Affordable Housing

Nearly five years ago, the city rezoned a portion of Hell's Kitchen to allow the Clinton Housing Development Corporation and developers Taconic Investment Partners and Ritterman Capital to undertake a two-building residential project between 10th and 11th Avenues. The larger of the two, a 22-story rental with 392 units at 525 West 52nd Street, launched an affordable housing lottery for 80 apartments two summer ago. The shorter, 13-story component is located next door at 540 West 53rd Street, and as of today, New Yorkers earning 80, 100, 125, or 165 percent of the area median income can apply for all 102 of its residences. They range from $1,091/month studios to $3,270/month two-bedrooms and have access to amenities including two terraces, children's "splash pad," a fitness center, laundry room, and the adjacent public community garden.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

October 1, 2018

Live at Waterline Square for $1,041/month, lottery launches for 250+ affordable units

Applications are now being accepted for 269 affordable apartments across three buildings at a development on the Upper West Side known as Waterline Square. The trio of luxury high-rises is located between West 59th Street and West 61st Street on the Hudson River and contains a new 2.6-acre park. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from a $1,041/month studio to a $1,553/month three-bedroom. As 6sqft reported last week, construction at the five-acre waterfront site continues to wrap up.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Steps from the Bronx Zoo, 58 affordable apartments for seniors up for grabs

1880 Boston Road rendering via SLCE Architects

October 1, 2018

Steps from the Bronx Zoo, 58 affordable apartments for seniors up for grabs

A lottery launched this week for 58 affordable units of senior housing in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 1880 Boston Road, the development contains 167 affordable apartments with amenities including a yoga room, community room, art studio, library, and a rooftop terrace. The building is just a few blocks south of the Bronx Zoo and sits next to the Bronx River. Available studio and one-bedroom apartments are set aside for seniors who are 62 years or older and who earn a maximum of $31,750 annually. Each eligible resident pays 30 percent of their income and will need to qualify for Section 8.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New York City has lost over 400,000 affordable apartments since 2005

Via Pixabay

September 26, 2018

New York City has lost over 400,000 affordable apartments since 2005

Update 9/27/18: City Comptroller Scott Stringer said the report released this week about the decrease in affordable housing contained a major miscalculation, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Instead of the 1 million affordable apartments lost, as the report stated, the true number is less than half of that, or 425,492 units. According to an updated report, the number of apartments renting for $2,700/month increased by 111,000 units between 2005 and 2017, instead of 238,000 units as originally stated. "While it remains true that affordable housing is declining at an unsettling rate and the gap is still growing, we overstated the pace," Ilana Maier, a spokesperson for Stringer, said in a statement. "We made a genuine mistake." Since 2005, New York City has lost over 1 million affordable apartments, according to a report released by the City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Tuesday. The report, "The Gap is Still Growing," builds from an original 2014 analysis from the comptroller's office and shows the number of available units has failed to keep up with the city's booming population. Between 2005 and 2016, about 576,000 people moved to NYC. But the city added just over 76,000 new units of rental housing.
Learn more

Affordable Housing

New report shows NYC landlords falsified 10,000+ work permits in 2.5 years

Image by Jorbasa Fotografie / Flickr

September 24, 2018

New report shows NYC landlords falsified 10,000+ work permits in 2.5 years

Recent news of Kushner Companies' filing of false documents outlining the residential makeup of their buildings in order to get construction permits has prompted a closer look at the practice, which, according to Politico, has been rampant among New York City property owners for years with few consequences. Last month the Department of Buildings fined Kushner Companies $210,000 for repeatedly submitting inaccurate paperwork. Tenant advocacy group Housing Rights Initiative (HRI) will release a report Monday outlining how landlords filed more than 10,000 deceptive PW1s (Plan/Work Applications) in the span of two and a half years.
What's going on here?

