Winston Gaskin Homes

Organization Name: Housing Visions Unlimited (HVU)

Project Title: Winston Gaskin Homes

Project Location: Syracuse, NY

Project Description:
Winston Gaskin Homes, named after a prominent Syracuse African-American businessperson and co-founder of Housing Visions, consists of 20 beautifully renovated multi-family buildings in Syracuse totaling 66 units. Housing Visions (HV), the developer and contractor who completed the project, included several buildings preserved 25 years ago as some of that non-profit housing organization’s first projects. The buildings, mostly built around 1900, had deteriorated and HV sought the financing to rehabilitate this important housing resource. Winston Gaskin Homes is a scattered-site neighborhood preservation project located in the east and north side of Syracuse, NY that substantially rehabilitated 20 small multi-family homes (1 to 6 units each) consisting of 66 units of affordable family rental housing with 20 units reserved for homeless survivors of domestic violence and their families. Services and operations will be supported through an ESSHI award. The project is a collaboration between HV and the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

Community Impact:
The YWCA of Syracuse and Onandaga County has been a voice for women's issues for more than 150 years, providing active advocacy and programming for women's economic empowerment. The YWCA currently provides shelter for 55 single and parenting women who are overcoming domestic violence or drug abuse, and are dealing with the consequences of extended unemployment and mental health challenges. This project is allowing the YWCA to expand their capacity by adding these 20 supportive housing units in partnering with HV. Future supportive housing residents will have a stable home and voluntary services available to help them overcome traumatic events and be empowered to regain control of their lives.

Organization Description:
Housing Visions is a strong developer of both affordable and permanent supportive housing in the state of New York and is a leading housing agency in Syracuse that provides both housing and supportive services for mental health, domestic violence and drug abuse.

Team Members:

HVU (developer, general contractor & property manager), YWCA of Syracuse and Onandaga County (service provider), Holmes King Kallquist & Associates (Architect), Cannon Heyman & Wiss LLP (attorney)

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