Brooklyn, NY – The Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn and Very Reverend Patrick J. Keating, Esq., President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, were joined were joined by Leila Bozorg, NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning, Ahmed Tigani, Commissioner of the Department of Buildings and representatives of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, City Planning Commission, the Housing Development Corporation, New York City Housing Authority, State Senator Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymember Latrice Walker and community leaders on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Catholic Charities Gail P. Duke Senior Residence. This $143.4 million development is providing 141 units of affordable sustainable apartments for low-income seniors with supportive services in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn.
The Gail P. Duke Senior Residence, which began construction in 2024, was developed by Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development (CCPOPD) Corporation, the affordable housing arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn. In 2018, CCPOPD was awarded a City-owned site assemblage along Livonia Avenue through the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Brownsville RFP. As the sole developer for Site C3, CCPOPD developed nine adjacent vacant lots located along Livonia Avenue between Mother Gaston Boulevard and Christopher Avenue. In May 2022, CCPOPD acquired one adjacent out-parcel (Lot 25) to improve the overall site design and financial feasibility for the proposed project.
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the nation and currently provides over 4,000 units of affordable housing with support services for seniors, families, veterans and the formerly homeless. The new senior building is an integral part of Catholic Charities approach to providing intergenerational, affordable, and safe housing in Brooklyn.
“Today truly is a day of great joy as we celebrate the completion of the Gail D. Duke Residence, which will provide 141 units of affordable housing for senior citizens. Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens has spearheaded another housing project that puts human dignity at the center of it all. We know that affordable housing is in great demand in our city, and the Diocese of Brooklyn is grateful to do our part in helping provide safe, affordable housing for those who need it most,” said Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
“Affordable housing remains one of the greatest needs in our city. For 50 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has led efforts to address this challenge. The Gail P. Duke Senior Residence is our 35th affordable housing development in Brooklyn and Queens,” said Very Reverend Patrick J. Keating, Esq., President and CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. “I am deeply grateful to Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation and to every partner whose tireless dedication turned six years of vision into reality. Today, 141 older New Yorkers have a safe, affordable, and caring place to call home.”
City Hall, city agencies, and local elected officials joined Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens to celebrate the opening of this newly built affordable housing for seniors in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
“Congratulations to Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, to the Brownsville community, and most of all, to the residents of the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence on this milestone! Thanks to the vision of the Brownsville residents who originally shaped the Brownsville Neighborhood Plan, the dedicated work of the Catholic Charities teams, and the partnership of agency staff and elected officials, hundreds of New Yorkers will soon have access to affordable, stable housing, services for older adults, and more,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
“I am thrilled that Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is fulfilling its mission to deliver more affordable housing for the community. The opening of the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence perfectly reflects that mission,” said New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud. “I want to thank Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development (CCPOPD) for its tireless work to make this a reality, as well as the many organizations that funded this project. Senior citizens deserve a place they can call home, and it is our obligation to support those who have contributed so much to our community.”
“The need for affordable housing has reached a crisis level in the State of New York, especially among seniors. That certainly includes the community of Brownsville where I was born and raised. I was here for the groundbreaking two years ago and I was excited to return for the ribbon-cutting at the $143.4 million development that will deliver 141 units of affordable housing,” said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker. “I congratulate Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, private, public, and community partners, and everyone involved in the construction of the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence. Thank you for your continued efforts to address the critical need for affordable housing. Thank you, on behalf of my constituents, for stepping up for Brownsville.”
Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development secured project financing in April 2024 with all public and private sources. Construction financing for the building includes 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) supported by $84,715,000 in NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Tax-Exempt Bonds and syndicated by Richman Housing Resources, along with a $7,820,000 HDC second mortgage, $10,016,215 in HOME funds from the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) Program and $4,500,000 in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, and $1,000,000 in NYC City Capital sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. The project was also awarded a $1,000,000 grant as a model demonstration by the New York State Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Buildings of Excellence Competition. This robust financial backing is a testament to the city and state’s commitment to affordable housing for seniors in need. Federal funding includes 141 project-based vouchers with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which guarantees long-term affordability for residents.
