Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation

Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation is a nonprofit community development organization based in East Harlem, New York. Established in 1988 under a different name, it evolved into its current form about six years ago, previously known as SFDS Development Corporation. The organization focuses on building and preserving affordable housing, as well as fostering resilient neighborhoods through community engagement and development initiatives.

Mission and Activities

Ascendant Neighborhood Development Corporation is dedicated to providing safe, affordable, and sustainable housing options for residents in East and Central Harlem. The organization achieves this by renovating and redeveloping underutilized properties, resulting in the creation of hundreds of permanently affordable apartments. Its community development strategy includes award-winning historic preservation efforts, ensuring long-term affordability and sustainability in its projects.

Projects and Partnerships

One notable initiative is the Ascendant Heritage Apartments project, which involves the rehabilitation of 21 multi-family buildings in East Harlem. This project was undertaken in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC). The rehabilitation aimed to maintain affordability without relocating current residents and introduced sustainable features like solar energy systems to reduce costs and promote environmental sustainability.

Ascendant has also collaborated with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) on several PACT (Permanent Affordability Commitment Together) projects. These collaborations focus on comprehensive renovations of public housing developments, incorporating historical preservation to secure government financing through historic tax credits. Notably, Ascendant is involved in the rehabilitation of NYCHA projects, aiming for listings on the State and National Registers of Historic Places to leverage historic tax credits for funding.

Portfolio and Impact

As of recent reports, Ascendant owns and operates approximately 28 buildings with nearly 700 permanently affordable rental apartments in Northern Manhattan. The organization’s development pipeline includes plans for new buildings that will add hundreds of additional affordable homes to the area.

Ascendant's community development efforts have contributed significantly to the stabilization and growth of East and Central Harlem neighborhoods by advocating for affordable housing preservation and development. Its comprehensive approach combines physical renovations with community support services to enhance residents' well-being and create thriving communities.

[1] https://ascendant.nyc [2] https://thenyhc.org/projects/ascendant-heritage-apartments/ [3] https://www.dwell.com/article/ascendant-neighborhood-development-new-york-city-public-housing-nycha-using-history-to-rehab-38e2d62b-a194c23c-208cd89d-0b7f4eb8-a7d46757 [4] https://urbanstudies.brown.edu/career-opportunities/ascendant-neighborhood-development-corporation [5] https://anhd.org/members/ascendant-neighborhood-development-corp