Affordable Housing

The Financial District's new 23-story luxury rental tower Exhibit offers what's becoming the usual package of high-end amenities--a wrap-around roof deck, lounge, and fitness studio complete with a yoga room and Pelaton indoor cycles--but what sets the project apart is that it's considered the city's "first curated rental residence." The building at 60 Fulton Street has on display a collection of more than 100 pieces of art, from works by a 5 Pointz graffiti legend to massive photography, which they consider "a dynamic celebration of the downtown art, music, culture, and style that made New York City the capital of the world." Whether or not you buy into the hype, you might have a chance to live in this hip building for a lot less. The lottery is currently open for 30 affordable units ranging from $613/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms, reserved for households earning 40, 60, or 130 percent of the area median income.
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Affordable Housing

Three chances to live off Crown Heights’ hip Franklin Avenue for $2,250/month

Little Zelda is a popular cafe in Crown Heights; photo via CityRealty

February 15, 2018

Three chances to live off Crown Heights’ hip Franklin Avenue for $2,250/month

The lottery launched on Thursday for three middle-income units in a new building located just off Crown Height's hip Franklin Avenue. Within walking distance to tasty restaurants and eclectic stores, as well as the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park, 615 St. John's Place sits in one of the most coveted areas of Central Brooklyn. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the three one-bedroom apartments for $2,250 per month.
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Affordable Housing

The city will produce 500 affordable apartments across 87 hard-to-fill vacant lots

Image: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

February 14, 2018

The city will produce 500 affordable apartments across 87 hard-to-fill vacant lots

An announcement Tuesday by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) gave lower-income New Yorkers lots to look forward to–literally. HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announced that nine development teams would be creating 490 affordable apartments and homeownership opportunities on 87 vacant lots through the department's New Infill Homeownership Opportunities Program (NIHOP) and Neighborhood Construction Program (NCP). The programs were designed specifically to unlock the potential of vacant lots long considered too small or irregular for traditional housing with innovative smaller homes, and develop more affordable housing on lots long used for parking at existing housing complexes. This latest round of development is the third and final in a series: The program has already seen the construction of over 600 affordable homes on 81 lots.
'No site has gone overlooked'

Live on a rare dead-end block in a new Bushwick rental for $856/month

Rendering via Karl Fischer

February 12, 2018

Live on a rare dead-end block in a new Bushwick rental for $856/month

Here's your chance to have the best of both worlds--live right off Myrtle Avenue and the J, M, Z stop in Bushwick but still have a nice, quiet place to come home to. The lottery is now open for eight affordable units in the brand new Karl Fischer-designed rental at 16 Charles Place, a rare dead-end street that, for years, has been adorned with the 'hood's signature graffiti. New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments that range from $856/month studios to $1,114/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

February 8, 2018

East Harlem housing lottery offers less-than-affordable prices

Despite the city's recent rezoning efforts to make East Harlem more affordable, it seems as though the latest batch of lotteries are anything but. Last month, a middle-income lottery came online for 111 East 115th Street, where some of the "affordable" apartments were actually more expensive than the market-rate units. As of today, New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for five one-bedroom apartments at the new rental 1992 Third Avenue, just off 110th Street. The units are reserved for one- and two-person households earning between $77,246 and $99,320 annually and are renting for $2,253/month--not much less than the neighborhood's $2,392/month average for one-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Live above Target in Extell’s new East Village rental, from $1,114/month

Rendering via Extell Development

February 8, 2018

Live above Target in Extell’s new East Village rental, from $1,114/month

An Extell Development rental building in the East Village is now accepting applications for 50 newly constructed, middle-income units. Not only does the chic building at 524 East 14th Street boast amenities like a fitness center, pool and rooftop deck, it will also have a two-level Target, the chain's first location in the neighborhood. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $1,114/studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

February 8, 2018

Find and apply for current affordable housing lotteries in NYC with this new map

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Wednesday released an interactive map of housing lotteries currently accepting applications. Users can click icons displayed on the NYC Housing Connect Map for more information on a lottery, including required income levels, household size and the application deadline. Earlier this week, the department launched a map that displays all of the affordable housing units, buildings and projects which count towards Mayor Bill de Blasio's Housing New York 2.0 plan.
Explore the map

Affordable Housing

Live around the corner from Central Park in a renovated Harlem rental, from $675/month

Photo of Randolph Houses via HPD

February 7, 2018

Live around the corner from Central Park in a renovated Harlem rental, from $675/month

Applications are now being accepted for 106 newly constructed, affordable units at Central Harlem's Randolph Houses. Named in honor of civil rights leader, Phillip Randolph, the houses consist of 36 buildings along West 114th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $675/month studios to a $1,289/month three-bedrooms. Located at 265 West 114th Street, the building is just a five-minute walk to Central Park.
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Affordable Housing

February 7, 2018

97 affordable apartments up for grabs at FiDi’s latest glassy skyscraper, from $788/month

