Affordable Housing

$600M overhaul at the Lambert Houses underway to bring 1,665 affordable housing units to the Bronx
October 28, 2016

$600M overhaul at the Lambert Houses underway to bring 1,665 affordable housing units to the Bronx

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When it comes to affordable housing, the Bronx is booming. 6sqft previously reported that proposals were being heard to bring 1,665 affordable apartments to the site of the Bronx Zoo-bordering Lambert Houses, which would double the development's current affordable housing units, triple the existing retail space, create a new public school, and help to better integrate the community into the surrounding neighborhood. As reported by the Times, Phipps Houses, the complex's nonprofit owner and developer, has moved ahead on plans to demolish the existing 14 buildings and build taller towers, a project that's gotten a $600 million price tag.
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Apply for 63 newly-built affordable units off the Rockaway Beach waterfront, from $494
October 28, 2016

Apply for 63 newly-built affordable units off the Rockaway Beach waterfront, from $494

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Rockaway Beach is having a rebirth of sorts as more and more New Yorkers head for its waters on the hottest of days. On top of new restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, surf clubs and other hipster hotspots popping up along its main drags, now comes an opportunity to live in a brand-new construction at 9306 Shore Front Parkway, just steps from the sand. Per the NYC Housing Connect, households of up to six earning 40, 50 or 150 percent of the area median income can now apply for 63 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments priced between $494 and $2120.
more details here
102 affordable apartments up for grabs in brand-new Greenpoint Landing building, rents from $368
October 28, 2016

102 affordable apartments up for grabs in brand-new Greenpoint Landing building, rents from $368

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This may be your opportunity to live in one of northern Brooklyn's most transformative new developments. Starting today, both low- and middle-income New Yorkers can apply for 102 newly-built affordable units at Five Blue Slip, one of Greenpoint Landing's three affordable buildings slated for completion by the end of next year. Available apartments range from studios to two-bedrooms priced between $368 and $1065, and households of one to four individuals earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income are eligible to apply.
find out if you qualify
MAP: Two thirds of landlords benefiting from 421-a tax breaks didn’t file rent regulation paperwork

View the map from ProPublica in its interactive form here >>

October 27, 2016

MAP: Two thirds of landlords benefiting from 421-a tax breaks didn’t file rent regulation paperwork

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The city's 421-a program, which expired in January, provides tax breaks of up to 25 years to new residential buildings that reserve at least 20 percent of units as affordable. Proponents of the program feel it offers a much-needed incentive to build low- and moderate-income housing, but those not in favor think it gives unfair tax breaks to the wealthiest developers. The latter camp may be gaining steam, as a new report from ProPublica, outlined in Gothamist, says that nearly two thirds of the 6,400 rental buildings where landlords received tax reductions through 421-a didn't have required rent stabilization paperwork on file, meaning they could raise rents as much as they chose. ProPublica compiled this data in both an interactive map and searchable database.
Is your landlord cheating the system?
Former juvenile jail in Hunts Point will be replaced with $300M mixed-use affordable housing complex

Rendering courtesy of WXY Architecture + Urban Design

October 27, 2016

Former juvenile jail in Hunts Point will be replaced with $300M mixed-use affordable housing complex

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The Spofford Juvenile Detention Center (later renamed Bridges Juvenile Center) was built in 1957 in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, quickly gaining a reputation for its poor conditions--the Daily News once described it as "vermin-infested" and said it "held about 100 youth in dark cells with no air conditioning." It was closed in 2011, at which time urban revitalization consultant Majora Carter began her quest to have the site transformed into a mixed-use housing complex. The city eventually stepped in, and today officials announced plans for the Peninsula, an affordable housing development that will rise on the five-acre site and offer 740 apartments, 52,000 square feet of open and recreational space, 49,000 square feet of light industrial space, 48,000 square feet for community facilities like health care providers, 21,000 square feet of retail, and 15,000 square feet of artist space, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Find out more right this way
Two affordable apartments up for grabs in the heart of Greenpoint, from $947
October 20, 2016

Two affordable apartments up for grabs in the heart of Greenpoint, from $947

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Starting today, qualifying applicants can apply for two newly constructed apartments in Greenpoint's Belvedere LXVIII. Located at 210 Java Street, the low-rise building sits in the heart of the neighborhood, minutes away from the water taxi, G train, plenty of old school mom and pop shops, and the increasingly hip retail and restaurant offer of the area. Inside the six-story structure are a total of 10 units, two of which have been set aside as affordable rentals; the one-bedroom is going for $947/month, while the two-bedroom is priced at $1,072/month.
full details here
East Harlem rezoning would allow for towers of up to 30 stories tall
October 19, 2016

