Affordable Housing

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.
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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

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.
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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

As the Upper East Side continues to extend itself northward, the southern portions of East Harlem are becoming increasingly trendy, yet still relatively affordable compared to other on-the-cusp 'hoods. And if you're looking to get in on the action, three $822/month studios have just come up through the city's affordable housing lottery at 1674 Park Avenue, a newly constructed rental building at 118th Street. They're available for single persons earning between $28,183 and $36,300 annually.
Get a look at the apartments

Affordable Housing

Live Near the Newly Opened High Bridge for $975/Month

Photo by Shinya Suzuki / Flickr

April 25, 2016

Live Near the Newly Opened High Bridge for $975/Month

The latest in a wave of recent affordable housing lotteries includes six buildings in the Bronx -- three in High Bridge, right near the newly opened and much-hyped overpass, and three farther east in Soundview. All together there are 20 newly constructed units up for grabs (though it's not clear how many are at each address), ranging from $975/month studios to $1,709/month three-bedrooms.
More details ahead

Affordable Housing

April 14, 2016

Mayor’s Affordable Housing Push Brings Tough Questions on Racial Integration

Affordability vs. racial inclusion may sound like an odd battle to be having, yet it's one that often simmers below the surface in discussions of neighborhood change. The words "Nearly 50 years after the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act..." are, of course, no small part of the reason. And in a city known for its diversity–one that often feels more racially integrated than it is–the question of how housing policy might affect racial makeup tends to be carefully sidestepped, but the New York Times opens that worm-can in a subsection called "Race/Related."
Is there a tradeoff between integration and affordability?

April 14, 2016

Lottery Opens for 10 Affordable Units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East Neighborhood

In 1977, when President Jimmy Carter visited the South Bronx and declared it the worst neighborhood in the country, he was standing in Crotona Park East, a small neighborhood nestled in the triangle bordered by the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Harlem River, and Crotona Park. Though the Bronx dropped this reputation a long time ago, Crotona Park East was one of a few areas that seemed slow to catch up with the rest of the borough, but five years ago, the city rezoned this stretch from light industrial use to residential, creating a boom in affordable housing opportunities. The latest such development is located at 1702 Bryant Avenue, where 10 newly constructed affordable units are up for grabs through the city's housing lottery. The unit are $931/month one-bedrooms for one person earning between $31,920 and $38,100 annually and two people earning between $31,920 and $43,500.
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Affordable Housing

Apply for 86 Affordable Apartments in Brownsville’s Prospect Plaza, Starting at $689/Month

Through tools like rezonings, the city has been trying in recent years to increase affordable housing opportunities in lower-income Brooklyn neighborhoods like East New York and Brownsville, and the latter now has 86 brand new apartments available through the city's affordable housing lottery. The units are part of the much larger Prospect Plaza development by Dattner Architects, which altogether will transform a 4.5-acre site into 364 units of affordable and public housing, as well as a 22,000-square-foot supermarket, 12,000-square-foot community facility, and a rooftop greenhouse. The first batch of units to come online, located at 1740-1760 Prospect Place and 396 Saratoga Avenue, range from $689/month one-bedrooms to $1,181/month three-bedrooms for families earning between $24,995 and $63,060 annually. They'll feature "exquisitely finished kitchen and bathrooms," energy efficient appliances and fixtures, on-site laundry rooms, a fitness room, and parking for an additional fee.
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Affordable Housing

April 11, 2016

Last Chance to Apply for 282 Middle-Income Apartments at Downtown Brooklyn’s 250 Ashland Place

Today is your last chance to apply for 282 affordable housing units at 250 Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn. The 52-story skyscraper rises from the heart of Brooklyn's cultural district and is near a multitude of subway lines, the Atlantic Terminal transit hub, and the Barclays Center. Developed by the Gotham Organization, the skyscraper encompasses 580,000 square feet of space and soars 568 feet into the burgeoning Brooklyn skyline, making it the second tallest in the borough after the nearby rental tower AVA DoBro. Designed by New York-based FXFowle Architects, the building is sheathed in a contextual brick and glass exterior, relating both to the charming brownstones of Fort Greene and the dynamism transforming Downtown Brooklyn.
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This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time

