This Big Apple street corner is getting the presidential treatment.
An East Village block was officially co-named “Jimmy Carter Way” on Monday — during an unveiling ceremony on East 6th Street and avenues C and D — honoring the late president’s role in a groundbreaking local Habitat for Humanity housing project more than 40 years ago.
Mascot Flats, a decrepit 19-unit apartment building, was renovated in 1984 with help from the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity in what served as the project’s first build.
“They came here not just for a photo op, but to really get their hands dirty,” city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said, “and say I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure that people have the housing that they need.”
Carter, who died at age 100 last year, led the initiative for three decades, with more than 4,400 homes built, renovated or repaired in 14 countries across the globe.
“When he came and slept in a church basement – what allowed a group of volunteers to rehab what became Mascot Flats – that’s when the world found out about Habitat,” Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford said.
“In many ways, the Carters put Habitat on the map and their legacy has led to over 62 million people around the world now knowing what it’s like to have safety and affordable housing.”
