Mayor’s Office Announces Conversion of Temporary Homeless Shelters into Permanent Affordable Housing

The conversion is another step in the City’s plan to address the homelessness crisis. On November 19, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced its transition into the second phase of a plan to convert temporary homeless shelters into permanently affordable housing units. According to the Mayor’s Office, this plan will help not-for-profit housing developers acquire and rehabilitate an additional 14 residential “cluster site” buildings, currently being used to house homeless families, and convert them into over … <Read More>


Council Approves Application for Construction of New Affordable Housing Development in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

The new nine-story building would bring approximately 36 housing units for the formerly homeless. On October 17, 2019, the City Council voted to approve a land use application to facilitate the construction of a new nine-story mixed-use residential and commercial building on three vacant City-owned lots at 776-780 Myrtle Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. To facilitate the project, the application asks for two land use actions. First, the three City-owned vacant lots will … <Read More>


New East New York Development to Renovate Shelter and Create Affordable Housing

The new development proposes services for both residents and the greater East New York community. On October 16, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve a land use application to develop four mixed-use buildings in East New York, Brooklyn. The lot is bounded by Sutter Avenue to the north, Blake Avenue to the south, Snediker Avenue to the west, and Hinsdale Street to the east. To facilitate the new 387,100 square feet development, the … <Read More>


Proposed Rezoning to Bring 330 Affordable Housing Units to Astoria, Queens

The proposed development would be near Astoria’s waterfront parks and cultural institutions such as the Noguchi Museum. On September 11, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application to develop three mixed-use buildings in Astoria, Queens. The project block is bounded by Vernon Boulevard and Broadway to the north, 33rd Road to the south, 11th Street to the east, and 10th Street to the west. The block is currently occupied by a one-story … <Read More>


[UPDATE]: City Council Approves HPD Proposal to Develop Affordable Housing in Brownsville, Brooklyn

The three sites will have amenities for residents and are transit accessible. On September 25, 2019, the City Council voted to approve an application to develop affordable housing on three City-owned properties located in Brownsville, Brooklyn.  The properties are located at 47 New Lots Avenue, 609-615 Osborn Street, and 120-122 Liberty Avenue. The three properties are small, underutilized sites and are currently vacant. The application proposed the development of two residential buildings and one mixed-use … <Read More>


De Blasio Administration Changes Affordable Housing Credit Check Rules

New Yorkers applying for affordable apartments now have the choice to avoid credit checks. On August 21, 2019, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corporation announced major changes to Housing Preservation and Development’s affordable housing lottery application. The expanded guidelines will increase access for more New Yorkers to qualify for affordable housing. This change will have an immediate impact for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Besides offering the … <Read More>