East Harlem rezoning would allow for towers of up to 30 stories tall

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In 2003, East Harlem received a boost when the Bloomberg administration pushed through a plan to rezone a whopping 57 blocks of the neighborhood. The initiative (the first of its kind in 40 years) allowed for increased density along First, Second, and Third avenues, while preserving the lower slung mid-blocks in between. Following the change, the area saw more than a dozen buildings of 8-12 stories sprout up along its busiest stretches. Now, the de Blasio administration is looking to build even bigger, and on Tuesday officials presented their latest upzoning proposal (pdf), a plan that would allow towers up to 30 stories tall to be constructed in the area.
more here
Lottery opens for nine $774/month SROs on foodie-friendly Hell’s Kitchen block
October 19, 2016

Lottery opens for nine $774/month SROs on foodie-friendly Hell’s Kitchen block

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If you earn between $24,480 and $38,100 annually, live alone in Manhattan Community Board 4, and don't mind sharing a bathroom with your neighbors, this might be the housing lottery for you. Nine $774/month SROs are up for grabs at Stardom Hall at 330 West 51st Street in Hell's Kitchen. The brownstone tenement occupies half of a single room occupancy complex, one of only four left in the neighborhood. The units do come with kitchenettes, and there's a community room, backyard, laundry room, and on-site social services for low-income or formerly homeless households with special needs. Plus, it's located on one of the trendiest restaurant blocks in the 'hood (Ippudo, Aria Wine Bar, and Maria Pia, to name a few).
Find out about the controversy behind this project
Plan to turn Sunset Park library into 49 low-income apartments moves forward
October 17, 2016

Plan to turn Sunset Park library into 49 low-income apartments moves forward

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In 2014 the news surfaced that Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) was planning to sell its Sunset Park branch at 5108 4th Avenue to a non-profit community development organization, Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC). The developer would demolish the 43-year-old building and build in its place a larger library with eight stories above that would contain 49 below-market-rate apartments, in part with public money allocated by Borough President Eric L. Adams. The developers say the plan will create housing for Brooklyn's neediest residents. Brooklyn Paper now reports that developers are preparing to pitch the project to Community Board 7’s land-use committee on November 3 as part of a public review process. The city council has the final say whether it goes through.
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Lottery opens for new Crotona Park East affordable development, units from $788/month

Rendering of 1776 Boston Road via DPGroup (L); Google Street View of the site in June 2016

October 17, 2016

Lottery opens for new Crotona Park East affordable development, units from $788/month

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Almost exactly two years ago to the date, High Hawk LLC broke ground on a new 72-unit, mixed-income affordable housing development at a long-underutilized site at 1776 Boston Road in Crotona Park East. Known as the High Hawk Apartments, the eight-story building also offers three tenant recreation areas, commercial and retail space, a ground-floor community facility, and a below-grade parking garage. The city aimed to "increase income diversity" in the Bronx neighborhood by dividing the apartments with 18 reserved for households earning less than 60 percent of the area media income and 54 reserved for those earning less than 100 percent. The former group ranges from a $788/month studio to $1,182/month three-bedrooms, while the latter ranges from $1,208/month one-bedrooms to $1,683/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn

Rendering of The Hub via Dattner Architects (L); Construction shot as of December 2015 via Tectonic (R)

October 13, 2016

Live in Brooklyn’s tallest tower for $833/month, lottery launching for 150 units at 333 Schermerhorn

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At 610 feet, Douglas Steiner's 333 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn currently holds the title of tallest building in Brooklyn. Though it'll be surpassed by forthcoming supertalls like JDS' 9 DeKalb Avenue, the first 1,000+ foot tower in the borough, and the 700-foot 205 Montague Street, the 53-story slab apartment tower known as The Hub will certainly remain a much-sought-after address, especially considering its wealth of amenities and proximity to the BAM Cultural District. Of its 740 apartments, 150 are reserved for New Yorkers earning less than 60 percent of the area media income, and as of tomorrow the lottery is open for these units, which range from $833/month studios to $1,082/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Waitlist opens for affordable, four-bedroom co-ops in Lincoln Center, from $102K
October 13, 2016