The building sits near Underwood Park, Clinton Hill. Image: Wiki Commons

September 21, 2018

Live in a Clinton Hill building with a roof deck and gym, from $867/month

At the crossroads where Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and Fort Greene meet, apartments at this newly-minted seven-story, 38-unit building at 840 Fulton Street have in-unit laundry, plus the building features a residents' lounge, a fitness center, and a rooftop deck. Eight affordable units are currently available to households who earn between $31,612 and $62,580 (60 percent of the area median income) annually. The units range from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

September 21, 2018

Lottery launches for 200+ affordable units in East New York, from $395/month

A lottery is set to launch on Saturday for 240 affordable apartments in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood. The units are spread across a brand new mixed-use development, the Livonia Apartments, located at 453 Hinsdale Street, 500 Livonia Avenue, and 487 Livonia Avenue. Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP), the four-building development sits adjacent to the L Train at Livonia Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, ranging from $395/month studios to $1,339/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

New report shows increased spending to house homeless New Yorkers in shelters

Photo via Public Domain

September 20, 2018

New report shows increased spending to house homeless New Yorkers in shelters

According to a new city management report, during the 2017 fiscal year, the city spent an average of $99 a day to house single adults in facilities in New York City; in fiscal year 2018, that number grew to $117 a day, the Wall Street Journal reports. The cost of housing homeless families in shelters rose in fiscal year 2018 as well, with over 22,340 children living in shelters–an average of $192 a day compared to $171 in fiscal year 2017. It cost $147 each day to house adult families in fiscal year 2018 compared with $138 a day a year prior. According to the city's Department of Homeless Services, the bigger numbers are the result of an increased investment in services, repairs and security at shelters.
Find out more

Live in a new East Williamsburg building with roof deck and courtyard for $801/month

Rendering via JW Real Estate Services

September 19, 2018

Live in a new East Williamsburg building with roof deck and courtyard for $801/month

If the Manhattan-fication of Williamsburg proper isn't quite your thing but you still want some of that artsy, gritty edge, consider heading a bit east. And if your household earns 60 percent of the area median income, or between $33,875 and $62,580 annually, you might want to apply for one of the 25 affordable units currently available at 125 Borinquen Place, a new 133-unit rental building with an impressive roster of amenities: a rooftop with hammocks, cabanas, dining, and outdoor movies; an indoor cinema room; a duplex fitness center; co-working areas; and a lovely landscaped courtyard. The units range from $801/month studios to $974/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Could affordable housing plans for Willets Point be scrapped for airport construction parking?

The city and developers have filed preliminary plans to pave a 6.5 acre stretch of city land for 665 parking spots, Crains reports. The economic development site within the industrial neighborhood of Willets Point, in Corona, Queens also known as the Iron Triangle was slated for a cleanup of its toxic soil and the creation of affordable and senior housing, plans which resulted in the demolition of a cluster of small businesses.
Find out more

Lottery opens for 95 affordable units in the Bronx’s Kingsbridge neighborhood, from $860/month

Kingsbridge Armory via Flickr cc

September 17, 2018

Lottery opens for 95 affordable units in the Bronx’s Kingsbridge neighborhood, from $860/month

It's no wonder the city has spent the better part of the past decade trying to redevelop the former Kingsbridge Armory into the country’s largest ice skating complex--it's less than a block from the 4 train and three blocks from the D and B trains and a quick walk to the Fordham University campus. And for residents moving into the area, it's just a few blocks from the large Jerome Park, St. James Park, and Poe Park. With all this in mind, a new development has sprung up across from the Armory at 2700 Jerome Avenue. The 13-story, 134-unit building is a mix of affordable and supportive housing and retail, and as of today, New Yorkers who earn 60 or 90 percent of the median income can apply for 95 units that fall into the first category. The available apartments range from $860/month studios to $1,940/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Apply for three middle-income units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville

