Affordable Housing

The city this week filed plans with the Department of Buildings for the redevelopment of Inwood's New York Public Library branch, as first reported by Patch. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development revealed last March plans to transform the current site into a new 14-story residential building with a three-level library at its base. Above the new state-of-the-art library, there will be 174 permanently affordable apartments, designated for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income.
More this way

Renderings courtesy of Citi Habitats New Developments

March 28, 2019

Eliot Spitzer’s Williamsburg-waterfront development opens lottery for 121 low-income units

Back in June, an affordable housing lottery launched for 65 apartments at one of Spitzer Enterprises’ trio of rental buildings along the South Williamsburg waterfront known as 420 Kent. These apartments were located in the northernmost of the ODA-designed glassy towers. Now, a second lottery has come online (20 percent of the development's 857 units are affordable) for 121 low-income apartments at the southern piece of the complex. These residences are reserved for households earning 60 percent of the area median income and range from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Advocates credit new ‘Right to Counsel’ law with large drop in evictions

Via Flickr

March 27, 2019

Advocates credit new ‘Right to Counsel’ law with large drop in evictions

As 6sqft previously reported, in August of 2017, the city passed a Right to Counsel law which provides free legal help to low-income tenants facing eviction. In its first year the law, which will eventually guarantee representation in housing court to all low-income tenants, provided free legal services to more than 87,000 New Yorkers, and 21,955 New Yorkers threatened by eviction were able to stay in their homes. A new analysis released this week, conducted by the Community Service Society, shows that the decline in evictions happened more than five times faster in zip codes where the Right to Counsel law is currently in effect than in similar zip codes where the law is not in effect.
Find out more

Lottery opens for 149 units at amenity-packed new construction in the Bronx, from $462 a month

Rendering courtesy of The Wilfrid

March 21, 2019

Lottery opens for 149 units at amenity-packed new construction in the Bronx, from $462 a month

Rendering courtesy of The Wilfrid 149 affordable units are becoming available at a newly constructed building in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 4181 3rd Avenue and 1888 Bathgate Avenue, the rental building, known as The Wilfrid, offers an impressive menu of amenities including an on-site resident super, a virtual doorman, an outdoor terrace, a fitness room, a residents' lounge in each tower, laundry, parking and bicycle storage. Qualifying applicants earning 40, 50, 60, 90 and 110 percent of the area median income can apply for units that range from a $462/month studio to a $2,136/month three-bedroom.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing wait list opens for Mitchell-Lama apartments in Harlem, from $741/month

Google Street View of Bethune Towers

March 19, 2019

Affordable housing wait list opens for Mitchell-Lama apartments in Harlem, from $741/month

A lottery for waiting list spots for Mitchell-Lama rental apartments in Bethune Towers at 650 Lenox Avenue is about to open for New York state residents. Rents range from $741 for a studio to $1,215 for a one-bedroom unit. Preference will be given to documented veterans who are selected in the lottery. The deadline to apply for all is April 2, 2019. Some apartments in the building have balconies and views of the Harlem River and the 145th Street Bridge, and the 3 subway is only a few blocks away.
Find out more about Mitchell-Lama and how to apply

Affordable Housing

113 chances to live beachfront in Far Rockaway, from $331/month

Courtesy of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

March 18, 2019

113 chances to live beachfront in Far Rockaway, from $331/month

A lottery launched this week for 113 mixed-income apartments in Edgemere, a beach-front neighborhood just outside of Far Rockaway in Queens. Designed by Curtis + Ginsburg, the eight-story building meets passive house certification by utilizing a geo-thermal cooling and heating system with a resilient, flood-proof design. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 40, 50, 60 and 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the available units at 45-19 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, which range from a $331/month studio to a $1,910/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Westbeth reopens highly coveted waitlist for artist’s housing, starting at $900/month

Photo via Wiki Commons

March 18, 2019

Westbeth reopens highly coveted waitlist for artist’s housing, starting at $900/month

Nearly 50 years ago, the old Bell Telephone Laboratories building at 55 Bethune Street in the Far West Village was converted to affordable live/work housing for artists, courtesy of a young, then-unknown architect named Richard Meier. Because of the building's prime Hudson River-front location, storied creative past, and collection of 384 units--most of which feature open, loft layouts and high ceilings perfect for a working artist--Westbeth Artists Housing has become one of the most coveted addresses in NYC. For the first time since 2007, the community has reopened its waitlist for working artists and their families. The annual income range starts at $69,445 for one person to $114,950 for a six-person household, and the units go from $900/month studios to $2,400/month three-bedrooms.
All the details

Affordable Housing

223 mixed-income units available at new South Bronx rental, from $389/month

Rendering via L+M Development

March 14, 2019

223 mixed-income units available at new South Bronx rental, from $389/month

A housing lottery has just launched for 223 mixed-income apartments in the new South Bronx building located at 1520 Story Avenue, known as Story Avenue West. The rental building is one of two new structures at the site, part of the Lafayette-Boynton residential complex in the Soundview neighborhood, developed by Nelson Management Group and L+M Development Partners. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 30, 50, 60, 90 and 110 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $389/month studios to $2,066/month three-bedrooms.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