Waitlist opens for affordable, four-bedroom co-ops in Lincoln Center, from $102K

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The Lincoln-Amsterdam House is a 25-story co-op building that stretches from West 64th to 65th Streets along the eastern side of West End Avenue, just one block away from Lincoln Center. It's a Mitchell-Lama development, which, as 6sqft previously explained, is a program "created in 1955 to provide affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families." As of today, the 100-name waitlist is open for four-bedroom units in the building to households with a minimum of six persons earning between $33,440 and $149,531 annually. The co-ops will sell from $102,814 to $109,545.
Find out more
A look at Yorkville’s affordable housing decline
October 10, 2016

A look at Yorkville’s affordable housing decline

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Despite its location just a few blocks east of Park Avenue, Yorkville remains one of Manhattan’s most affordable neighborhoods south of 95th Street. The neighborhood’s reasonable prices partially reflect its reputation. Simply put, Yorkville has never been considered quaint or hip. Since its development in the nineteenth century, it has been best known for its German delis and unremarkable yet practical residential housing. Another factor that has historically kept the neighborhood’s housing prices below average is its high stock of rent stabilized units. Unfortunately, Yorkville’s reputation as a great place to find a bargain may soon be compromised. Recently released data on affordable housing stock in New York reveals that rent stabilized housing in Yorkville is rapidly declining. Indeed, between 2007 and 2014, the neighborhood lost more rent stabilized units than any other neighborhood in the city’s five boroughs.
read more here
41 affordable units up for grabs in Williamsburg, starting at $788/month
October 7, 2016

41 affordable units up for grabs in Williamsburg, starting at $788/month

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The city's latest affordable housing lottery is for 41 apartments in a newly constructed Williamsburg building just two blocks east of McCarren Park. A project of Dunn Development, the Meekerman is the second development in the state completed under the LIHC Mixed-Income Pilot Program, and it provides housing for those earning less than 40, 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income. Rents in the energy efficient building--it employs high-performance systems and appliances, as well as solar panels--range from $788/month for studios to $1,403/month for two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Affordable housing applicants with low credit scores and legal history now protected from discrimination
October 4, 2016

Affordable housing applicants with low credit scores and legal history now protected from discrimination

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In recent months, the city has been pushing for legislation that better protects tenants, including a bill that would guarantee lawyers for all low-income residents facing eviction and regulations over screening software services that leads to landlord discrimination. They're now taking this idea to affordable housing lotteries, where there's been a major uptick in activity over the past couple years due to the Mayor's goal to add or preserve 200,000 units over 10 years. As DNAinfo reports, the city is releasing today an online Marketing Handbook for the lotteries, and among the objectives are protections for applicants with low credit scores and those who have previously taken their landlords to court.
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Interactive map reveals NYC buildings where affordable housing is being threatened
September 23, 2016

Interactive map reveals NYC buildings where affordable housing is being threatened

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New York City currently maintains about 178,000 affordable housing units, a number that is getting a boost with Mayor de Blasio's plans to preserve or build 200,000 more units over ten years. However, while de Blasio has put the preservation of affordable housing at the heart of his administration's work, there's still a lot of headway to be made, and the threat for displacement remains high for a considerable number of New Yorkers. But who is at most risk? A new map (h/t DNA Info) created by the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) seeks to shed some light on what areas, and even more specifically, which buildings, will likely see rent hikes in the near future.
learn more about how the map was created
The Bronx’s Lambert Houses may be replaced with 1,665 affordable housing units

Google Earth view of the current Lambert Houses

September 21, 2016

The Bronx’s Lambert Houses may be replaced with 1,665 affordable housing units

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When it comes to the Mayor's affordable housing push, the Bronx is a force to be reckoned with. Not only were more than 43 percent of these units constructed in the first half of the year in the borough, but the City Council recently approved the La Central development, which will bring nearly 1,000 affordable units to Melrose under de Blasio’s mandatory inclusionary housing legislation. Though not part of MIH, another new project may one-up this, ushering in a whopping 1,665 affordable apartments on the site of the Bronx Zoo-bordering Lambert Houses. As CityRealty.com explains, "If proposals are approved, the new mega-development will feature more than double the affordable housing units and triple the existing retail space, create a new public school, and better integrate the community into the surrounding neighborhood."
Find out more
UES residents not happy about plan to turn their playground into high-end housing

Google Street View of the Holmes Towers with the playground in question in the foreground

September 19, 2016

UES residents not happy about plan to turn their playground into high-end housing

