Help! Love, MOM

Hi there Help! Love, MOM tribe. I’m in the process of rebranding. The updated blog, Growing Somewhere: Faith, Family and Finances will be one that makes a positive difference in your faith, family and finances! Do consider subscribing.

NYC Housing Connect is the portal that brings apartment seekers and affordable housing together in New York City. Homelessness is a growing problem all over the United States post pandemic. Sadly, in expensive cities like N.Y., this is especially true.

According to the NYC Housing Connect website, after you have created a profile your account by creating a username and password you will need to:

Complete your profile

Remember to update your profile each time your income or household information changes. Then you will,

Apply to lotteries

Check often for new developments that fit your household. It may take several months for applications to be processed. You may apply to multiple lotteries at once.

Selection and Eligibility Confirmation

1. Wait for selection: Applications can take several months to process. You can expect to hear about your application status within two to ten months after the deadline;
2. Confirm eligibility: If selected, you’ll need to confirm your eligibility and provide documents to show you qualify for the apartment.

Sign a lease or complete a purchase

If you are matched to a specific unit, at this point you may sign a lease or complete a purchase.

PLEASE NOTE – This is not a complete list of available apartments. To apply to any apartment shown for which you believe you qualify you must create an account and then log into the NYC Housing Connect portal to submit an application.

Units With a Wait List

Application Deadline: August 26, 2024

Wait list for Norwood Terrace 3349 Webster Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467 in the Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx.

Norwood is a vibrant area of 1 and 2 family private homes as well as apartment-style dwellings and restaurants. Green space is abundant with Van Courtlandt Park, Bronx River Parkway and Mosholu Parkway nearby. Transportation is close in the form of the D and the 4 train as well as the near by Henry Hudson Parkway.

Units: 56 Household Sizes: 1-7 Income Levels Served: $31,818 – $115,560

Application Deadline: August 26, 2024

Wait list for Third at Bankside 2385 Third Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451 in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx. Mott Haven is the “IT” neighborhood of the Bronx right now. Lots of local eateries and other new construction.

Units: 138 Household Sizes: 1-7 Income Levels Served: $61,543 – $250,380

Available Units with August 2024 Deadlines

Application Deadline: August 8, 2024

Address: 2136 Matthews Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462 in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the Bronx. Pelham Parkway is a beautiful Bronx neighborhood with lots of green space along the Parkway. There are also abundant “small town” amenities: near by doctor’s offices, restaurants, cleaners et cetera plus lots of ethnic diversity.

Units: 5 Household Sizes: 1-5 Income Levels Served: $85,116 – $218,010

Application Deadline: August 14, 2024

Address: 2915 Albemarle Road, Brooklyn, NY 11216 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Flatbush has been called the literal heart of Brooklyn and is a diverse, eclectic neighborhood where all can feel at home. There is abundant transportation here.

Units: 8 Household Sizes: 1-3 Income Levels Served: 111,532 – $181,740

Application Deadline: August 14, 2024

Address: 83-16 116th Street, Queen, NY 11418 in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens. Among the things for which Richmond Hill is known is it’s ethnic diversity especially Guyanese- and Punjabi-Americans. Many residents own homes. Liberty Avenue is one of the main shopping areas.

Units: 9 Household Sizes: 1-5 Income Levels Served: 81,429 – $218,010

Application Deadline: August 15, 2024

Address: 1117 Weeks Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457 in the Mt. Eden neighborhood of the Bronx.

The main thoroughfare of Mt. Eden is the historic Grand Concourse. Mt. Eden also boasts private homes, apartment-style homes and lots of K – 12 schools along with cultural institutions like the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Yankee Stadium. (Yep, I included Yankee Stadium. It’s close enough!)

Units: 14 Household Sizes: 1-3 Income Levels Served: 83,658 – $181,740

Available Units with September 2024 Deadlines

Application Deadline: September 13, 2024

Address: 959 Sterling Place, Brooklyn, NY 11213 in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bordered by the famed Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and boasts structures with amazing architecture. Crown Heights has an unpretentious, “this is the way we do it around here” vibe.