Live one block from the G and L trains in Williamsburg, from $1,058/month

Via Wikimedia

March 13, 2019

Live one block from the G and L trains in Williamsburg, from $1,058/month

An affordable housing lottery launched this week for six apartments in a 10-story Williamsburg building. Located at 467 Keap Street, the rental is a short one-block walk to the G and L trains at Metropolitan Avenue. In addition to being close to the subway, the building, known as the Ainslie Tower, also sits near Brooklyn haunts like Union Pool, Rocka Rolla, and Pete's Candy Store. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for three $1,058/month one-bedrooms and three $1,280/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

400 spots open on waitlist for affordable units at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, from $731/month

A housing lottery has opened for 400 spots on the wait list for residential units at El Barrio's Artspace PS109 at 215 East 99th Street in East Harlem. Built in 1899, the limestone-and-brick neighborhood landmark was a school building until 1996. In 2015 it became El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, a project that transformed the then-abandoned public school building into a housing complex for local artists with affordable live/work housing for artists and their families and 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for apartments which range from a $731/month studio to a $1,348/month two-bedroom.
Find out how to apply

Affordable Housing

New renderings revealed for Greenpoint Landing’s OMA-designed towers

Rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties and Park Tower Group.

March 7, 2019

New renderings revealed for Greenpoint Landing’s OMA-designed towers

Developers Brookfield Properties and Park Tower Group have unveiled the next phase of development in the massive Greenpoint Landing waterfront project, including an addition to the public waterfront esplanade designed by James Corner Field Operations and mixed-income housing designed by OMA, the architecture firm founded by Rem Koolhaas. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on the two new towers and an adjacent seven-story building that will bring the total number of units in the project to 745, of which 30 percent will be affordable.
More this way

Lottery opens for 41 middle-income apartments in the cultural hub of Williamsburg, from $1,231/month

Via Korye Logan on Flickr

March 7, 2019

Lottery opens for 41 middle-income apartments in the cultural hub of Williamsburg, from $1,231/month

A housing lottery launched on Thursday for 41 middle-income apartments in Williamsburg. Designed by Aufgang Architects, the brand new rental at 123 Hope Street opened last summer and features a modern design mixed with a factory feel. The rental sits near all of the neighborhood's hot-spots, including restaurants like Emmy Squared and Don Pancho Villa and bars like St. Mazie Bar & Super Club and Banter Bar. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 80 and 120 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from a $1,231/month studio to a $2,759/month two-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Latest StuyTown lottery provides ‘affordable’ apartments for single people earning $120K

Via StuyTown Property Services

March 5, 2019

Latest StuyTown lottery provides ‘affordable’ apartments for single people earning $120K

You're a single New Yorker earning over $120,000 a year--do you really need subsidized housing? Apparently, yes. And apparently, a $2,975/month one-bedroom or a $3,695/month two-bedroom is now considered "affordable." These are the benchmarks for Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village's 2019 affordable housing lottery, which opens the waitlist for one- and two-bedroom units to households earning 165 percent of the area median income.
Get the scoop

Affordable Housing

De Blasio signs off on basement apartment conversion program for East New York

Via Flickr

March 5, 2019

De Blasio signs off on basement apartment conversion program for East New York

Certain basement apartments in East New York will be transformed into legal and affordable homes thanks to a new law signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday. The legislation creates a three-year pilot program that helps homeowners renovate cellar and basement units to meet the new code standards, which include minimum ceiling heights, window sizes, and proper safety requirements. "There are thousands of basement apartments in our City, but too many are illegal and unsafe," de Blasio said in a statement. "This program will help New Yorkers secure safe, affordable homes and give homeowners a new legal source of income."
Get the details

Proposed project would bring 167 affordable housing units to East New York using modular construction

Rendering courtesy of Think! Architecture and Design

March 4, 2019

Proposed project would bring 167 affordable housing units to East New York using modular construction

Hoping to create affordable housing more quickly and at a lower cost, New York City is turning to cutting-edge construction methods. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Monday plans to develop 167 affordable housing units in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York using modular construction. The $70 million project would become the first under Mayor Bill de Blasio's Housing New York 2.0 program to use this method of building on property owned by the city. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, officials think modular construction could reduce the project's timeline by 25 to 30 percent.
Learn more

Emily Ratajkowski and millionaire hubby live rent free thanks to city’s loft law, Noho landlord says

The loft building at 49 Bleecker Street in Noho. Image: Google maps.

