St. Elizabeth Manor, New York Retrofit

St. Elizabeth Manor is a 4-story, 80-unit multifamily senior-housing building located at 150 Brielle Avenue in Staten Island, New York. The 61,320 GSF building was constructed in 1994 and has not undergone any major renovations since. Besides utilizing natural gas for space heating and domestic hot water production in the cellar, the rest of the building and all apartments run on electricity. Existing systems and infrastructure are mostly original to the building and nearing the end of their useful lives. The goal is to revive the building by improving the envelope, electrifying heating and hot water systems, installing heat recovery systems for ventilation, and installing wastewater heat recovery systems. Sisters of Charity Housing Development has 17 total buildings in their portfolio which includes 1272 total dwelling units. The owner’s goal is to replicate the above measures in all the buildings that have similar existing conditions, which will impact 804 dwelling units.

Considering the age of all original systems, the building is operating fairly but structurally failing with repairs needed to the face brick façade and roof which continue to experience water infiltration issues, particularly around the windows, roof flashing and bulkheads. Energy consumption associated with space heating and domestic hot water is high. The reasons for high space heating include high ventilation/infiltration, conductive heat losses through building envelope, and ageing boiler. The high infiltration is caused due to unbalanced ventilation, high exhaust rates, lack of energy recovery system, and weakening infrastructure. Domestic hot water consumption is high due to high flow rates from faucets/shower heads and ageing non-condensing water heaters.

The implementation of the Decarbonization Roadmap for Sisters of Charity’s Affordable Multifamily portfolio represents a strategic investment in both the environmental sustainability and long-term financial viability of the properties. By leveraging HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) for Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC) program to secure a 20-year Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract for St. Elizabeth’s Manor, Sisters of Charity ensures a stable revenue stream that will significantly enhance the financial health of the property. This stable income will support the necessary debt service payments on a mortgage, enabling the funding of $13.2 million in capital improvements. These capital improvements are critical not only for the immediate physical needs of the property but also for achieving the long-term decarbonization goals outlined in the Roadmap. The integration of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) as part of this comprehensive renovation plan will reduce operational expenses by decreasing energy consumption and fossil fuel dependency. The Roadmap’s capital plan, which combines mortgage proceeds, existing reserves, and subsidy financing from New York State’s Housing Finance Agency, is designed to minimize the financial burden on Sisters of Charity while maximizing the long-term return on investment. The use of this diversified funding strategy allows Sisters of Charity to undertake the necessary decarbonization measures without imposing additional financial strain on residents, as tenants will continue to pay only 30% of their income towards rent. Furthermore, the enhanced energy efficiency of the buildings will likely reduce long-term maintenance costs and improve the overall asset value, creating a more resilient financial model.