The Doe Fund, a homeless services organization with more than one million square feet of transitional housing across the city, is moving forward with a new 200-bed residence in Bed-Stuy.
“We have deep, long-standing roots in the Bed-Stuy community and our expanded presence there will continue to uplift the neighborhood,” said John McDonald, interim president of the Doe Fund.
The Doe Fund aims to provide the city's most vulnerable with access to state-of-the-art, safe homes with on-site social services.
On Jan. 18, the organization finalized financing for the construction of a 200-bed transitional residence at 510 Gates Ave.
The Doe Fund acquired the land in 2020 and demolition of an existing structure is expected to begin in February. The entire construction project will take approximately 27 months.
The new residence will add to the organization’s portfolio of 12 transitional housing residences. These include a 200-bed residence in Harlem and a 400-bed residence in East Williamsburg.
The Doe Fund is no stranger to Gates Ave. The new facility will sit adjacent to the organization's first transitional housing residence, which is at 520 Gates Ave.
“Gates Avenue is where it all began for us — where we first proved to the world that when given the opportunity to work and earn a living, people experiencing homelessness would seize it,” said McDonald.
The organization first established its presence in Bed-Stuy with this 60-bed facility in 1990.
The final product at 510 Gates Ave., will be a 200-bed facility for men. The NYC Department of Homeless Services transitional housing program will refer individuals to the residence.
“Bed-Stuy has a deep need for transitional housing. The Doe Fund’s work has been impactful in this area and we are thrilled to see it able to expand,” said city council member Chi Osse, whose district includes Bed-Stuy. “We are eagerly looking forward to this project’s completion.”
Ready, Willing and Able
Individuals housed at the new residence will have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in the Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing and Able program.
The Ready, Willing and Able program is a workforce development program that provides paid work opportunities in social enterprise.
It offers critical resources to the community’s most vulnerable, including:
- Training in living wage fields
- Addiction recovery
- Adult basic education and high school equivalency
- Computer literacy
- Financial management
- Parenting support
- Legal support
“Nearly 30,000 men have been given the gift of opportunity and the chance to transform their lives at our transitional residences through Ready, Willing & Able,” said McDonald. “Soon, we’ll be able to extend that same opportunity, in the same location, to 200 more men at a time when our city needs it most.”
The organization reports that those who complete the nine to 12 month program are 62% less likely to recidivate, compared to demographically-identical individuals.
“There's no one-size-fits-all solution to homelessness. Transitional housing like 510 Gates Ave., together alongside work-based programs like Ready, Willing & Able and permanent affordable and supportive housing, is critical to providing a continuum of care that meets the diverse needs of this population where they are,” continued McDonald.
Financing for the 510 Gates Ave. project will come from both public and private sources, including:
- DHS
- SLC Management
- KeyBanc’s Community Development Group
“We express our profound gratitude to mayor Adams, who as Brooklyn borough president was instrumental in realizing this vision, as well as New York City city council district and community board 3,” said McDonald.
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