Affordable Housing

Applications are now being accepted for 20 brand new affordable homes at 491 East 165th Street in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. The 10-story building will house eight studio apartments priced at $690 per month for qualified applicants earning between $24,995 and $38,100 annually. Six one-bedroom units are priced at $775/month and are available to one- or two-family households earning between $27,943 and $43,500 per year, and six two-bedroom units will go for $950/month for two- to four-person households earning between $33,943 and $54,360 per year.
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June 8, 2016

First Look at Tres Puentes Affordable Housing Development Planned For Mott Haven

By Dejah Mcgibbon

The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing is moving ahead with plans to expand their recently finished Borinquen Court senior housing complex at 285 East 138th Street in Mott Haven. Two new mixed-use buildings will be constructed on either side of the existing 145-unit building, and once complete the entire complex will be home to more than 300 affordable apartments and will be known as Tres Puentes (Three Bridges) due to its views of the Willis Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Third Avenue bridges. All housing will be reserved for the elderly or physically disabled.
More on the buildings

June 6, 2016

To Increase Affordable Housing, De Blasio Pushes Bill to Lift Development Caps

In a continued quest to push ahead with his goal of adding/preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade, Mayor de Blasio is backing a bill that will end state-imposed FAR (floor-area-ratio) caps to promote the construction of affordable housing. By lifting the size limits for residential buildings, and thereby increasing the number of units, neighborhoods currently affected by the cap, such as the Financial District, Midtown, and Hudson Yards, "could see both market-rate and affordable-housing stock soar," reports the Post. However, opponents of the bill feel that there's an underlying motive, catering to developers who have recently been called out for making hefty contributions to de Blasio.
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June 6, 2016

Apply Now For 63 Affordable Units Next to Woodlawn Cemetery, Starting at $865/Month

If the thought of residing next to the interred doesn't bother you, here's a chance to live just steps away from one of the city's most beautiful and historic cemeteries. A housing lottery has opened today for 63 brand-new units at Webster Commons, a large affordable development along Webster Avenue in the Bronx, just next to Woodlawn Cemetery and not far from the New York Botanical Garden and Fordham. The apartments, which are reserved for those earning 60 percent of the AMI, include $865/month studios, $929/month one-bedrooms, and $1,121/month two-bedrooms.
More on the project

Affordable Housing

June 3, 2016

Live Off Columbus Circle for $1,146/Month, Lottery Launching for 17 Affordable Units

Two years ago, work began on a seven-story, 17-unit building at 424 West 55th Street, on the fringes of Hell's Kitchen and just south of Columbus Circle. The red brick structure known as West of Ninth was designed by Aufgang Architects and replaced a white brick church with a 3,000-square-foot theater that Arker Companies purchased in 2012 for $8.16 million. Initial reports thought the development would be only partly affordable, but a new posting on the city's affordable housing list shows that all 17 of the units will be reserved for low- to middle-income tenants. The apartments will range from $1,146/month studios to $1,709/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 3, 2016

New Affordable Housing in the Hamptons Will Be for Those Earning Less Than $106,200

A new plan to bring affordable housing to one of the Hampton's priciest stretches has residents up in arms, reports The Post. The town of Amagansett is planning to erect a below-market rate complex that would add 12 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom homes to the area, with rents ranging from just $1,100 up to $2,300 a month. The development would mingle with the estates and New York City escapes of the rich and famous, including that of Naomi Watts, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwenyth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson—just to hame a few. Incredibly, a family of four could be earning as much as $106,200 annually (120 percent of the AMI) to qualify.
find out more here

Affordable Housing

June 2, 2016

Apply for 65 New Affordable Apartments in Mott Haven, Studios Start at $494/Month

Another Mott Haven affordable housing lottery has just kicked off, today's bringing us a slew of brand new units at 463 and 469 East 147th Street. The development, named the Brook Avenue Apartments, falls under Mayor de Blasio's Housing New York plan, which seeks to create and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing in NYC over 10 years. The de Blasio administration paired up with local developer Yuco Real Estate Company on the project and uses city-owned land. When construction wraps this year, this part of South Bronx will gain 65 much-needed, below-market units ranging from studios to three-bedrooms in two buildings. Apartments have been priced for those earning between 40 to 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Find out more about the units and if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Lottery Opens for 36 Middle-Income Apartments Across Harlem, Starting at $1,156/Month

