Breaking Ground in Brooklyn

The Actors Fund is excited to announce our latest project in partnership with Common Ground Community – Schermerhorn House.  This exciting project will provide 217 units of affordable, permanent housing for single adults.  Half of the units will be targeted to low-income performing arts and entertainment professionals and the remaining units will be reserved for formerly homeless individuals and adults with special needs.  Thirty-two of these will be dedicated specifically to those living with HIV/AIDS.  The Actors Fund will provide on-site support services for all residents at Schermerhorn House, including case management, referrals to community resources, entitlement advocacy, coordination of home care and medical services, outreach and support groups. 

The eight-story building will have a rooftop garden and be environmentally sound – a “green” building.  The Schermerhorn Community Room will be a ground-floor, 2,000 square foot multi-purpose room with double high ceilings, seating capacity for approximately 75, professional lighting and sound system, projection screen, sprung floors with wood finish, a greenroom/kitchen and bathrooms.  This space will be managed by The Actors Fund and will be open to The Schermerhorn residents and community art organizations for shows, rehearsals, performances, films, exhibitions and other cultural activities.  Retail space will be located on the ground floor of the building and a terrace garden will be located on the roof of the building.  Schermerhorn House is located close to major subway and bus lines.  

Common Ground and The Actors Fund have worked together since 1996, when The Actors Fund hired Common Ground to act as property manager for our residence, the Aurora.

Contact

For additional information, please contact:

Ina Sorens Clark
Chief Development Officer
212.221.7300 ext. 176
IClark@actorsfund.org

Work continues on Schermerhorn House in Brooklyn and the building is scheduled to open in Spring 2008. A topping out ceremony was held at the site on December 13th to celebrate the placement of the last beam on the top of the building.

Schermerhorn House will provide safe and dignified affordable housing for low-income workers from the community, especially those in the performing arts and entertainment industry, people transitioning out of homelessness, and people living with AIDS. An innovative collaboration of non-profit organizations, government, and the private sector, it will be an important contribution to the revitalization of downtown Brooklyn and establish a green design standard for affordable housing development throughout New York City.