Melrose Houses — NYCHA Development History
The Neighborhood: Background
1 Melrose was a village in the town of Morrisania, in the county of Westchester, before being incorporated into New York City in 1874 as part of the Twenty-Third Ward. 5 Rowhouses, tenements, and industrial lofts rose along Third Avenue and East 149th Street, accommodating an influx of immigrants — initially German and Irish, later Jewish, Italian, and Eastern European. 5 During the first half of the 20th century, Melrose flourished as a working- and lower-middle-class neighborhood. However, 1 the neighborhood until the 1960s was mostly Irish and Italian, and it is now primarily Latino.
Construction and Establishment (1952)
2 Melrose Houses is the public housing located in the Melrose neighborhood. The buildings were completed in 1952 and provide over 1,000 low-income apartments to the area, serving as home to approximately 2,300 residents. 11 Melrose Houses has eight 14-story buildings with 1,019 apartments. Completed June 30, 1952, the 12.44-acre Bronx development is bordered by Morris and Courtlandt Avenues, and East 153rd and East 156th Streets.
Part of a Larger NYCHA Presence
1 The neighborhood contains one of the highest concentrations of NYCHA projects in the Bronx. 1 There are five NYCHA developments located in Melrose: East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue (two buildings, 11 and 12 stories tall); Jackson Houses (seven 16-story buildings); Melrose Houses (eight 14-story buildings); Morrisania Air Rights (three buildings, 19, 23, and 29 stories); and South Bronx Area/Site 402 (four buildings, 3 stories tall). 3 Melrose Houses has 2,670 residents, Andrew Jackson Houses 2,570 residents, and Morrisania Air Rights 1,952 residents — reflecting the high renter-occupied unit percentage of 89%.
Urban Decline: The 1960s–1980s
1 Originally a dense working-class neighborhood, the housing that was often hastily built to capitalize on the turn-of-the-20th-century immigrant escape from Manhattan soon became unsuitable to all but the poorest. A mass exodus soon took place as New York City policy–induced arson soon ravaged the neighborhood throughout the 1960s and 1970s. 3 The South Bronx, including the Melrose neighborhood, became a national symbol for urban decay during the 1970s and 1980s due to the rise in vacant lots, fires, drugs, and violence. 1 In 1973, the City of New York dismantled the Third Avenue El (an original draw to the neighborhood) due to low ridership. By the 1980s the neighborhood had decayed severely, and much of the original housing stock was lost. Vacant buildings and then lots became commonplace.
Community and Socioeconomic Conditions
10 For decades Melrose has been one of the poorest communities in America. Over half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance. 1 In 2018, an estimated 29% of Melrose and Mott Haven residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. 1 The 40th Precinct ranked 59th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. As of 2018, with a non-fatal assault rate of 186 per 100,000 people, Melrose and Mott Haven’s rate of violent crimes per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole.
Renewal and Revitalization (1990s–Present)
10 After a wave of arson ravaged the low-income communities of New York City throughout the 1970s, most residential structures in Melrose were left seriously damaged or destroyed. The city began to rehabilitate many formerly abandoned tenement buildings and designate them low-income housing beginning in the late 1970s. 5 Projects such as Melrose Commons, initiated in the 1990s through the Nos Quedamos coalition, introduced mixed-income housing, new schools, green spaces, and retail corridors while maintaining affordability for long-term residents. 1 Since the mid-1990s, but especially in the 2000s, significant renewal has taken place.
Recent Developments: Melrose North
In more recent years, NYCHA has continued to develop the area surrounding Melrose Houses. 15NYCHA, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the NYC Housing Development Corporation finalized a deal that brought 171 new affordable and supportive apartments to the Bronx, with construction on the new Melrose North development beginning in January 2021 on previously underutilized NYCHA-owned land.
15 Melrose North features 51 studio apartments, 53 one-bedroom apartments, 55 two-bedroom apartments, and 11 three-bedroom apartments, with 103 apartments set aside for homeless households, and the remaining 67 apartments available to households earning at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income. The supportive housing apartments are set aside for individuals and households that are homeless, victims of domestic violence, or suffering from substance abuse or mental health disorders.
Overview
3 Melrose Houses is the public housing located in the Melrose neighborhood. The buildings were completed 65 years ago in 1952 and provide over 1,000 low-income apartments to the area, serving as home to approximately 2,300 residents.
Physical Details
4 Melrose Houses has eight, 14-story buildings with 1,019 apartments. Completed June 30, 1952, the 12.44-acre Bronx development is bordered by Morris and Courtlandt Avenues, and East 153rd and East 156th Streets.
Location & Neighborhood Context
1 The neighborhood contains one of the highest concentrations of NYCHA projects in the Bronx. 1 There are five NYCHA developments located in Melrose, including Melrose Houses with its eight 14-story buildings. 2 Melrose has a strong presence of subsidized and public housing; Melrose Houses has 2,670 residents, Andrew Jackson Houses has 2,570 residents, and Morrisania Air Rights has 1,952 residents.
Historical Context of the Area
2 The South Bronx, including the Melrose neighborhood, became a national symbol for urban decay during the 1970s and 1980s due to the rise in vacant lots, fires, drugs, and violence. 1 By the 1980s the neighborhood had decayed severely, and much of the original housing stock was lost. Vacant buildings and then lots became commonplace. Since the mid-1990s, but especially in the 2000s, significant renewal has taken place. 1 A prominent player in the revitalization efforts has been the group Nos Quedamos, which in English means “we stay”. Many abandoned structures have been renovated, and many lots have been constructed on.
Recent Developments
The Melrose area continues to see new housing development. 9NYCHA, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the NYC Housing Development Corporation recently finalized a deal that will bring 171 new affordable and supportive apartments to the Morrisania section of The Bronx. Construction on the new Melrose North development began in January 2021, on previously underutilized NYCHA-owned land located on Courtlandt Avenue between East 162nd Street and East 163rd Street.
Melrose Houses remains an important part of the NYCHA system, providing affordable housing in an area that has undergone significant transformation over the decades.