Comments on: New HPD Housing Lotteries

By: jsk3979

jsk3979 — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:10:39 +0000

Does anyone know much about the Beacon Tower Cooperatives. I am middle income and just came in for an interview to hand in the paperwork? Anyone know any details in regards to the apts? restrictions, etc?

By: Justin

Justin — Sat, 31 May 2008 19:55:55 +0000

Depends on the program for a given lottery. The one I got in on at the time had a cap of 58K.. the numbers are based on federal income limits… but then for the ‘middle income’ apartments there’s the issue that you have to make enough money to actually afford the apartment. I admit in my case between mortgage and maintenance it’s tight, but still doable. But yeah, if i made any less there’d b no way I’d be able to afford to keep up.

The min. for the beacon was 65K… it is not an absolute minimum… you should still apply, as this depends on what mortgage terms you’re able to get etc. Again, I recommend contacting the people at http://www.naca.com to see if they can be of assistance. With a lower mortgage rate, down payment assistance, you should be able to afford the units.

By: Y. Hernandez

Y. Hernandez — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:41:18 +0000

I’m confused as what my income status is. I make about $64K a yr, therefore; I am not eligible for the low income apartments, and I make too little to meet the middle income requirements. Is there a middle between low and middle? lol.

By: M. Lewis

M. Lewis — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:16:11 +0000

Imagine getting the upper west side and Clinton back! That will be the day. We’re all being squeezed here.

By: 123uptownside

123uptownside — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:10:18 +0000

Get a life… These are NOT affordable for what america considers middle income.

Your friends downtown..who cares. We are talking about Harlem.

No one is trying to keep HArlem Black,, we are just trying to get Harlem back.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:07:55 +0000

Keep in mind that the city has a range of housing programs… from low income to what is deemed ‘middle income’ by not only the city but also the state and federal government. In order to get certain funding programs they are required to use these statistical measures. In other words the only beef is not with the city, but also state and federal tax and funding policymakers that are behind some of these other issues.

In the meantime, any one given development should not be expected to meet such broad need. One project (like the Ellington or Kalahari) may serve one set of needs, another project serves another.

This particular lottery provides opportunity for someone making 65K, or couple making $75K (that’s only 37K each) to BUY an apartment in a new development in Harlem with only 5% down.

The purchase prices of the higher income tiers are different for the different apartments – rest assured the people earning 190K+ will not get the same amount of subsidy from the city that the people earning 65K will. In fact that upper tier simply means that 13 out of the 54 units in the building will be at/near market rate, and that is put into the overall equation to cross-subsidize the more definitively middle-income buyers in the building.

By: Sista Al-Yasha Anderson

Sista Al-Yasha Anderson — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:01:01 +0000

This is really crazy. I thought I was middle class with a good income, which means I’ve got a comfortable roof over my head and I eat well. But $100,000 per year!!! I don’t even earn half of that. Obviously the border line between the rich and the poor is growing dramatically. I’m sorry for all my brothers and sisters, black and white, who are being pushed out of Upper Manhattan, BROOKLYN and the BRONX because of ever continuing gentrification! Pretty soon we’ll be trying to reach Cuba in a raft.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:52:49 +0000

New York is not a place for this racist stuff. By trying to “keep Harlem black” you engender rascism. That is the same as some Connecticut racists trying to keep black people out of the Greenwich town beach.- Even though those black families were millionnaires. Both equally racist. Do not assume anything by the color of one’s skin!

By: M. Lewis

M. Lewis — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:37:42 +0000

Most white people don’t make enough money to buy anything at market value. I’ve lived in Manhattan for 35 years and cling to my little rent-stabilized apt. in midtown. I watch newcomers to my building pay $20K and up per month and the turnover is high and the rents go up and up. Many of these young people who have the money to live in my building are not white.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:08:12 +0000

ugh im so sick of this “only white people can afford this”, particularly since im white and a social worker making WAYYY less than 100K a year. but i still get told to “get the hell out” of harlem because im driving the prices up. yeah…i wish.