View across West 133rd Street, where three of the buildings are located

May 31, 2016

Lottery Opens for 36 Middle-Income Apartments Across Harlem, Starting at $1,156/Month

Now that de Blasio's made a pretty significant dent in his goal of building or preserving 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade, there seem to be more middle-income housing lotteries opening, in addition to the influx of low-income lotteries that began popping up with a vengeance at the end of last year. The latest offers 36 newly rehabilitated units across five Harlem buildings, running from the border of Morningside Heights at 116th Street up to 138th Street. They're priced between $1,156 for studios, $1,562 for one-bedrooms, $1,591-$2,611 for two-bedrooms, and $1,831-$3,009 for three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 29, 2016

60 Affordable Studios Now Up For Grabs at the Boston Road Apartments in the Bronx

Applications are now being accepted for 60 newly constructed rental apartments at 1191 Boston Road in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. The 90,000-square-foot development is situated between East 167th and 168th Streets and will exclusively house studio apartments priced at a monthly rent of $550/month. The building is geared for low-income individuals and formerly homeless single adults. To qualify for an apartment, applicants must fall within annual income ranges of $18,000 to $35,280 per year.
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Housing Lottery Launches for 135 New Rentals in Mott Haven, From $538/Month

Up-and-comer "It" neighborhood Mott Haven in the South Bronx kicks off a brand new housing lottery today with 135 new rentals up for grabs at 500 Union Avenue. The 14-story residence, dubbed the Crossroads II Plaza, has been dedicated to below-market rate housing and is part of the larger three-building Crossroad Plaza project, which includes a include a 21,278-square-foot community facility and 37,687 square feet of commercial space. Affordable apartments have been priced between $538-$861 for one-bedrooms, $655-$1,042 for two-bedrooms, and $749-$1,196 for three-bedrooms.
FInd out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

May 26, 2016

Lottery Launches for 30 Affordable Units in Large New Crown Heights Building, From $913/Month

The building itself, designed by Issac & Stern Architects, may be pretty unremarkable, the same for the block on which it's located, but 505 Saint Mark's Avenue is in a prime Crown Heights location and offers some great amenities. It has 147 brand new units and is just steps off foodie haven Franklin Avenue and right around the corner from trendy food/beer hall Berg'n. While the market-rate apartments are pretty par for the course (a one-bedroom goes for about $2,500/month and a two-bedroom for around $3,600), a housing lottery has launched today for 30 affordable units, including $913 one-bedrooms and $1,065 two-bedrooms for individuals and households earning between $31,303 and $51,780 annually.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

May 26, 2016

Apply for 55 Middle-Income Apartments in Prime Murray Hill

A common complaint about the city's affordable housing lotteries is that they don't often pertain to middle-income New Yorkers who are struggling to pay market-rate rents just the same. But here's the chance for this often-overlooked group to get in on the action -- a lottery launches tomorrow for 55 middle-income apartments at 325 East 25th Street. Not only do the rents range from $1,715/month studios to $2,216/month two-bedrooms, but the building is located in a prime Murray Hill location just north of Gramercy and right in the mix of restaurants and bars (okay, maybe just bars) for which the 'hood is known.
Get the full breakdown here

Affordable Housing

May 20, 2016

Apply for Four Affordable Apartments in East Williamsburg, From $947/Month

Starting Tuesday, four brand new affordable apartments will up for grabs through the city's Housing Connect program. Located in quickly hipsterfying East Williamburg, the building at 30-42 Orient Avenue is sited kitty corner to Cooper Park and is made up of two constructions housing a total of 18 units. For those who qualify, there are two one-bedrooms available with a rent of $947/month, and two two-bedrooms going for $1,072/month. The building is also conveniently located just few blocks from the Graham stop on the L Train, and the B24 and B43 buses also serve the area.
more details here

