BloomCommons
Expanding Access to Housing for NYC’s Most At Risk Residents
It’s
great to meet you.
We are deeply committed to housing as a fundamental human right.
As strategic designers, we can leverage our expertise to address homelessness at the systemic level.
We aim to create a transformative solution, breaking the cycle of homelessness rather than offering a temporary fix.
Riya Rana Interior Architect & UX Designer
Let’s meet a few people
“Being destitute is a full-time job. I mean, it’s always people standing around in line to get your bed for the night [...] It’s like somebody is waiting for concert tickets to see Michael Jackson back from the dead. Wait in line for up to two hours. Get this little piece of paper. Wait another two hours. The day’s shot. You have no place to put your stuff so you can leave and work. – Liz, 60
After staying at her friend’s apartment for several months, she left when her host made her feel uncomfortable. She slept in her car. – Chelsie, 33
“I didn’t receive my benefits one month. I was fighting with the QUEST card people. You get a review every few years to keep the benefits going. Well, not living in a permanent place, I don’t receive my mail, so I missed the review. That’s why my benefits were cut off.” – David, 63
Source: A Life Without a Home: Voices from the tents, shelters, cars, motels and couches of America, New York Times
Source: A Life Without a Home: Voices from the tents, shelters, cars, motels and couches of America, New York
“I am not grounded in some place to update my résumé and have access to the internet to look for jobs and network. I’m not able to access my full belongings to get into my full self to go out to places to network with people.”
– Edward, 47
Times
NO PERMANENT ADDRESS
= NO SERVICES = NO PERMANENT
HOUSING
The need for innovative housing solutions has never been more urgent.
The majority of the country is rent- or mortgageburdened
Development costs are unmanageable due to supply chain and labor issues, and inflation.
Rent growth has outpaced both inflation (by 40%) and wage growth (by 7%) since 1985
The need for innovative housing solutions has never been more urgent.
In a city of more than 8.3 million people, nearly one in every 83 New Yorkers is homeless.
Sources: The Bowery Mission, Coalition for the Homeless
There are 127,000 homeless New Yorkers nightly There are nearly
123,000 New Yorkers sleeping in shelters every night
24,036 of which are single adults
4,000 people are living unsheltered in subways or on the street
NYC does not have enough resources to meet demand.
17,576
families are on the waiting list for Section 8 housing
274,745
families are on the waiting list for public housing
6,306
families are on both waiting lists (public housing and Section 8)
Connect individuals to the NYC Continuum of Care
Follow a Housing First approach with optional supportive services
Lead with security and privacy designed with trauma in mind
Introducing BloomCommons
A rapidly deployable, temporary and circular housing model that helps people who are experiencing homelessness find supportive housing by eliminating communal living and qualification requirements, and providing individual housing units, support, and community.
Why BloomCommons is Different
Circular Development Model Rapidly Deployable
Maximizing Underutilized Land
Public-PrivateProviderPhilanthropic Partnership
Housing First Onsite Services Co-Located with Essential Needs Intimate (But CostEffective) Community
How it Works
How it Works
Sublease land from land owners in exchange for incentives during the permitting process
Environmental testing, designing & utilities
How it Works
Development
How it Works
How it Works
Return of the subleased to the land owners Transition of Modular Community to another available lot
Transition of residents into permanent housing
Where Residents Go Next
Permanent, non-supportive housing (subsidized or unsubsidized)
Alternative supportive housing (permanent or temporary)
Next BloomCommons Location
Potential Partners
Developers building new projects City partners with access to underutilized land Land Bankers
Example: 43 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
Source: Property Shark, GIS.NYC.gov
Lot size: 13,202 sq ft
Est. Annual Property Tax: $980,000
Owned by: Private Developer In Development
*Zoned Commercial or Manhattan Residential
Example: 43 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
Lot size: 1 ,202 sq ft
Est. Annual Property Tax: $980,000
Owned by: P ivate Develope In Development
With BloomCommons:
168+ ~$2,940,000 people se ve saved in p ope ty taxes with a yea pa tne ship
*Zoned Commercial or Manhattan Residential
Similar models have worked elsewhere in the US.
DignityMoves | Downtown
Santa Barbara
Of nearly 100 people served: 70% of those who have moved are in stable housing, 14 have gotten jobs, 7 are in school and 85% are document ready for the next step in their lives.*
*As of December 2023. Source: DignityMoves
SquareOne Villages: Opportunity Village | Eugene, OR
Hope The Mission: Arroyo Seco Tiny Home Village | Los Angeles, CA
Community First! Village | Austin, TX
Common Concerns
Lease Expiration and Transition Planning
We are committed to a smooth transition for all residents by planning ahead. New resident intake stops 1 year before the land lease ends.
Tenancy Status Dispute
Since we do not collect rent, there is no contract, and therefore no risk that residents can claim tenancy.
Existing Project Interference
Seamlessly integrated with existing permitting processes, minimizing delays.
Incentives like tax abatements, construction credits, and zoning advantages maximize the benefits of developers’ participation.
BloomCommons aims to support individuals or adult couples experiencing homelessness.
Sources: The Bowery Mission, Coalition for the Homeless
123,000 New Yorkers sleeping in shelters every night There are 127,000 homeless New Yorkers nightly There are nearly
24,036 of which are single adults
4,000 people are living unsheltered in subways or on the street
Implementation
Audience 1: Pilot
Target Audience:
Individuals and Couples who are currently living in the shelter system, have acquired permanent housing, but are waiting for that housing to become available.
Benefits: Predictable length of stay, opens up shelter beds to more critical cases
Target Occupancy: 84-168 residents
Implementation
Audience 2: Growth
Target Audience:
Functionally or episodically homeless individuals who are still looking to acquire permanent housing
Benefits: Progress more quickly through the Continuum of Care, less reliant on supportive services
Target Occupancy: 84 - 100 residents
Implementation
Audience 3: Essential
Target Audience:
Benefits:
Unsheltered individuals disconnected from the NYC Continuum of Care, likely experiencing chronic mental or physical health conditions or substance abuse
Addressing the most critically in-need
Target Occupancy: 84 residents
Cost Analysis
This would save the City of New York: Our community costs $97 per person per day.
$39 per person, per day compared to existing shelters.
$1,317 per person, per day compared to incarceration.
$3,512 per person, per day compared to hospitalization.
The only financially superior option is permanent supportive housing, which costs NYC $68 per person, per day.
Sources: NYC.gov, Comptroller.NYC.gov
Next Steps
Connect with city officials to propose tax incentive legislation.
Identify key partners for development and service provision.
Launch capital campaign for BloomCommons operations.
Thank ThankYou You