May 14, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
Five units are up for grabs in a new Astoria affordable housing lottery–each with a monthly rent of $2,320.
The units, all one-bedroom apartments, are located inside the newly constructed 25-40 31st Street Apartments.
The seven-story building, which consists of 16 units in total, is outfitted with several amenities, available at additional costs, including a roof deck recreation area, parking, a bike room, and a laundry room.
The building is located just a block away from the N and W trains at the Astoria Boulevard station.
The affordable units are priced at $2,320 per month, with eligible households ranging from one to three people in size. Individuals must have an income between $79,543 and $97,110. Households of two can have a combined income up to $111,020, and households of three may make up to $124,930.
Tenants will be responsible for paying electricity. The building’s owner will pay for gas and hot water.
The deadline to apply for the lottery is June 4. While the apartments will be given out on a lottery basis to eligible applicants, some preference will be given to those with mobility, vision or hearing disabilities.
For more information and to apply, go to New York Housing Connect.
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53 Comments
Do you all realize the reason for this? Whether 2400 is reasonable for 97k its always gross not net that they look at. The real issue is the developers and land lords are getting 30 years of tax breaks for putting the units on housing connect, which calls it affordable housing, and getting all the vetting that they would have to pay a broker to do now. 5 years ago housing connect had 60 or 70 percent neighborhood mean income but now they all are 130 percent mean income. So the developers have figured out how to cheat the system and are getting tax breaks to bring richer people in the neighborhood. And the neighborhood is getting less taxes for schools, roads and libraries. Down the block from me in flatbush a new building is advertising affordable 2000 one bedrooms on housing connect. Meanwhile my building has 1600 one bedrooms. That can be found very easily on street easy. Why are the politicians not noticing this?
Affordable for who?
What is so affordable about $2,320?
You guys can ramble all you want about what is affordable to you. The fact is that people are applying by the hundreds and thousands when these units go up.
A disgrace. The maximum percentage of salary that should be allocated to housing is 30%. For a $79000.00 salary that is a maximum of. $1975 per month. And even that is a stretch. What about health and dental care costs ? How do you raise a child or if you have the audacity to have 2 children? we are maligned for having no emergency savings and not saving enough for retirement.There is a special place in hell for these corrupt politicians. If you teach,protect,fight fires, nurse or just about any other career .except hedge fund manager and of course corrupt and self serving politician,you can’t live in the city that you work in. This city and its corrupt self serving politicians both past and present have had a hand in this. AFFORDABLE HOUSING ??????.
First, as to your calculation: the range of the applicant’s salary should be 79k-97k for a single person. So if you assume 30% is affordable – then the rent range is $1,975 to $2,425. Since, on average, the applicant will have a salary somewhere within this range, $2,320 appears to be reasonable (although on the high end). It gets even better if you are a household of two people and make a combined $111k in which case affordable would be considered up to $2,775.
Secondly, the term “affordable units” only means affordable for the income range listed (which is 130% of the median income). It is not a blanket “affordable” for all people. I think that is pretty clear.
The alternatives are that politicians set a maximum rent (let’s assume $1,500) and then the developers will not get any profit so they will just use their money on other investments and not build anything at all. Or, all units can me market rate rent and developers can charge whatever people are willing to pay, in which case people will either be overextending their budgets or the apartments will be leased out to the wealthy only. The reason for this is because NYC and surrounding neighborhoods are in very high demand. For every person that says NYC is not worth it at the current cost of living, there are probably 3 people who will say it is. They would be willing to sacrifice the things you mentioned above to live here. If you fall in the category that does not think it is worth it, you always have the choice not to rent here. Nobody is forcing anybody to live here.
I remember when 25% of your income for a home was affordable. This one comes with free subway noise
No wonder the Coalition for the Homeless recently reported yet another all-time high homeless population in New York City now pushing 65,000, many of which are families and children.
When is someone going to investigate this brazen lifelong “public-private partnership” housing corruption scheme and “NYC affordable housing lottery” scam that violates the Public Trust?
It’s the same corrupt NYC Housing Authority and Mayor’s Office scam over and over and over again!
There is shameless uninvestigated New York City malfeasance when it comes to “public-private partnership” housing development schemes that falsely and erroneously “promise X percent of new units set aside as affordable housing” in exchange for the city improperly giving away public property to international luxury development capital groups that could care less about lifelong New Yorkers.
New York City officials along with luxury housing developers are nothing less than corrupt real estate racketeers that for decades have perpetrated a 100% criminal scam by holding nontransparent alleged “housing lotteries” for “apartments set aside as affordable housing” that contain many corrupt bureaucratic loopholes!
Moreover, much alleged “affordable housing” sits vacant and receives the double-dealing bureaucratic explanatory lie that “there were not enough eligible applicants” in a Byzantine, nontransparent, unaccountable housing application process riddled with unrealistic financial eligibility parameters and flagrantly discriminatory criteria. What happens then? Then the vacant apartments that are “set aside as affordable housing” which remain unfilled are quietly put on the open market at corruptly contrived “market rate” rents…after the “application deadline” expires. Why is there even a deadline?
