As the tides of gentrification sweep through Chelsea, the long-standing residents of NYCHA housing face the threat of displacement and the erasure of their role in the neighbourhood’s evolving story. The right to affordable housing is not just a matter of shelter but a matter of preserving the roots of the community, its history, its culture, and its identity. The residents who have long called Chelsea home deserve the right to remain in the place they helped shape.

How can one find a sense of belonging to a place by enhancing community identity and placefulness while facing gentrification?

This design proposal seeks to create a vibrant, connected, and sustainable future for the Fulton Chelsea Elliott Houses residents. By integrating green infrastructure, community gardens, skill development spaces, and local markets, the proposal addresses the residents’ immediate needs and the long-term challenges of gentrification. Through architectural and community interventions, the Fulton Houses will remain vital to Chelsea’s cultural fabric and thrive as a model of resilience, sustainability, and community empowerment.

Here architecture becomes a tool for preserving the community’s identity and preventing displacement, ensuring that the Fulton Chelsea Elliott Houses remain where all residents, old and new, can continue to call home.