A 762-foot skyscraper in the Financial District is now accepting applications for 97 affordable apartments. Developed by Carmel Partners and designed by Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel and SLCE Architects, the residential development at 118 Fulton Street (also known as 19 Dutch Street) contains 483 rental units. The glassy tower will have over 8,000 square feet of retail space on the cellar, first and second levels. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $788/month studios to $1,025/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Lottery launches for 258 rentals at TF Cornerstone’s West 57th tower, from $613/month

The lottery for TF Cornerstone's massive building at 606 West 57th Street officially launched on Tuesday, offering 258 mixed-income rentals in the brand new 42-story tower. Designed by Arquitectonica, the rental, dubbed 606W57, boasts a unique, boxy design and will hold over 1,000 apartments. It sits near other West Side architectural standouts like the pyramid-shaped, Bjarke Ingels-designed Via57 West, as well as the Helena. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $613/month studio to a $2,902/month three-bedroom.
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Live on Bergen Street in Crown Heights North for $2,415 a month; lottery launches today

Photo courtesy of City View Living

February 6, 2018

Live on Bergen Street in Crown Heights North for $2,415 a month; lottery launches today

A housing lottery has launched for five newly-constructed middle-income units at 876 Bergen Street in the rapidly growing Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The 8-story, 16-unit building is located near Classon Avenue surrounded by popular restaurants, bars and lots of public transportation options. Amenities include an outdoor garden, a rooftop lounge, 24-hour security cameras, a laundry room and bike storage. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for one-bedroom apartments for $2,415/month.
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Affordable Housing

February 5, 2018

City releases map with all of the affordable housing units created or preserved since 2014

In addition to upping the number of affordable housing units created or preserved in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for greater transparency of his ambitious plan to bring 300,000 affordable units to the city by 2026. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) launched an interactive map on Monday that displays all of the units, buildings, and projects that count towards the mayor's Housing New York 2.0 plan (h/t Curbed NY). The counted units, with data starting with units from January 1, 2014 on and will be updated quarterly, are shown by the number of units and occupancy size.
See it here

Affordable Housing

Affordable senior housing lottery launches at Staten Island’s Seaview Site C in Todt Hill

Via Douglaston Development

February 5, 2018

Affordable senior housing lottery launches at Staten Island’s Seaview Site C in Todt Hill

New York City Seniors now have more options in the five boroughs as the lottery launches today for Staten Island's Seaview Site C, comprised of 160 newly-constructed units at 155-175 Friendship Lane in the Todt Hill neighborhood. The Douglaston Development project is exclusively for low-income senior citizens and consists of 82 studios, 78 one-bedroom apartments, and a resident manager’s unit. Amenities include an indoor common area, outdoor patio, laundry room, and on-site parking.
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Affordable Housing

Apply for a mixed-income apartment in a glassy new Hudson Yards tower, from $613/month

Photo: CityRealty

February 2, 2018

Apply for a mixed-income apartment in a glassy new Hudson Yards tower, from $613/month

CityRealty recently reported on the progress of the under-construction rental building at 515 West 36th Street, bringing us snapshots of the 39-story Midtown West tower, which topped out over the summer; next to arrive was its sleek glass facade. The mixed-use building will contain 250 rental units upon completion. A lottery launched today for 63 of those units set aside as low- and middle-income studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 40, 60 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from $613/month studios to $2,733/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Live off of bustling Broadway in Bushwick, from $2,726/month

Photo courtesy of CityRealty

February 1, 2018

Live off of bustling Broadway in Bushwick, from $2,726/month

A housing lottery launched on Thursday for three middle-income units in the Brooklyn artist enclave of Bushwick. The five-story building at 22 Melrose Street sits just off of Broadway, a busy thoroughfare that offers lots of restaurants, bars and galleries. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for two-bedroom apartments for $2,726/month and just one three-bedroom apartment for $3,143/month.
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Affordable Housing

January 30, 2018

Affordable senior housing development is the first building to open at Essex Crossing

Nine months after the housing lottery launched at Dattner Architects' 175 Delancey Street, a 100 percent affordable building for seniors at the Lower East Side's Essex Crossing, Mayor de Blasio has announced that the development is officially open. Not only does this mark the first opening for the nine buildings rising at the 1.9 million-square-foot mega-development, but the ceremony held earlier today included the "emotional homecoming of six New Yorkers displaced from their homes 50 years ago" when the area's working-class tenement district was razed under a Moses-era urban renewal initiative. Since that time, debates over what to do with the vacant area raged on, with local residents and affordable housing advocates such as Frances Goldin advocating that it be used for low-income housing. To mark these efforts, and their ultimate success, 175 Delancey Street was named the Frances Goldin Senior Apartments.
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RPA report calls for more affordable housing in wealthy, job-rich NYC neighborhoods

Map courtesy of RPA

January 30, 2018

RPA report calls for more affordable housing in wealthy, job-rich NYC neighborhoods

