Lottery opens for 106 senior units at 100% affordable development in the Bronx

A new 16-story tower at a public housing development in the Bronx launched a housing lottery for 106 senior apartments last week. Located within NYCHA’s Sotomayor Houses in Soundview, Casa Celina includes 205 units for low-income seniors, with 30 percent reserved for formerly homeless New Yorkers, community facilities, and amenities, including a rooftop terrace. Applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older, qualifies for Section 8 benefits, and earns no more than $60,050 annually. Eligible New Yorkers will pay 30 percent of their income for the available studio and one-bedroom apartments.

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Named after Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s mother Celina Baez, Casa Celina was developed in partnership with ElH Management LLC, The Kretchmer Companies, Xenolith Partners LLC, non-profit JASA, and the Housing Preservation Development, the Housing Development Corporation, and NYCHA. The project topped out in October 2021.

Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, Casa Celina is all-electric and features several sustainable features, including a solar array and angeled recessed windows to mitigate heat gain. The architects designed the building with the mental health of residents in mind, with large expansive windows for natural light and lots of social spaces to prevent feelings of isolation.

The apartments include 46 one-bedroom apartments and 158 studios (with one superintendent unit) and are reserved for households earning no more than 50 percent of the area median income. The project also includes 62 units for formerly homeless older adults.

Amenities include a 1,725-square-foot community senior space staffed by JASA with support from the city’s Department for the Aging, a fitness room, laundry room, lounge spaces on each floor for residents, and a landscaped roof terrace which will offer yoga classes and gardening, according to the city.

The building is within the Sotomayor Houses, which was renamed after Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who lived at the development as a child. The complex includes 28 buildings across 30 acres in the south Bronx. Nearby public transit options include the 6 subway line and the Bx27, Bx36, and Bx39 buses.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable units until June 30, 2023. Complete details on how to apply are available here. Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• Two-tower Prospect Heights rental with huge public park launches lottery, from $2,290/month
• Live above the nation’s first hip hop museum in the Bronx, from $465/month
• Lottery opens for 70 mixed-income units at High Line-facing rental in Hudson Yards, from $772/month