New York City Affordable Housing

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

New York City is a premier destination attracting people from throughout the USA and the world. Many want to make NYC their home! And within NYC, Astoria is one of the most desirable neighborhoods.

But as the desire to live here builds, so do the costs. Our middle and lower class must not be priced out!

One solution is the city’s AFFORDABLE HOUSING initiative!

HOW DO I APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

1Create an account on the NYC Housing Connect website. GET STARTED »
2Find a new development that meets your needs.
3Log on to your account to determine when to submit your application
4If called, have an interview with the Developer or Managing agent. Make sure you bring all documentations requested of your household.
5While waiting for an answer, you should continue to look for other opportunities in other developments until you hit paydirt!!!

If successful, you will not pay more than 30% of your income on housing. This allows you a lifestyle where you can meet your family’s needs and still feel free to enjoy the amenities our great city offers.

WHY SHOULD I APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

There are many reasons

1If successful, you will not pay more than 30% of your income on housing. This allows you a lifestyle where you can meet your family’s needs and still feel free to enjoy the amenities our great city offers.
2Your future rent increases will be regulated as Rent Stabilized apartments.
3Most of these apartments are new constructions, with up to date amenities. In Old Astoria, the future is bright: We enjoy many waterfront developments, Durst Halletts Point, Astoria Cove, Piano Factory, Graffiti House accompanied by our new NYC Ferry Service, cultural institutions Socrates Sculpture Park, Noguchi Museum, and the Welling Court Mural project, NYC Parks (Astoria Park, Rainey Park, Whitey Ford Baseball Field), and new small businesses to service our growing community.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FAQ

What Is Affordable Housing?

Housing that is affordable. According to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Housing is considered “affordable” when a family spends no more than 30% of its income on rent. According to the NYU Furman Center, almost 26% of households in Queens Community Board 1 (including Astoria, Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, and Steinway) were “severely rent-burdened” in 2015.

How Do We Gain Affordable Housing?

Affordable housing is created in a number of ways. Developers regularly work with HPD to reduce the cost of building new affordable units while keeping rents low to meet the affordability needs of a variety of families. In some cases, property owners or developers apply to rezone their block, where all future buildings may be required to include permanently-affordable units. In 2017, Old Astoria had multiple zoning areas that require affordable housing, including portions of Vernon Boulevard, 21st Street, and Halletts Point. In other cases, the City may sell some of its property to developers who build new affordable housing and other community uses. There are other ways to create incentives for developers to include affordable housing in their developments such as Affordable NY, Voluntary and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing that gives tax breaks to the developers.

Do I Qualify For Affordable Housing?

You might! The key to figuring out if you qualify for affordable housing is to know if your salary falls within the range that the development has already predetermined. This is based on a percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI). The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets AMI for the greater NYC Metropolitan Area (New York City, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester Counties). The 2017 AMI for a family of 3 in the New York region was $85,900. Therefore, a family of three in Old Astoria who earned $68,720 in 2017 qualified for an affordable housing unit that required 80% of AMI.

Keep in mind that if you make as little as a dollar over or under the predetermined limits you do not qualify for affordable housing.

How Can I Stay Up To Date On New Lotteries Opening In NYC?

When you create an account on the Housing Connect website, you will receive automatic email alerts to inform you of new developments in the area and how to apply!

Do I Have To Reapply Every Year For My Housing After Winning the Lottery?

Nope! Once you are in, you are in. But this also means, once you are out, you are out.

Still confused? Find out more information and open applications for the lottery here!!

GOOD LUCK!

Please note that you can apply for as many developments that you are qualified for but you can only apply for a specific development once!

Contributions of this work credited to Richrd Khuzami (OANA), Clare Doyle (OANA), Elizabeth Hodges (OANA), Simon Kawitzky (HPD), John Young (DCP), Perris Straughter (HPD), John Young (DCP), Deborah Carney (DCP), Jaclyn Sachs (HPD), Blake Montieth (DCP).