerly homeless individuals. The development follows a pattern of Doe Fund projects in the borough that have combined housing with wraparound social services, including its 2019 groundbreaking on a 90-unit building at 555 Nereid Avenue in Wakefield, which included 54 studio apartments for formerly homeless veterans.
FAQs
When Will the Casanova Residence Be Completed?
The city has not announced a specific completion date for the Casanova Residence. Construction is now underway following the August 3, 2026 groundbreaking ceremony. Comparable Doe Fund developments in the Bronx have typically taken two to three years to complete.
How Can Bronx Residents Apply for Casanova Residence Apartments?
The 38 rent-stabilized apartments will be listed on the NYC Housing Connect lottery system once the building nears completion. Eligible applicants will need to meet income requirements set by the city’s affordable housing program. The 58 supportive housing units will be filled through referrals from city agencies serving homeless and health-affected populations.
What Services Will Be Available to Residents On-Site?
The Doe Fund will operate on-site programming that includes case management, education and job training, workforce development, digital and financial literacy courses, addiction recovery support, and linkages to off-site healthcare. The building will also offer free broadband, a fitness center, and landscaped outdoor common areas.
What Is the Municipal Grocery Store Planned Near the Casanova Residence?
A 20,000-square-foot city-run grocery store is planned for The Peninsula development on Spofford Avenue, directly across from the Casanova Residence site. The store, expected to open in 2027, is part of Mayor Mamdani’s municipal grocery program, which aims to lower food costs by operating on city-owned land and reducing traditional overhead expenses passed on to shoppers.