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This past spring, the de Blasio administration revealed plans to lease "empty" NYCHA land--parking lots and grassy areas--for the creation of market-rate housing, which certainly ruffled the feathers of affordable housing advocates. Though the proposal hasn't been set into motion city-wide, it is taking shape at one housing project on the Upper East Side, the Holmes Towers on 92nd to 93rd Streets and 1st to York Avenues. As the Daily News reports, NYCHA recently "described tenant support for the plan to let a developer build 300 units — half market rate, half affordable — where the Holmes playground now sits." But this "tenant stakeholder committee" says they feel very differently.
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City Council approves La Central development, bringing nearly 1,000 affordable units to the Bronx
September 15, 2016

City Council approves La Central development, bringing nearly 1,000 affordable units to the Bronx

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On Wednesday the New York City Council voted to approve the La Central development project in the Melrose section of the Bronx, the Daily News reports. The project, which will be designed by FXFOWLE architects, is slated to bring 992 apartments to the borough, all of them designated as affordable housing under Mayor de Blasio’s mandatory inclusionary housing (MIH) legislation. It is the biggest project to be approved to date under the MIH rules, which require some income restricted apartments in projects that need the city's approval.
Find out more and see more renderings
Apply for four affordable Bushwick apartments, starting at $856/month
September 13, 2016

Apply for four affordable Bushwick apartments, starting at $856/month

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Starting tomorrow, four affordable apartments are up for grabs at 44 Stanhope Street in central Bushwick through the city's affordable housing lottery. They include an $856/month studio and three $985/month one-bedrooms, reserved for those earning less than 60 percent of the area media income. The 20-unit building was recently constructed, and residents will be just five short blocks from the Central Avenue M train station in a low-scale residential area.
Find out if you qualify
Waitlist re-opens for affordable rentals in Kips Bay mid-rise, units from $952/month
September 12, 2016

Waitlist re-opens for affordable rentals in Kips Bay mid-rise, units from $952/month

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NYC's Housing Connect has announced today that it will re-open its waiting list for Henry Phipps Plaza South, an affordable residence located at 330 East 26th Street in the heart of Kips Bay. The 14-story post-war building boasts a total of 407 units and was developed under the Federal housing financing program. As such, 290 of the units have been reserved for New Yorkers earning less than 50 percent of the area median income, and residents of this building will pay no more than 30 percent of their adjusted income on rent.
Income requirements and offers this way
Apply today for six units in prime Astoria, starting from $1,158/month
September 12, 2016

Apply today for six units in prime Astoria, starting from $1,158/month

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Starting today, qualified New Yorkers can apply for six affordable apartments at 28-22 Astoria Boulevard, a new mixed-use building just two blocks away from the Astoria Boulevard N, Q station and three blocks from the popular Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden. The seven-story, red-brick corner rental has 25 apartments with retail on the ground floor. The affordable units, reserved for those earning between 60 and 80 percent of the AMI, are three $1,158/month studios and three $1,330/month one-bedrooms, quite the deal considering market-rate units in the building are renting for around $3,000/month for one-bedrooms and $4,300/month for two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here
Live in ODA’s stacked Long Island City rental for $850/month, lottery opens for 35 units
September 8, 2016

Live in ODA’s stacked Long Island City rental for $850/month, lottery opens for 35 units

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For those who think affordable housing and creative design don't go together, this Long Island City rental from ODA Architects could very well change their minds. Known as 2222 Jackson Avenue, the 175-unit, 11-story building features the firm's signature stacked cube shape and an exposed concrete facade that "maintains the structure’s seeming ability to change shape as natural light plays with the unique silhouette of the structure," according to the teaser site. As of tomorrow, 35 apartments here will be up for grabs through the city's affordable housing lottery. Units will range from $850/month studios to $1,274/month three-bedrooms, quite the deal considering residents will be living right across from MoMA PS1 in one of the city's trendiest 'hoods.
Find out if you qualify
Live in SOM’s new Hudson Yards project for $913/month, lottery launching for 169 units
September 2, 2016

Live in SOM’s new Hudson Yards project for $913/month, lottery launching for 169 units

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6sqft revealed renderings at the beginning of the year of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's Hudson Yards-adjacent, five million-square-foot Manhattan West project, which "will include two office towers, a rental tower with 844 apartments at 435 West 31st Street, retail space and a new landscaped public plaza designed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm responsible for the design of the High Line." As of Tuesday, September 6th, New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for 169 affordable apartments in the residential tower; they'll range from $913/month studios to $1,359/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify here
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