Alfred E. Smith Houses
Encyclopedia
Public housing in the United States
Public housing in the United States has been administered by federal, state and local agencies to provide subsidized assistance for low-income and people living in poverty. Now increasingly provided in a variety of settings and formats, originally public housing in the U.S...
built by the New York City Housing Authority
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
in the Two Bridges
Two Bridges, Manhattan
Two Bridges is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Although the exact boundaries of the neighborhood are not clearly defined, it is the East River waterfront area, roughly between the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge at the southern end of the...
neighborhood of the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The development was named after four-time New York Governor Al Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
(1873–1944), the first Catholic to win a Presidential nomination by a major political party, and a social reformer who made progress in the areas of better living and working conditions. Smith served as governor from 1919–1920 and 1923–1929, and was nominated unsuccessfully by the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in 1928, with Joseph Taylor Robinson
Joseph Taylor Robinson
Joseph Taylor Robinson was an American politician from Arkansas, of the Democratic Party. He was a state representative, U.S. Representative, 23rd Governor of Arkansas, U.S...
as his running mate.
There are 12 buildings in the complex, which range from 15 to 17 stories tall. It covers 21.75 acres (8.8 ha), has 1,931 apartments, and houses an estimated 5,739 people. Of the residents at the Governor Alfred E. Smith Houses, 30% are elderly, the highest such percentage of all public housing developments in New York City. The grounds are bordered by St. James Place to the west, Madison Street
Madison Street (Manhattan)
Madison Street is a two-way thoroughfare in the Lower East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan that begins under the Brooklyn Bridge entrance ramp and ends at Grand Street. It is roughly sixteen large city blocks long. Due to security measures implemented after the September 11, 2001...
to the north, Catherine Street to the east, and South Street
South Street (Manhattan)
South Street is a street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, located immediately adjacent to the East River.It runs from Whitehall Street near the southern tip of Manhattan to Jackson Street near the Williamsburg Bridge. The Franklin D...
to the south.
The razing of buildings for the construction of the complex began in 1950, and the buildings were completed on April 1, 1953.
Nearby are the Alfred E. Smith Park, a 2.77 acres (1.1 ha) park with memorials for Governor Smith located at the corner of South St, Catherine Slip, and Madison St, the Alfred E. Smith Recreational Center, which has community rooms and a gymnasium, and P.S. 126.