Even so-called “affordable housing” rents are a joke, because they are divorced from realistic average wages and salaries.
How can you even frame a reference point for “affordable housing” when NYC market rate rents themselves are corruptly overinflated and wildly incongruous with any inflationary index known to mankind, or with any pedantic technocratic gibberish about “supply and demand,” or with any labor and material cost argument, particularly since only high-rise luxury buildings are being constructed to the exclusion of all other arguably less costly housing even though there is an enormous demand for a broad range of middle-class housing?
This is a methodical economic act of war against New York’s and America’s middle class, nay against America. The macroeconomy and the housing market is like a circuit board and it’s very precise, very measured, and very deliberate. There’s a globalist technocratic ideology underlying this economic housing attack against Americans in order to sow as much socioeconomic chaos as possible and thereby undermine the stability of national sovereignty.
The corrupt U.S. real estate and housing market is deliberately ignoring a great demand for housing that is befitting to the various populations within the entire range of the middle class. And it’s happening coast-to-coast.
A lack of befitting housing development and homelessness is indisputably the #1 story in the United States which is consistently ignored by a treasonous mainstream media and all professional politicians.
What is so affordable about 2320?? I am laughing so hard. This has to be a JOKE
How can someone say that over $2,300 for a one bedroom apartment is affordable? Most people have other monthly obligations, such as student loans, food, phone bills, transportations as well as other things that are necessary, and that’s not including emergencies that may arise.
I grew up in New York state, but moved to the city over a decade ago, although I will miss certain things about this city, I just can’t wait to get out. The high cost of living is one of the major reasons this city is losing so many residents each year. This city has become a place for the wealthy.
High rent, dirty subway stations, poor public transportation services, meanwhile they keep raising the price of public transportation are other reasons why it is so frustrating to continue living here. Unless you are wealthy or want to work for most of your life with nothing to show for it, then someone can choose to remain in this city. With such high cost of living, it is very difficult to save. Most people have to work two jobs and a side hustle just to stay above water. It is insane to live in a city that I cannot afford to live in. I will miss certain things about it, but in the next few months I need to leave this city in order to breathe and not spend most of my waking hours working like a horse just so I can pay for the necessities of life.
This is not “affordable housing”. For those salary ranges the rent amount should be much lower if we’re really calling this “affordable”. I’m sure they are beautiful new apartments but those prices are ridiculous.
It’s also a shame that Astoria is pricing out it’s longtime residents. There should be a lottery for those who have been in the neighborhood for a while and have made that community what it is. There are many of us who love Astoria and would live there forever but simply cannot afford it any more.
$1000 or less for this unit to call it affordable. I think. Bo
I think people are missing the point. Instead of having a bunch of rich people move in paying market asking rent of $2,500+, they are allowing people who make up to 130% of the median neighborhood income have a chance to rent something below market instead of giving it to someone who makes way more than that come in change the neighborhood drastically due to their lifestyle. Who actually thinks that a young professional couple, each making approximately $50k is unreasonable? Certainly $2,320 a month for them would be affordable. That’s $28k a year, or just under a third of their combined household earnings. If you already live in the neighborhood then you are set, why do you care what newcomers are paying anyways?
I would like to clarify. I researched: The “Afforadable housing” in NYC that appears so HIGH and UNAFFORDABLE, is the market rate that you pay so that another or same Landlords can offer another apartment at the lower rents to lower income tenants. In effect, you are paying market rate rent, to subsidize the unit for a lower paying tenant elsewhere. GEEZ.
There is no such thing as affordable. Even to rent a room they want you to make 40 times the rent.
This is a joke and should be treated as such. Articles should point out the corruption of this made up market place rather than try to show this is the norm.
So they want 3 incomes to live in a small ass one bedroom apt deblasio is getting paid big time its time to shut this fraudulent lucrative program down
Yes, this article is virtually an advertisement for the realtor. One wonders…
That’s not affordable housing you got to be kidding me.
As a lifelong Astoria resident I’ve seen great changes take place in my once beautiful Neighbourhood, in this case progress sucks they ruined Astoria made it completely unaffordable
Vote for AOC and mayor DeBlasio affordable housing free schools Green New Deal ?
???
Everything is free come on people
Sorry, how did AOC cause the price of these apartments? Lmao
What article are you responding to? This article is about rent.
Ahahaaaa “affordable” ?
Yeah you call this affordable housing? What a crock of shit.
There is a fundamental equation used in order too apply for and be considered as candidate for an apartment in my home town of Astoria, New York and where I now reside in Los Angeles (Brentwood) California. One must earn in income 3 to four times the amount of rent per month. One must be able to pay first and last month’s rent. One must be able to leave cleaning fee. One must be able to pay utilities while every 12 months that quickly pass, pay for a 3% increase in rent. Please pardon my ignorance however, what exactly is affordable housing for what I’m noticing as a man torn between two shores the same garbage is apparent, corruption!