To solve New York City's housing and homelessness crisis, more affordable housing should be built in high-rise neighborhoods which have the infrastructure and amenities to support it, the Regional Plan Association (RPA) said in a report released Monday. In order to build more developments in areas of all incomes, RPA says a 67-year-old state law that prohibits residential buildings larger than 12 times their lot size needs to be repealed. Passed by the state in 1961, the law caps residential floor area ratio (FAR) at 12.0. The report calls for lifting the cap to give communities more of a voice in the creation of mixed-income housing, as well as allow for expensive neighborhoods to diversify and expand affordability.
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Report: Airbnb listings removed up to 13,500 long-term rentals in NYC over past three years

Photo courtesy of Airbnb

January 30, 2018

Report: Airbnb listings removed up to 13,500 long-term rentals in NYC over past three years

Airbnb is responsible for the loss of between 7,000 and 13,500 long-term rental units in New York City while increasing the median long-term rent in the city by $380 a year, says a new report from McGill University. The study, commissioned by the union Hotel Trades Council, also found 87 percent of entire-home reservations are considered illegal under state law (h/t Politico NY). Mayor Bill de Blasio last year announced his plan to expand the city's Office of Special Enforcement to crack down on illegal short-term rentals; it is illegal for NYC landlords to rent entire apartments for fewer than 30 days.
More this way

Three chances to live in a new building on the Williamsburg-Bushwick border for $2,253/month

Photo via CityRealty

January 30, 2018

Three chances to live in a new building on the Williamsburg-Bushwick border for $2,253/month

Applications are now being accepted for three newly constructed middle-income units at 126 Boerum Street, located in the trendy area of East Williamsburg, just off the Bushwick border. The brand new rental offers an on-site laundry room and central air. Just steps to the L-train at Montrose and the J/M at Lorimer, the apartment building sits near lots of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for three one-bedroom apartments for $2,253/month.
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Affordable Housing

Two new Grand Street Guild towers will bring 400 all-affordable units to the Lower East Side

Proposed site; Image via Google Maps.

January 29, 2018

Two new Grand Street Guild towers will bring 400 all-affordable units to the Lower East Side

Housing organization Grand Street Guild has announced plans to build two 15-story towers as part of a 100 percent affordable housing project that will bring 400 new apartments–including over 150 reserved for seniors–to the Lower East Side. The not-for-profit group, which was formed by the Archdiocese of New York, is the owner of the 26-story Grand Street Guild towers, built in 1973 and home to over 1,500 residents, that surround St. Mary's Church on Grand Street. According to The Lo-Down, one of the proposed sites for the new towers is the corner of Broome and Clinton streets (now a parking garage) and another is 151 Broome Street, currently housing the Little Star Daycare Center.
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City selects de Blasio donors to build pair of towers on NYCHA property in Boerum Hill

Rendering of 120 3rd Avenue via Aufgang Architects

January 26, 2018

City selects de Blasio donors to build pair of towers on NYCHA property in Boerum Hill

The city announced on Thursday their selection of two developers, Arker Companies and Two Trees Management, to build two 16-story apartment towers on parking lots at Wyckoff Gardens, a New York City Housing Authority property in Brooklyn. However, according to the Daily News, the owners of both companies have raised a total of $124,600 for Mayor Bill de Blasio, bringing into question the influence of donations on the city's choice of the two developers.
More this way

Earn less than $30,560 annually? Apply for affordable units in East Harlem, from $613/month

1955 First Avenue, image via Aspen Management Office

January 24, 2018

Earn less than $30,560 annually? Apply for affordable units in East Harlem, from $613/month

An East Harlem building, dubbed the Aspen, is currently accepting applications for low-income studio and one-bedroom apartments and will also replenish its waitlist. Designed by Costas Kondylis and Magnusson Architecture and Planning, the building, located at 1955 First Avenue, rises seven stories and features 232 apartments. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between $22,903 and $26,720 can apply for $613/month studios, and those earning between $25,549 and $30,560 are eligible for $659/month one-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

De Blasio administration falls short of pledge to open 20 homeless shelters in 2017

Photo via Wikimedia

January 23, 2018

De Blasio administration falls short of pledge to open 20 homeless shelters in 2017

In 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration opened just 10 out of the 20 shelters planned for New York City under an initiative aimed at curbing the city's growing homelessness crisis. Last February, the city unveiled its "Turning the Tide on Homelessness" plan that included opening 90 shelters over five years, with about 20 shelters each in 2017 and 2018. But, according to the New York Times, the city fell short of its target last year, opening just half the number of shelters planned due to delays in the permit process, time-consuming negotiations with nonprofits that run the shelters and backlash from the community and public officials. Under de Blasio, the homeless population has grown. When the mayor took office in 2014, about 68,000 New Yorkers were without homes. Today, roughly 77,000 people are considered homeless in NYC, with 3,900 on the street, the largest homeless population in the U.S.
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January 18, 2018

Lottery launches for 80 $675/month studios at COOKFOX’s huge Bronx development