VOA-GNY Named Co-Developer of The Orion in Queens, An Innovative Approach to Creating Affordable Housing
The mixed-use project will create affordable housing along the East River waterfront in Hunter’s Point South, including 150 apartments for formerly homeless individuals.
Volunteers of America-Greater New York is proud to announce that we have been selected as the co-developer of The Orion, a mixed-use development that will create nearly 1,000 new apartments across three buildings, with two-thirds to be affordable to extremely low to moderate-income households. This project marks a major step forward in VOA-GNY’s mission to ensure every New Yorker has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.
By including a share of market-rate residences, The Orion will be able to deliver approximately 658 affordable homes, including 150 apartments for formerly homeless individuals, for whom VOA-GNY will provide ongoing services and support. Currently an empty lot in Hunter’s Point South, Queens, the project is part of a multiagency plan to transform the waterfront into a new community. In addition to affordable housing, The Orion will include a daycare center, workforce development center, and indoor community pool available to all residents, as well as commercial retail space.
“As New York continues to combat a historic housing crisis, we are proud to partner with the City and our co-development partners to create almost 1,000 new homes on underutilized public land with good access to transit, jobs, and schools,” said Dr. Jeffrey R. Ginsburg, President and CEO of Volunteers of America–Greater New York. “Our vision is for homelessness to become a rare, brief, and non-recurring phenomenon in our city. That is why this project will deliver hundreds of truly affordable units, including 149 high-quality apartments for formerly homeless individuals with lifesaving, trauma-informed support services. It’s an innovative model we hope to see replicated across the five boroughs.”
With this project, VOA-GNY’s new construction pipeline grows to approximately 2,700 homes over the coming years, the vast majority of which are for low or extremely low-income individuals and families—representing nearly $1.9 Billion in housing investment.
VOA-GNY will lead this project alongside co-developers Slate and Hudson, plus program partner Commonpoint Queens.
See more press about The Orion:
- Crain’s New York – “City taps team including Slate Property Group and Hudson Cos. to build nearly 1,000 homes in Queens”
- The Real Deal – “Slate, Hudson to bring LIC 658 affordable waterfront units — plus a pool”
- QNS – “City announces Long Island City’s Parcel E to be transformed into 983-unit housing development with over 600 affordable units”
- Commercial Observer – “NYC Selects Slate Property Group, Hudson Companies to Build 980 Homes in LIC”
- BisNow – “Slate, Hudson Cos. Picked To Develop Massive Queens Housing Project”
- 6sqft – “City unveils plan for Long Island City vacant lot to become 980 new apartments, majority affordable”
- Multi-Housing News – “Hudson Cos. JV Advances $700M Queens Project”