Beds Over Books: Communities developing affordable housing above public libraries

Join us for an innovative webinar exploring a proven strategy that’s transforming communities nationwide

From Chicago to Oregon, and from Boston to Brooklyn, communities across America are discovering an elegant solution to two pressing challenges: the affordable housing crisis and the need for modern library infrastructure. Co-locating libraries with affordable housing has been emerging as a smart growth strategy that maximizes public land, reduces construction costs, and creates vibrant community anchors.

The Dual Infrastructure Crisis: America faces both a housing affordability emergency and aging public facilities. While approximately 17,000 public libraries need an estimated $32 billion for construction and renovation, urban communities nationwide continue to struggle with severe housing shortages. High land costs make traditional affordable housing development increasingly difficult, particularly infill development in walkable, transit-accessible neighborhoods where families want to live.

Did you know that the average U.S. public library building is more than 40 years old, and Congress hasn’t provided dedicated funding for library facilities since 1997? Meanwhile, despite predictions that libraries would fade in the digital age, they’re busier than ever—receiving 1.3 billion visits annually and serving as community hubs where residents access everything from job training to social services.

As we look for solutions to address our affordable housing challenges, public libraries offer a match made in heaven. Developing affordable housing above libraries provides residents with direct access to the many benefits of public libraries, but it also offers library systems an opportunity to address capital improvements that have been lacking funding for decades. Two innovative examples on the East Coast can be found in New York City and Boston. 

In Brooklyn, non-profit community development corporation Fifth Avenue Committee and the Brooklyn Public Library teamed up to replace an outdated but heavily patronized library branch with a new 100% affordable housing building consisting of 50 new multifamily units and a new and expanded public library branch. Sunset Park Apartments and Library completed in 2022 and saw the new library branch open in 2023. It is the first new affordable housing built in the Sunset Park neighborhood in 20 years and resulted in the doubling in size of one of New York City’s most utilized and beloved library branches.

Up in Boston, the city began an initiative to explore the co-location of housing with public assets in 2018. Since then, the city learned several lessons that eventually led to the West End Library project. The City of Boston voted to designate the development team of Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Caste Capital to redevelop the West End branch of the Boston Public Library on Cambridge Street. The redevelopment will include a new two-story branch library and 119 income-restricted units of housing above the library through the Housing with Public Assets initiative.

PANELISTS

MICHELLE DE LA UZ, executive director, fifth avenue committee

Michelle de la Uz is a nationally recognized leader in social justice and community development, with over 25 years of experience in public service. As Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC), she leads a mission-driven organization advancing economic, social, and racial justice for over 7,500 low- and moderate-income New Yorkers each year. Under her leadership, FAC and its affiliates have more than quintupled in size and impact, with annual budgets over $34 million, real estate assets exceeding $263 million, and an affordable housing development pipeline of more than 2,000 units totaling $1 billion in total development costs.

Michelle also serves on the national board of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD), the Community Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is Co-Chair of the New York Housing Conference. From 2012 to 2021, she served as a New York City Planning Commissioner, shaping citywide planning and land use policy. Her work reflects a deep and enduring commitment to equity, opportunity, and inclusive community growth.

bill yates, director of housing development, fifth avenue committee

Bill is FAC’s Director of Housing Development. He joined the organization in 2020, with more than 15 years of experience in NYC community development and affordable housing. Bill’s professional life includes eight years as Director at Citi Community Capital. In this role, he helped finance new and existing multifamily affordable housing developments and community facilities throughout NYC and the Northeast. Bill also served as VP and Director of Strategic Planning with Citibank Community Development. He is a graduate of Columbia Business School and Connecticut College.

DAVID LEONARD, President, Boston public library

David has served as President of the Boston Public Library since 2015, a tenure that has so far included the completion of the renovation of the Boylston Street Building at the Central Library in Copley Square, a variety of branch renovation and collections management projects, as well as digital and technological transformations, and the launch of the Boston Public Library Fund.

 With experience in academia, nonprofits, and IT consulting, David holds degrees in philosophy and mathematics from University College Dublin and is currently pursuing a PhD in Library Information Science at Simmons College. He was also part of the 2010 Emerging Leaders Program at UMass Boston.

PERFECT FOR:

• Housing Policy Professionals seeking proven strategies to overcome high land costs and development barriers
• Local Leaders exploring creative use of public assets for affordable housing creation
• Library Administrators interested in cost-effective expansion and community impact
• Urban Planners working on infill development, mixed-use strategies, and smart growth
• Community Development Practitioners looking for financially viable affordable housing solutions in expensive markets
• Community Advocates looking for innovative models that bring housing and community resources together

pRESENTATIONS