Affordable Housing

May 17, 2016

Lottery Launches for 29 Affordable Units at Extell’s 70 Charlton in West Soho, From $833/Month

It's not too often that affordable housing opportunities arise in prime downtown areas like West Soho, but starting tomorrow, 70 Charlton Street will begin accepting applications for 29 of its below-market-rate apartments. The Beyer Blinder Belle-designed building is of the luxury persuasion, developed by none other than Extell. In total there are 116 residences; 92 are high-end co-ops (currently priced between $1.6M and $7.1M) with interiors crafted by Workshop/APD in one building, and the rest affordable units situated in a connected building. According to the Housing Connect website, studios will start at $833/month, one-bedrooms will go for $895/month and two-bedrooms for $1,082/month.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

May 13, 2016

Odds You’ll Score an Affordable Apartment Through a City Lottery Are 1,000 to 1

By Michelle Cohen

Last August 6sqft reported that about 696 applicants were applying for each of the city's available affordable housing units, and those odds have gotten even longer. So far this year 2.54 million applicants have applied via the city’s Housing Connect website for 2,628 affordable apartments, which puts the odds at about 1,000 to 1. The number of hopefuls vying for units like the 181 well-below-market rate apartments–from $559/month studios to $3,012 two-bedrooms–available at Pacific Park's 461 Dean Street has increased dramatically since 2013, when 364,000 applicants applied for around 2,300 units, reports the New York Post.
Who's included in those depressing odds?

May 12, 2016

POLL: Can Mayor de Blasio Get Albany to Pass a 421a Deal by Next Month?

The city’s 421a program, which provides tax breaks of up to 25 years to new residential buildings that reserve at least 20 percent of units as affordable housing, expired in January, leaving Mayor de Blasio concerned for his push to add/preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade. According to a REBNY report last […]

May 12, 2016

7,500-Name Waitlist Opens for 975 Affordable Units at Harlem’s Riverton Complex

Like Stuyvesant Town, the Riverton Square residential development in Harlem opened in 1947 as an affordable complex for World War II veterans and was built by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. But unlike Stuy Town (and Met Life's Parkchester in the Bronx), black and Hispanic tenants weren't barred from renting in Riverton. According to the Times, over the years the seven-building site was a sought-after address for the middle-class and was home to such notables as jazz pianist Billy Taylor, former Mayor David Dinkins, and former vice president of Motwon Records Suzanne de Passe. But in 2005, again similar to its downtown counterpart, Riverton was sold to Stellar Management, who tried to swiftly remove long-term tenants and replace them with higher-paying residents. Unable to convert the rent-stabilized units to market-rate and saddled with debt, Stellar lost Riverton to its lenders in 2008. This past December, after nearly a decade in limbo, the 12-acre site was sold to A&E Real Estate Holdings for $201 million in a deal with the city which, like the recent terms at Stuy Town, dictated that 975 of the complex's 1,229 units be reserved for working- and middle-class families for 30 years. In return, the buyer will receive about $100 million worth of tax breaks and incentives. The waitlist is now open for these affordable units, and 7,500 randomly selected applicants will earn themselves a spot.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

May 10, 2016

Housing Lottery Kicks Off For 140 New Apartments in the Bronx, Starting at $788

The Bronx is the state's fastest growing county, and its development boom continues to add hundreds of units to the city's depleted affordable housing stock. Now today, an affordable housing lottery has officially kicked off at 655 Morris Avenue that will bring 140 below-market rate units to the revitalized Melrose/Concourse Village section of the borough. Rising 15 stories from a long-vacant lot, the 217,579-square-foot development will contain a mix of apartment sizes: seven studios are priced from $788 per month; 62 one-bedrooms from $847; 65 two-bedrooms from $1,025; and 6 three-bedroom units from $1,182. The apartments are created through the city's LAMP program and are able to be rented out at affordable rents because of the low-cost financing offered to the developers. The program is reserved for households earning 60 percent of the annual median income (AMI) of the NYC region, therefore individuals can have a maximum income of $38,100 and households of six up to $105,600.
See if you qualify

