Closing Bell: City to Build Affordable Housing on 122 Vacant Lots and Community Gardens
The city is looking to develop hundreds of vacant lots, including 15 community gardens, throughout the five boroughs into affordable housing. By our count, the list of properties includes 122 Brooklyn sites, at least seven of which are community gardens. Yesterday, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released the list of the publicly owned sites. Last…
The city is looking to develop hundreds of vacant lots, including 15 community gardens, throughout the five boroughs into affordable housing. By our count, the list of properties includes 122 Brooklyn sites, at least seven of which are community gardens. Yesterday, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released the list of the publicly owned sites. Last month, it issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), inviting developers who would like to build small affordable housing projects on the sites.
Developers can choose to build small affordable rental buildings, co-ops, condos or one- to four-family townhouses. The affordable condos or co-ops can’t be larger than 14 units, and may qualify for financing through the New Infill Homeownership Opportunities Program (NIHOP). Co-ops and townhomes built through NIHOP are aimed at families making 80 to 130 percent of the Area Median Income ($83,900 to $109,070 for a family of four), with one-third set aside for those making 80 to 90 percent AMI.
Through the Neighborhood Construction Program (NCP), developers can build rental buildings ranging from 15 to 30 units. Only renters making less than 165 percent AMI can qualify ($138,435 for a family of four).
Here’s our possibly incomplete list of the gardens slated for redevelopment:
451 Bedford Avenue — La Casita Verde
615 Saratoga Avenue — Isabaliah Ladies of Elegance
120 Jefferson Street — El Garden
659 Willoughby Avenue/267 Throop Avenue — Tranquility Farm
1680 Pacific Street — Green Phoenix
462 Halsey Street — 462 Halsey Street Community Garden
119 Vernon Avenue — New Harvest
142 Patchen Avenue — Patchen Community Square
774 Halsey Street — Halsey, Ralph and Howard Community Garden
Photo via 462 Halsey Street Community Garden/Facebook
Very few of these sites seem to be community gardens.
How bid are these lots? A max 14 unit co-op sounds quite small.
Most these lots that contain gardens already could support 10-14 units. So 2-4 units would only be need to be deemed “affordable” to qualify. The rest of the proposed units would be “luxury.”
If a community garden is being used and is nurturing to a neighborhood, why destroy it? leave it well enough alone, even homeless people can get some reprieve in a community garden.
Yet, so called community gardens like the one on the corner of S. Portland & DeKalb is not being maintained or used and is a mess, but they don’t want to build affordable housing there?
The City should only use blighted vacant lots for building. Not beautiful green spaces, in neighborhoods far from large Parks and green spaces.
This is lobbyist developers behind this move.
Yes, all you need to do is look at the photo to see how nihilistic destroying these community-building, life-affirming gardens is.
Save our gardens!