Weeksville’s historic Hunterfly Road Houses via Wiki Commons

September 17, 2018

Apply for three middle-income units in Brooklyn’s historic Weeksville

After the state of New York State abolished slavery in 1827, the country's second-largest free black community was established in Brooklyn. Known as Weeksville, today the neighborhood falls a bit under the radar, surrounded by more sought-after neighborhoods like Crown Heights and Bed Stuy. But it's a charming little enclave, lined with many two-family homes and small brick rowhouses, that has done well to preserve its history. And just down the street from the Weeksville Heritage Center is a new 10-unit rental building at 1520 Prospect Place that just opened an affordable housing lottery for three $2,098/month one-bedrooms.
See the qualifications

Affordable Housing

September 14, 2018

Plans revealed to convert abandoned hospital in Greenpoint into affordable housing complex

Shuttered since 1982, the Greenpoint Hospital will soon be home to a new mixed-use development with roughly 500 units of affordable housing, as well as a shelter for 200 homeless New Yorkers. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Thursday it will work with St. Nicks Alliance, Hudson Companies Incorporated, and Project Renewal on the project, with the design led by Magnusson Architecture and Planning (MAP) and Architecture Outfit. The 3.4-acre site, located at 288 Jackson Street, will include two newly constructed buildings and two rehabilitated historic buildings.
see the renderings

Affordable Housing

New Bronx affordable housing lottery tries to make ‘Mott Haven North’ a thing

Rendering of 764 East 152nd Street via UA Builders Group

September 14, 2018

New Bronx affordable housing lottery tries to make ‘Mott Haven North’ a thing

We've seen it all over Manhattan and Brooklyn--brokers come up with bizarre acronyms and new directional cues to hip-ify (aka gentrify) a neighborhood. Most recently, they tried their hand at SoHa--South Harlem, which certainly didn't stick. And now the trend has spread to the Bronx, though this time it's the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development behind the new moniker. In their defense, "Mott Haven North," was probably chosen for the latest affordable housing lottery based on their 1994 Mott Haven North Urban Renewal plan, but with this South Bronx neighborhood rapidly gentrifying, it's a slippery slope. Regardless, there are eight $1,379/month one-bedrooms up for grabs at 764 East 152nd Street, which, according to maps, is in the Woodstock area.
More info ahead

Affordable Housing

Latest StuyTown affordable housing lottery opens, rents from $1,462/month

Via StuyTown Property Services

September 13, 2018

Latest StuyTown affordable housing lottery opens, rents from $1,462/month

A lottery launched this week for newly available apartments at Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in the East Village. New Yorkers earning 80 and 165 percent of the area median income (or between $43,860 and $268,620 annually) can apply for the available units, which range from $1,462/month studios to $5,508/month five-bedrooms. As Manhattan's largest rental community, StuyTown includes a 24-hour on-site property manager, laundry, a cafe, children's playroom, a fitness center and shared outdoor space across 80 acres.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Public waterfront space to be part of massive Long Island City Innovation Center project

Image: TF Cornerstone

September 12, 2018

Public waterfront space to be part of massive Long Island City Innovation Center project

Developer TF Cornerstone has released new details about public open space slated to be part of the proposed project spanning over 1.5 million square feet at 44th Drive on city-owned land along the Long Island City waterfront, LICpost reports. Known as the Long Island City Innovation Center, the proposed massive city-led development, which will need zoning changes in order to move forward, includes office, retail, and manufacturing space and two high-rise residential towers with over 1,000 units, 25 percent of which would be affordable. The latest news concerns the acre of publicly accessible open space that is also part of the controversial development. According to TF Cornerstone, this open space will become a waterfront park with a focus on resiliency and sustainability.
Find out more

September 12, 2018

Apply for 41 middle-income units at Bushwick’s Rheingold Brewery site, from $1,432/month

A lottery launched on Wednesday for 41 middle-income units at 115 Stanwix Street, a building which is part of the Rabsky Group's redevelopment of the Rheingold Brewery site in Bushwick. Designed by ND Architecture & Design, the eight-story development sits between Montieth Street and Flushing Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $1,432/month one-bedrooms to a $3,225 three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