“The Gail P. Duke Senior Residence delivers on the vision of the Brownsville Plan, turning a long-vacant lot into 141 affordable homes where seniors can stay in the neighborhood they call home,” said New York City Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy. “Shaped by the priorities neighbors identified through the neighborhood planning process, this building also helps prepare Brownsville for a changing climate. Its Older Adult Center will double as a Community Resiliency Hub, giving seniors and neighbors a safe, welcoming place during energy disruptions, flood-related events, or extreme heat.”
“The Gail P. Duke Senior Residence shows what great planning can deliver: 141 affordable homes for older New Yorkers, supportive services, and a new community space in the heart of Brownsville,” said Sideya Sherman, Director of the New York City Department of City Planning. “Rooted in the community-based Brownsville Plan, this development is another step toward a more affordable and livable city — one block, one site, and one apartment at a time.”
“Gail P. Duke Senior Residence exemplifies the City’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that older New Yorkers have the resources that they need to age with dignity in their communities,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “HDC is proud to celebrate this important milestone with all of our project partners and colleagues across City government.”
“Richman is honored to have played a role in bringing the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence to fruition,” said Kevin Hoffman, President of Richman Housing Resources LLC. “This project demonstrates the power of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to create beautiful, high-quality, affordable homes for the seniors who need them most. We commend the vision and tenacity of the CCPOPD team in taking this project from conception to completion, and we are grateful to our funding partners at Bank of America, HDC, HPD, NYCHA, Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso, and NYSERDA for making this project possible. We look forward to seeing generations of Brownsville seniors make this place home.”
“Bank of America Community Development Banking provided $153 million to help finance the construction of the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence, which aligns with our purpose of helping to build strong communities where we live and work,” said Todd Gomez, Community Developing Banking Region Executive, Bank of America New York City. “This project is a great example of how private-public partnerships help create much-needed affordable housing for our seniors in our local communities.”
“More senior housing units are needed in all five boroughs across the city to house our fellow New Yorkers, and developments like the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence are exactly the type of projects which is helping us cover that gap,” said New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Through the Mayor’s multifaceted Block by Block Housing Plan, DOB is actively pursuing targeted code reform aimed at lowering construction costs and reducing development timelines, which will help facilitate the safe construction of more of these needed homes. Congratulations to the CCPOPD project team and our agency partners for this major new addition to the Brownsville community.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of the Gail P. Duke Senior Residence and the opening of 141 new affordable homes for low-income seniors in Brownsville,” said NYCHA Executive Vice President for Leased Housing Lakesha Miller. “Today is about celebrating the residents who will make this development their home and the new chapter they are beginning. Through project-based vouchers, NYCHA is proud to have helped make this development a reality and expanded access to safe, affordable housing for seniors in Brooklyn. We thank Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and all of our partners for their dedication and commitment to creating quality affordable housing for New Yorkers in need.”
Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development provides quality clean and resilient housing for older adults to comfortably age‐in‐place. Providing all‐electric heating, cooling and hot water systems, following Passive House (PHIUS) sustainable design standards, along with ENERGY STAR® Multifamily New Construction Program, EPA’s Indoor airPLUS, and Enterprise Green Communities certification standards enhances the overall safety, health and comfort of the residences. The project utilized CDBG‐DR funds to incorporate resiliency, including back‐up generator power for cooling, sheltering in place, and other emergency needs.
The property is named after Gail P. Duke, a Brooklynite, community advocate, and longtime member of the Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Board of Trustees. Ms. Duke spent her professional career at NYL Investors and has dedicated her life to advocating for affordable homes for those in need. Ms. Duke was present at the Ribbon-Cutting, dedicating the building in her name.
“May each and every one who live, find comfort and work in Gail P. Duke Senior Residence and Older Adult Center find physical and emotional stability because we all deserve to spend our days in an appealing environment,” said Gail P. Duke, Member of Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development and Management Boards.
Located at 350 Livonia Avenue, the Catholic Charities Gail P. Duke Senior Residence features a 10,000 square-foot older adult center on the ground floor with on-site supportive services provided by Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, the social services arm of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. The Gail P. Duke Older Adult Center offers daily hot meals prepared on-site, educational events, fitness classes, and senior case management services, promoting an active healthy lifestyle.