March 4, 2019

Emily Ratajkowski and millionaire hubby live rent free thanks to city’s loft law, Noho landlord says

There have been a lot of discussions recently about the city's lack of affordable living space causing artists to flee the city, and about the relevance of regulations like the Loft Law, created to allow artists to live in neighborhoods like Noho and Soho. The New York Post now brings us the case of millionaire movie producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, 31, and his wife, model/actress Emily Ratajkowski, 27. The pair is reportedly living rent-free in a sprawling Noho loft at 49 Bleecker Street. The pair's landlord, of course, isn't happy with the fact that Bear-McClard, who is apparently worth an estimated $12 million, has been claiming protection under the state's Loft Law since 2017, to the tune of $120,000
unfair advantage, this way

Senior housing complex at Elizabeth Street Garden site gets borough president approval

Rendering courtesy of Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

February 27, 2019

Senior housing complex at Elizabeth Street Garden site gets borough president approval

Update 3/6/19: The Elizabeth Street Garden (ESG) and the garden's creator Allan Reiver filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the city and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to challenge the development of Haven Green. The plan to build an affordable senior housing development at the site of the Elizabeth Street Garden in Nolita got a much-needed push forward on Tuesday after receiving approval from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. In December 2017, the city revealed plans for Haven Green, a passive house with units reserved for seniors earning between roughly $20,000 and $40,000 to be built on the site of the park. Elizabeth Street Garden advocates are fighting the city's plan to demolish the one acre of green space to make way for affordable housing and are taking legal action to save the park.
More here

Area median income: What it means and how it’s calculated

Photo via Flickr cc

February 26, 2019

Area median income: What it means and how it’s calculated

By Cait Etherington

If you’ve ever applied for affordable housing in New York City, you’ll know that it is all about the area median income, or the AMI. If you make too little or too much, you won’t qualify at all for affordable housing. Even if you do qualify, however, your AMI will impact your likelihood of actually acquiring a unit since most buildings have more units available in some AMI bands than others. For most New Yorkers, this is one of the most confusing aspects of affordable housing, so we've broken it down, from how AMI is calculated and what the current NYC parameters are to the many controversies surrounding the guidelines.
Everything you need to know

Plan for affordable housing and industrial space back on the table for ex-Amazon site in LIC

A rendering from 2017 depicting the proposed mixed-use site; courtesy of TF Cornerstone

February 25, 2019

Plan for affordable housing and industrial space back on the table for ex-Amazon site in LIC

The city's plan to bring a thousand residential units and a mix of industrial space to Long Island City is back on the table after Amazon last month announced it will not open a complex in the neighborhood. James Patchett, the president of the city's Economic Development Corporation, said during the Crain's New York Business breakfast on Thursday that the city will forge ahead with its original plan of bringing a mix of businesses and homes to the Queens neighborhood, Gothamist reported.
More here

Affordable Housing

Lottery opens for 38 affordable units in Hamilton Heights’ new Dance Theater of Harlem building

Rendering via BRP Companies

February 20, 2019

Lottery opens for 38 affordable units in Hamilton Heights’ new Dance Theater of Harlem building

This affordable housing at 847 Saint Nicholas Avenue lottery checks all the boxes. Most importantly, the units are actually affordable, available to low-income households earning 40, 50, or 60 percent of the area median income and ranging from $475/month studios to $1,166/month two-bedrooms. It's in the beautiful Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Northwest Historic District, is the new home to the Dance Theater of Harlem, and offers tenants a laundry room, fitness center, first-floor rear year, and seventh-floor terrace.
See the qualifications

Affordable Housing

New Crown Heights mixed-use project could bring 800 affordable apartments

Image courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning

February 19, 2019

New Crown Heights mixed-use project could bring 800 affordable apartments

A proposed mega-project from Continuum Companies and Lincoln Equities on a large, partially-vacant site at 960 Franklin Avenue would include 1,578 apartments that would be divided evenly between market-rate and affordable units, Curbed reports. The developers are seeking zoning amendments from the city for a pair of 39-story towers, each 421 feet high plus 40 feet for a mechanical bulkhead, on a 120,000-square-foot site near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Crown Heights.
Find out more

Rendering of the new development at 705 10th Avenue. Image credit: CetraRuddy

February 14, 2019

City will build over 250 affordable homes on vacant land in Hell’s Kitchen

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced Wednesday that it will build approximately 260 units of affordable housing on two vacant city-owned sites in the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen section of Midtown Manhattan, one at 806 9th Avenue and another located at 705 10th Avenue. According to a press release, HPD has selected two development teams who will partner with nonprofits to bring an array of services to the surrounding community.
Find out more

Affordable Housing

Extell’s affordable Yorkville building opens lottery for 28 units, starting at $1,018/month

Rendering via Curtis + Ginsberg

February 13, 2019

Extell’s affordable Yorkville building opens lottery for 28 units, starting at $1,018/month

At the corner of Second Avenue and 92nd Street, just a few short blocks from the Second Avenue Subway, Extell Development has completed their first all-affordable housing project. Located at 1768 Second Avenue and designed by Curtis + Ginsberg, the development is comprised of two separate buildings, one 11 stories and the other six stories, for a combined 28 units of below-market-rate housing. These units are reserved for households earning 70 or 80 percent of the area median income, ranging from $1,018/month studios to $1,740/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Newark mayor points to flaws in NYC program that pays homeless people to leave for cheaper cities

Photo via Wikimedia

February 7, 2019

Newark mayor points to flaws in NYC program that pays homeless people to leave for cheaper cities