Affordable Housing

May 5, 2016

Live in Extell’s Hudson Yards Skyscraper 555Ten for $910/Month

Last September, 6sqft reported the topping out of Extell Development's 610-foot-tall, mixed-use tower quietly rising at 555 Tenth Avenue and 41st Street. Now fully sheathed in glass, the development team kicked off its housing lottery for the building's 120 below-market rate units, priced from $910 per month for studios up to to $1,315 for three-bedrooms. Designed by SLCE Architects, the 53-story, 725,000-square-foot structure rises one block west of the Port Authority Bus Terminal and two avenues west of the 42nd Street A/C/E train station with its connection to Times Square. The building is within the emerging Hudson Yards area, which over the next decade will usher in thousands of residential units and millions of square feet of new office space. Across from the tower, an additional 7-train subway station may be constructed to meet the increasing number of residents in the area.
Find out if you qualify here

489 New Units of Affordable/Elderly Housing to Rise on Land in Brooklyn and the Bronx

Photo via Wiki Commons

May 5, 2016

489 New Units of Affordable/Elderly Housing to Rise on Land in Brooklyn and the Bronx

By Michelle Cohen

The de Blasio administration is expected to announce plans to lease New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) land to build nearly 500 apartments for low-income and elderly tenants in three buildings of up to 16 stories within existing housing projects in Brooklyn and the Bronx, according to the New York Times. The sites, on parking lots and grasslands within the projects, were included in the housing authority's initiative to improve deteriorating public housing, as well as increase the number of new affordable units. More controversial plans are also in the works to add market-rate housing within public housing projects in prime real estate locations.
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Affordable Housing

Lottery Commences for 79 Affordable Units in Crotona Park East

An early rendering of the project, via CityLand

April 29, 2016

Lottery Commences for 79 Affordable Units in Crotona Park East

A couple weeks ago, 6sqft got word of an affordable housing lottery at 1702 Bryant Avenue in the Bronx's Crotona Park East, "one of a few areas that seemed slow to catch up with the rest of the borough." Five years ago, the city rezoned this small neighborhood from light industrial use to residential, which created a rise in affordable housing opportunities. The latest offering is at 950 East 176th Street. It's Building A of the Crotona Terrace development and will have 79 affordable units. Though the address is just a few short blocks from the park, it's also directly adjacent to the Cross Bronx Expressway and elevated tracks of the 2/5 trains, a fact that might seem like less of a nuisance considering the apartments range from $975/month studios to $1,486/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 28, 2016

First Look at COOKFOX’s Affordable Housing Development in East Tremont

By Julian Friedman

Here's a first look at a new two-building development in the Bronx's East Tremont section designed by COOKFOX. Developed by nonprofit Breaking Ground, the project will include housing for low-income families and formerly homeless individuals, in addition to on-site social services and a community room. The structure will be encased in brick, which will have alternating rows protruding and receding by a half inch, giving it an appearance meant to reference "ocean sand or tree bark patterns." It will also boast many eco-efficient features and will qualify for Zone Green benefits, allowing extra floor area for affordable homes, according to the architects.
More on the project

Lottery Launches for 181 Affordable Units in Pacific Park’s Modular Tower

Photo of the construction progress at 461 Dean Street in January, via Field Condition

April 27, 2016

Lottery Launches for 181 Affordable Units in Pacific Park’s Modular Tower

After suffering delays, lawsuits, leaks and alignment issues, Pacific Park's 461 Dean Street (aka the B2 Tower) is finally wrapping up construction and has just launched its affordable housing lottery. The 32-story structure from SHoP Architects will be the world's tallest prefab tower, and of its 363 units, 181 will be available to low- and middle-income households. This will range from $559/month studios to $3,012 two-bedrooms and from individuals earning $20,675 annually to families of four earning $144,960.
Get a look at the apartments and find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

April 26, 2016

Lottery Launches for $822/Month Studios in Brand New East Harlem Building