Units: 48 Household Sizes: 1-5 Income Levels Served: $107,246 – $218,010

Application Deadline: September 18, 2024

Address: 16 Dupont Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. Originally a working class neighborhood, Greenpoint is in a period of gentrification which may be driven by its physical boundaries of Newtown Creek and the East River. Water front properties are, despite climate change concerns, more highly valued than they once were.

Units: 115 Household Sizes: 1-5 Income Levels Served: $64,012 – $218,010

Application Deadline: September 23, 2024

Address: 5 Stuyesant Place, Staten Island, NY 10301 in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. Staten Island has been described as a gutsy, working class haven for first responders. These particular units are near the 9/11 memorial which honors the 274 Staten Islanders lost in the September 2001 terrorist attack.

Units: 23 Household Sizes: 1-5 Income Levels Served: 82,115 – $218,010

Application Deadline: September 23, 2024

Address: 203 Newport Street, Brooklyn, NY 11212 in the Brownsville neighborhood. Brownsville is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Brooklyn and is in a period of economic revitalization. This is also the application where the lowest income can be considered. If this fits your income profile, do consider applying as there is abundant transportation and opportunity to settle into stable housing and to grow a good life.

Units: 86 Household Sizes: 1-7 Income Levels Served: $24,480 – $134,820

Low Income Housing

The income ranges for most of the apartments in this group seemed high to me.

Maybe I’m not adjusting sufficiently for inflation, but I believe that NYC and other municipalities would be well-served by providing a supply of housing for those in the lower income ranges.

TO BE CLEAR – there are available housing developments at various rent levels, I just think that the levels aren’t low enough to accommodate all who want to continue to live and work in New York City.

For example, HUD considers extremely low income, very low income and low income as 3 separate categories of low-income earner in the NYC area. In 2024 those categories of qualifying income ranged from $32,610 – $144,080 depending on whether or not you are single or have a family of up to 6. Please click the link to see other income ranges.

When I was a broke teacher with a child in school making about $40K-ish. By the great grace of God I obtained a rent stabilized apartment. But, I am also thinking of non-professional, unskilled laborers, single parents (of either sex), grandparents et cetera also rearing children who may be earning much less than what I was making back then and who have more responsibilities who may need a lower income range to obtain housing.

My Affordable Housing Story

In my case, there was an ad for an apartment in the newspaper with a phone number — paper ads of various sorts is how we did it back then — which I called.

A salty lady responded, yes, to my question, “Could I come to the office to pick up the application rather than having it mailed to me?”

This has been a long time ago now but, once I arrived, I seem to remember her saying that, to date, no one had previously, physically, come in for an application.

I told her with sweaty fervor, “I need to find a place to live.” She warmed to me or to my desperation, a little…maybe.

I returned my completed application the next day.

Our (me and Tina’s) first rent was somewhere between $650 and $700. I have to check our first lease which I have kept as a marker and a reminder of how good God has been to us and far God has brought us.

We tend to forget. I urge you, as you grow, do keep reminders, mementos and the like.

Mind you (@Kevonstage) I still had major expenses: I was finishing up a required education credential, so I was paying tuition.

We were, for sure, for real and for true, food insecure: I was happy to take home from parties the lasagna made by a co-worker’s grandma I trusted- gracias Darlene y Abuelita.

Our school secretary knew I was struggling and she’d gather up leftovers from school parties and and make me a care package. That bag looked so good you’da thought she was packing a a real food order from Whole Foods – I see you Doreen!

On the other hand, when I snagged a tub of lemon poppy seed mini-muffins, a loaf of wheat bread AND a pack of cinnamon raisin bagels (breakfast and snacks) from the bread ministry table I surely ignored the lady who subbed me by saying loudly in my direction that the bread was for the community NOT the church members.

Ain’t I a part of the community?! But I didn’t tell her that. She lived in a paid for co-op; she didn’t understand the struggle.

I could also tell you about the places that I walked to because I did not have the car fare.

BUT I also had a rent that, by the grace of God, I could manage, carefully. This made a stabilizing difference in our lives. I am so, so grateful. I pray that a rent that you can consistently pay will be yours one day.

Apply, my friends. I believe that the LORD will favor you.

Affordable Rent!

xoxoKimberly