The system is corrupt.
Please stop using the word ” affordable , ” a better word to use is extortion @
How do you house 3 people in a one bedroom apt?
Julie,
You could not have laid it down better. Thank you for speaking out!
David in Astoria
One block away from a currently closed subway station and the busiest intersection of the Grand Central Parkway – way to upsell this lickstick on a pig dump.
Now u know why people are homeless
How are people going to get help when everything is expensive and jobs are not paying
The middle class can no longer live in this city. With a college degree, you still need two jobs just to barely stay above water. What about the people with little skills and education? This city don’t want anyone here unless you are ulta-rich. There are so many competition for jobs, it is not always easy to find the job you want, even if you have kills, experience and an education like myself.
Everyone else can stay in a city they love that doesn’t love them back. Well, I choose life. Soon, I will leave this city so I will not have to spend most of my days slaving just to make barely enough in order to live here.
It is just as bad in the San Francisco Bay Area. 5 yrs ago 30% of a new or renovated apt building was reserved for Affordable Housing. Then thru the back door, it was reduced to 5%. Now it is basically up to the sellers. I lived in Astoria for 30 great years and could have bought my parents l bedroom for $65,000. Sorry l did not. Can’t afford cost to even stay in Queens.
Good luck,
A ” missing the old Astoria” gal.
So true we can not live here its nothing affordable about 2000$ RENT!
This is absolutely true. I couldn’t say it better.
Affordable housing for who for the wealthy who have alot of money and still want to save
You are 100 on this. How in the Hell is $2300 for a 1 bedroom affordable. You can rent a Mini Mansion anywhere going South for less then that. Damn shame.
Sharon – location location location.
So you all want affordable housing to mean free housing.
2000 plus a month isn’t affordable unless your high income . Stop lying to the people
$2320 for a 1-bedroom right next to the above-ground subway tracks? Just go to Zillow or Trulia, punch in the ZIP code 11102, set filters for 1+ bedroom and max rent to $2320. There’s PLENTY of better options that doesn’t require a lottery with income restrictions. How the heck is THIS considered “affordable housing”?
This is not affordable for a person that makes 79K a year. WTH
Nothing like paying top dollar$ to listen and feel the rumblings of the subway right outside your windows. 2,320 for a 1 Bedroom? Only a fool would pay that rent. The building is located just a block away from the N and W trains at the Astoria Boulevard station-which is undergoing extensive renovations in phases. Enjoy being close to Don Coqui as well-quite a hotspot and pretty noisy on weekends. A sucker is born every minute.
That is NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING!!!
People need to stop calling this “affordable housing,” it is highway robbery!
The New York Housing Authority needs to stop the madness. These rates are only inflating the housing market in our neighborhoods and making it even more impossible for people – especially single parents make end meet! I live in a newly renovated apartment 2/3 bedroom and it costs even less than what this rent costs for this 1 bedroom apartment!
The New York Housing Connect is a scam because it allows HUGE developers to come in and build with huge tax incentives and while pretending to provide “affordable housing” when in reality they are charging higher rates than normally found in the neighborhood.
In addition, please note that the tenant pays the electric – which probably means this building has electric heating and helps landlords/building owners – get away without having to pay “heat” as mandated by New York State Law.
Please, people need to open their eyes and see it for what it really is……FALSE ADVERTISING!
This scam goes against all of the capitalistic principles New York City was built on…..while robbing neighborhood children of a decent educational system.
If these developers are getting free passes on paying taxes….that means they aren’t contributing to the cost of schools and therefore robbing education benefits from our future children. It is a shame!
You are 100% correct who can afford these rents. Not the people living in the neighborhood. It’s a shame and just look at the homeless people in this city. Just gets worse every day.
Your absolutely right, it is highway robbery, but guess what? Unless the community doesn’t get together and makes some noice, they will keep getting away with it!
So what I did not realize is that some of these income brackets are set by the state, which clearly don’t correctly asses the need of specific districts. It is up to local organizations such as the BID to vocalize this to them so that the units can be more affordable.
Yes you go babygirl!
I totally agree! This is NOT offortable housing.
You are so right it’s all a scam for the Realtors contractors and builders who can afford $3,000 for one bedroom taking up all the space they need to build shelters so people that speak on the train and in the streets New York is getting worse and worse are you by Johannes somebody’s pocket
I strongly agree. I earn at the top of the salary range to qualify for a 1 bdrm with one person household. In what world can a person earning $97,000 afford to pay rent of $2340??….That would be 50% of that person’s monthly NET income. How does that qualify to be described as “affordable.”. I recently was #1 in line, with all necessary credentials, for a similar lottery apt in a new bldg in Greenpoint. The apt was approx $2190, i believe. At the 11th hour, it was determined that i earned approx $900 too much in the previous year to actually qualify for an apartment that I could barely afford. The rent would have been 45% of my net monthly take home pay. When all was said and done i was actually relieved to be rejected. I walked around for days in a haze: if they say YES to me, can i actually afford this???….(not really)…