Raising the windmill on the roof of 519. Photo credit: Travis Price via Gothamist

April 5, 2016

This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time

If you want to build a windmill today, you can thank a handful of dedicated tenants in a building at 519 East 11th Street in the East Village of the 1970s. The story of the Alphabet City windmill is one of many stories, recounted in Gothamist, from the bad old days of Loisaida–as the East Village's far eastern avenues, also known as Alphabet City, were once called–the kind the neighborhood's elder statesmen regale you with, knowing well that you know nothing firsthand of a neighborhood of burned-out buildings and squatters who bought their homes for a buck. But this particular story isn’t one of riots or drug deals on the sidewalk; it’s one of redemption, no matter how brief in the context of time. The windmill was installed above an East Village building that was saved by the community, built and lifted to the roof by hand–or many hands. According to legend, the windmill kept the lights on during the chaos of the 1977 blackout.
Read all about it

April 4, 2016

Live in a Boutique Harlem Building for $839/Month, Lottery Launches for 71 East 110th Street

The Lovina House, located at 71 East 110th Street in East Harlem, recently opened as a boutique rental building with 14 contemporary, loft-like apartments. Three of these units are now available through the city's affordable housing lottery. This includes a $839/month studio for a single person earning between $28,766 and $36,300 annually, and two $1,089/month one-bedrooms for households with incomes between $37,338 and $52,020, depending on family size.
More info on the building and lottery

Affordable Housing

Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

Google Street View of the site while still under construction

March 30, 2016

Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

The Bronx is having a moment, thanks in part to popular institutions like the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, and Italian food mecca along Arthur Avenue. If you want to get in on the action, you can now enter the lottery for newly constructed, $938/month affordable apartments nearby at 863 Fairmount Place in Tremont. There's just one little catch -- only two units are available.
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Affordable Housing

Middle-Income Housing Lottery Opens for 16 Newly Renovated Apartments in Harlem

152 West 124th Street (L); 70 East 127th Street (R). Via Google Street View.

March 29, 2016

Middle-Income Housing Lottery Opens for 16 Newly Renovated Apartments in Harlem

The Third Party Transfer Program (TPT) is an initiative of the NYC Department of Housing and Preservation Development that was created in 1966 where the city forecloses on properties with unpaid taxes and eventually transfers ownership to a developer who must rehabilitate the building if necessary and manage it as affordable housing. Two Harlem buildings, 152 West 124th Street and 70 East 127th Street, were renovated under this program and are now offering 16 middle-income units through the city's housing lottery. They range from $1,040/month studios to $2,165 two-bedrooms for persons earning anywhere between $36,995 and $107,875 annually, depending on household size.
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Affordable Housing

March 23, 2016

POLL: Do You Agree With the City Council’s Citywide Rezoning Approval?

This time last year, Mayor de Blasio put forth his controversial rezoning proposal, part of his plan to preserve and/or create 200,000 units of affordable housing by 2024. It’ll now come to fruition, as DNAinfo reports that the City Council has approved the rezoning. “It includes Zoning for Quality and Affordability, a push to raise building heights […]

March 22, 2016

Apply for 83 Affordable Apartments in Astoria, Starting at $895/Month

The affordable housing lottery has commenced for 83 brand new apartments at the Steinway Estates in Astoria, per the NYC HPD. Units will range from $895/month studios to $2,586/month three-bedrooms, with annual income requirements varying from $32,023 for a single-person household to $130,260 for a six-person household. The development at 19-80 Steinway Street is on the edge of the Steinway IBZ (Industrial Business Zone) and was originally known as the Vesta or Vesta Q when it first surfaced as a mixed-use project back in 2008. Exact details on the building aren't clear, but renderings from Garrett Gourlay Architect show a four-story, corner-lot structure with landscaped outdoor areas and contemporary apartments.
Find out more about Steinway Estates

Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing 101: Should I Buy an HDFC Apartment?

A two-bedroom in the East Village asking just $695,000

March 21, 2016

Affordable Housing 101: Should I Buy an HDFC Apartment?