September 11, 2018

‘Affordable’ Greenpoint apartments renting for the same price as the market-rate units

We've come to accept that many middle-income "affordable" housing lotteries are nothing more than a way for a building to cross-subsidize its "deeply affordable" units. Case in point, this new lottery that just launched at 216 Freeman Street in Greenpoint. Reserved for households earning 130 percent of the median income, one-bedrooms are $2,544/month and two-bedrooms $3,050. And while a market-rate one-bedroom is currently listed for the higher price $2,975, a two-bedroom is listed for the exact same price as the lottery unit.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Three NYCHA developments on the Upper East Side ranked among the worst in the U.S.

Google Street View of the Holmes Towers

September 11, 2018

Three NYCHA developments on the Upper East Side ranked among the worst in the U.S.

The federal government ranked three Upper East Side public housing buildings as some of the worst in the United States, the New York Post reported Monday. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gave the Holmes Towers, the Isaacs Houses and Robbins Plaza just 25 points out of a maximum of 100 as a measure of quality following recent inspections. Out of the more than 3,800 scores counted by HUD last year, the three complexes tied for 13th worst in the country.
More here

Affordable Housing

Live in an amenity-rich building in Prospect-Lefferts Garden, from $1,775/month

Photo via Nookyln

September 10, 2018

Live in an amenity-rich building in Prospect-Lefferts Garden, from $1,775/month

A brand new rental building in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens launched a lottery this week for five middle-income apartments. The 16-unit building located at 664-668 Rutland Road, between Albany and Troy Avenues, offers enviable amenities like on-site laundry, central air, a fitness center, roof access and a common courtyard. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the one $1,775/month one-bedroom and four $2,270/month two-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Pier 6 and Brooklyn Bridge Park via MOSO Studio

September 10, 2018

Affordable housing lottery launches for 100 units at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6

Pier 6 and Brooklyn Bridge Park via MOSO Studio It's been just over a year since construction began at Brooklyn Bridge Park's two-towered Pier 6 development, and as of today, the affordable housing lottery has launched for 15 Bridge Park Drive, the 15-story tower (the other is 28 stories). The buildings are designed by ODA New York and have a slew of amenities, including a fitness facility, 4,000-square-foot landscaped roof terrace, and a children's playroom. 15 Bridge Park Drive has a total of 140 units; the 40 not included in the lottery are market-rate. The remaining 100 are reserved for households earning 80, 130, and 165 percent of the area median income and range from $1,394/month studios to $4,380/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

The most expensive development site in the Bronx will be 30 percent affordable

A previous rendering of 101 Lincoln Avenue via Hill West Architects

September 7, 2018

The most expensive development site in the Bronx will be 30 percent affordable

The most expensive transaction on record for a development in the Bronx officially closed Wednesday, after Brookfield Property Partners picked up the two sites for $165 million from Somerset Partners and Chetrit Group. Originally, Somerset and Chetrit planned for all of the development's 849 residential units to be market rate, and while Brookfield intends to keep the same number of apartments, they are designating 30 percent of them affordable, according to the Real Deal.
Find out more

13 middle-income apartments up for grabs across from Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park

Transmitter Park via Flickr cc

September 5, 2018

13 middle-income apartments up for grabs across from Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park

It's been a year since leasing launched at Greenpoint's 42-unit, no-fee rental 44 Kent Street, and now 13 of those apartments are available through the city's affordable housing lottery to households earning 130 percent of the area median income. In addition to being located just across the street from Transmitter Park, the building offers a fitness center, rooftop terrace, business center, and parking. The middle-income units range from $2,023/month studios to $2,612/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Apply for three middle-income units right off the 7 train in prime Long Island City

Photo via Flickr cc

August 31, 2018

Apply for three middle-income units right off the 7 train in prime Long Island City