An affordable housing lottery has opened for units at The Arches, a housing complex which comprises two 25-story, residential towers located at 228 East 135th Street in Mott Haven, as reported by YMBY.

 

Designed by Fischer & Makooi Architect and developed by The Chess Builders, the structure yields 430 individual residential units.

Available on New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) platform, NYC Housing Connect, are 60 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $72,000 to $167,570, in accordance with the City’s affordable housing program.

 

As such, the building is anticipated to receive a tax exemption through the 421a Tax Incentive Program of the HPD. It is understood the remaining 370 units will be rented or sold at market rates.

 

As reported previously, it should be noted that many Bronxites, and many New Yorkers in general, have long questioned the definition of what is considered “affordable housing.” HPD, established in 1978, is responsible for promoting the quality and affordability of the city’s housing stock, as well as the strength and diversity of its neighborhoods.

 

According to HPD, affordable housing is based on a household’s percentage of Area Median Income (AMI), which is set by the federal government on a yearly basis. Housing is considered affordable if it costs about one-third or less of household income, and is regulated so that the rent cannot increase dramatically over time.

 

In order to be eligible for affordable housing, applicants must be 18 years old, and their household income needs to be in a specific range for each affordable housing opportunity. Applicants are required to meet additional guidelines, including asset limits, and tenant selection criteria to qualify.

 

The attached chart by HPD is designed to help residents understand the AMI income categories used by the agency to determine eligibility for affordable housing. These vary by household size.

 

In 2018, HPD launched the “Neighborhood Pillars” fund to help non-profits and community organizations buy apartment buildings, preserve their affordability, and keep New Yorkers in their homes. The attached HPD-produced video elaborates on this concept.

 

 

Meanwhile, the “Bronx-wide People’s Platform” is a coalition of Bronx-based, grassroots organizations which aims to stem the tide of gentrification in the borough. Among its partner organizations are Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative, Laal, Laborers Local 79, Mekong NYC, Mothers on the Move, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, THE POINT CDC, and WHEDco.

 

Listed as one of the aims on the platform’s housing and land use manifesto is development without displacement. To this end, the coalition calls for an end to all current, large-scale re-zonings, to support and enforce transparent, community-led and legally-binding community benefits agreements, and to pass the Racial Impact Study bill to ensure all land use planning examines its impact on people of color.

 

In addition, among other aims, the coalition calls for adjusting the Area Median Income (AMI) development formulas to reflect neighborhood levels and to meet the local needs of communities, to strengthen commercial tenant rights and implement commercial rent reform and stabilization, and to invest in NYCHA and its residents by ending all privatization efforts.

 

Advocates also call for supporting community and tenant ownership by enacting legislation, including through passing the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) and supporting collective ownership of NYCHA buildings by residents.

 

As regards the housing units at The Arches, according to YIMBY, residents will have access to a wide range of amenities, including assigned parking, a shared laundry room, a yoga and dance studio, a media room, a business center, a children’s playroom, a doorman, and a landscaped roof garden. Units include name-brand appliances and finishes, air conditioning, and hardwood floors.

 

At 130 percent of the AMI, there is one studio available which has a monthly rent of $2,100 for incomes ranging from $72,000 to $124,150, there are 25 one-bedroom units available with a monthly rent of $2,221 for incomes ranging from $76,149 to $139,620, and there are 34 two-bedroom units available with a monthly rent of $2,705 for incomes ranging from $92,743 to $167,570.

 

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than August 19, 2021.

 

Meanwhile, according to information on NYC Housing Connect, The Arches is described as “an amenity-rich, luxury rental development, located 10 minutes from Midtown Manhattan.” The development’s two towers overlook the South Bronx, the Harlem River, and the Manhattan skyline.

 

Neighboring amenities of the 40,000 square feet complex include shops, restaurants and playgrounds.

 

According to information posted on the NYC Housing Connect portal, the eventual “CB #201 tenant” will be responsible for electricity (including heating and stove).

Anyone wishing to receive an application form by mail should send the request, along with a self-addressed envelope, to Tax Solute Consulting, C/O The Arches, 185 Marcy Suite 33-A, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Applications can also be made online via NYC Housing Connect. Only one application is permitted per person/household.

 

There are no deposits or application fees. More information is available on https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/. 

 

Editor’s Note: Norwood News does not process any applications. Please contact NYC HPD directly with any questions.