By Diane Pham

While perusing hundreds of real estate listings you come across one that seems almost too good to be true: it’s in a prime neighborhood, there are two real bedrooms and two real bathrooms, and it’s selling for well under a half million. While you may be pinching yourself over the price tag, rest assured that it’s […]

March 16, 2016

Housing Lottery Launches for Greenpoint Landing’s 33 Eagle Street, Rents Start at $494

Greenpoint Landing's third affordable housing building has kicked off its lottery process. The ground-up seven-story building at 33 Eagle Street will provide 97 newly constructed rental apartments priced well below market-rate rents. The 24 studios will be priced from $494 to $1,463 per month for annual household earnings ranging from $18,275 to $78,650. Its 29 one-bedrooms, designated for either one or two-person households, have rents ranging from $532 to $1,840 for household incomes from $19,612 to $78,650. And lastly, the building's 49 two-bedrooms are priced between $647 and $2,216, based on household sizes ranging from two to four persons with income ranges from $23,589 to $112,190 per year.
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March 9, 2016

Apply Today for 47 New Affordable Apartments in Central Harlem, Starting at $847/Month

Starting today, you can apply for 47 brand-new affordable apartments in prime Central Harlem, according to the NYC HPD. Located at 2139 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, at the corner of 127th Street, the building will offer 12 $847/month one-bedroom units for households earning between $30,412 and $41,460 annually, as well as 35 $1,025/month two-bedrooms for those earning between $36,549 and $51,780. Designed by architects Urban Quotient, the building known as Harlem Dowling will also house community facility spaces for the Harlem Dowling West Side Center for Children and Services and Childrens’ Village, both foster care organizations. Harlem Dowling was founded in 1836 as the Colored Orphans Asylum, the first such institution devoted to children of color. In 1863, its building was burned down during the Draft Riots, and this new location will be the first time since that they've had their own home. Though the current housing lottery announcement doesn't specify this, a 2014 press release for the project noted that preference would be given to youth aging out of foster care.
More details ahead

Affordable Housing

March 9, 2016

Affordable Housing Lottery at Colgate Close Starts in Soundview, Priced $696/Month

In the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx, the Arker Companies has commenced the affordable housing lottery process for their latest ground-up building, Colgate Close. Located at 1092 Colgate Street, where the semi-industrial area along the Bronx River evolves into a low-scale residential community, the five-story complex will contain 32 studio and one-bedrooms targeted for low-income households earning between $25,200 and $30,250 for a single person and $27,052 and $41,460 for two people. Depending on income, studios will be priced at $696 or $847 per month and one-bedrooms at $749 and $910 per month.
More details this way

March 4, 2016

MAP: Where to Find NYC’s Current Affordable Housing Lotteries

The number of affordable rental units up for grabs through the city and state's housing lotteries has been on the upswing. There are now more than 30 open to a variety of household sizes and incomes, with the bulk of the lotteries geared towards low-income households. For instance, in buildings currently accepting applications, annual incomes for a single-person household range from $18,789 to $36,300 and two-family households from $20,160 to $41,460. However, a growing number of drawings are now available to middle-income households, where for those open, a single person can make anywhere from $44,400 to $105,875 annually to qualify. To stay on top of it all, 6sqft gathered all affordable housing buildings now accepting applicants and compiled them into one handy, interactive map.
Check it out here

Affordable Housing

March 4, 2016

Why Micro-Apartments in Carmel Place Are So Expensive

We’ve been hearing a lot recently about the city’s new micro-apartments. As 6sqft has reported, NYC’s first micro-apartment complex Carmel Place (formerly My Micro NY) at 335 East 27th Street began leasing at the end of last year. The nine-story modular development in Kips Bay has 55 studios that are 260 to 360 square feet. Of these, 22 are affordable and they’ll go from $950 to $1,500 a month. Market-rate units on the other end range from $2,540 to $2,910. According to CityRealty, the average rental price per square foot for New York City apartments overall is $51, while Carmel Place units ring in at $98 per square foot. The idea of micro-housing was presented, in part, to address the need for more affordable apartments. So why is it that the result is what a recent New Yorker article calls “micro-luxury" housing?
Small Is Beautiful–but Not Affordable

Over 100,000 Unofficial ‘Ghost Tenants’ May Be Living in NYC Public Housing

Photo via Wiki Commons

March 4, 2016

Over 100,000 Unofficial ‘Ghost Tenants’ May Be Living in NYC Public Housing