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December 17, 2008
has anyone ever had any luck with housing lotteries?
in AM new york today i FINALLY found an advertisement for affordable housing where my income actually fits the criteria for both a one bedroom (1035) or a studio (900). unfortunately it's in mott haven in the bronx :( but i guess if i could find a new new construction apartment that's rent stabalized i would be very happy.. not having to worry about finding a new place all the time. plus i really really want my own apartment (im almost 32!).
anyway, it's just like 7 slots for studios and like 8 for one bedrooms. they do give 50 percent to people who live in the immediate area and 5 percent to people with disabilities, and 5 for city workers, etc, so in reality there are probably just a few apartments actually available..
just wondering if it's worth it? also if anyone knows of any in brooklyn? the ones i always find for brooklyn i either make too much or i make way too little.
the ones for manhattan are always ridiculous where it's like you cant even make more than 25K a year.. but that's fine, i guess it keeps people who do make that in manhattan so im okay with that..
thoughts?
*rob*
Comments
rob - are you staying that you can't find an apartment in brooklyn for $900 per month?
there should be plenty on craigslist.......
Posted by: troll at December 17, 2008 9:30 AM
My wifes grandparents won a lottery...but they are Russian immigrants. They lived in a highrise in lower manhattan until we moved them to BayRidge on Shore road. Both places were nic, but the buildings were mostly immigrant residents mixed in with fewer people who owned apts in the building.
Posted by: nybk01 at December 17, 2008 9:31 AM
troll, im sure i can if i check hard enough.. but 900 dollars for an apartment in brooklyn will just land me a dump or in the ghetto. and most likely ill just have to move again in a year. with these affordable housing lottos it's mostly for nice new construction (which im sure could be very bad, but i want to start out in something fresh), also they are usually rent stabalized. i think i would just feel more secure in a place like that for some reason.
the thing with these lottos ive noticed is that the rents really are nothing all that special. they are basically just at the lower end of market rate.. but it's new, affordable, and meh, i dont know.
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 17, 2008 9:36 AM
Oh...and my mom won one of these lotteries in MA...but itsdifferent up there when there are only 16K people in the town!
Posted by: nybk01 at December 17, 2008 9:39 AM
Rob: Obviously, you can't win if you don't complete the application. So if you really want one of these places, I encourage you to apply. You can always change your mind after your name is picked. All HPD lotteries are posted on this site: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/apartment/lotteries.shtml
Also, though it can take years for your name to rise to the top of a list, all Mitchell-Lama developments with open waiting lists are posted at this site: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/downloads/pdf/OpenM-LWaitingLists.pdf
Posted by: vinca at December 17, 2008 9:45 AM
thanks vinca for the links. wow, for some reason though i thought they were getting rid of the mitchell-lama program..
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 17, 2008 9:53 AM
For lower priced rentals inn Brooklyn, you could try Bensonhurst or parts of Sheepshead Bay. They're both decent enough neighborhoods in terms of transportation and services. I think even in parts of Bayridge you could find a one bedroom for $900. Try looking in Jan/Feb where it's trickly for landlords to find tenants.
Posted by: Bessie at December 17, 2008 9:54 AM
yeah i think im going to do that. i hate hate hate that i will be leaving park slope :( i love the neighborhood and i couldnt ask for a better roommate or living situation. but when im broke and scrounging the sofa for change a week before getting paid, something has to give. thanks ill look at bay ridge. bensonhurst isnt a very nice area tho is it? what is sheapshead bay like?
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 17, 2008 10:02 AM
I'm going to play devil's advocate here...
Why not come back to JC? You KNOW you could find a good place for that price in the Journal Square area. Plus ALL of the Apt. in buildings here are rent stabilized. So no surprises in store for the next year. Also, the commute to NYC would be at least half of what it would be (time and money) than if you moved to the outer ends of the borough. It's how me and the hubby were able to save up so quick for our house.
I know I'm not going to win any fans by stating that but it's the facts. Plus, I think people would be surprised at how nice it really is (sans the fact it's in N.J.) here.
Posted by: TownhouseLady at December 17, 2008 10:30 AM
The New York City Housing Development Corporation has a list-serve that announces such opportunities. Sign up at
http://www.nychdc.com/.
Posted by: alsawo at December 17, 2008 11:27 AM
rob - lots of old/white/retired people living on their social security in those nabs.
If your moving from park slope, expect a serious culture shock!
Posted by: troll at December 17, 2008 11:39 AM
before i moved to park slope, jersey city is one of the places i was looking into.. so i definitely will be looking into it again. i never truly did get the snark that people from BROOKLYN give to people from Jersey. jersey city always seemed more like new york to me anyway growing up than brooklyn ever was, it's basically the same. both are across rivers and both are bridge and tunnel, and both are cheaper alternatives to lower and midtown manhattan. but yeah definitely looking into it.. thanks.
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 17, 2008 11:39 AM
nice i just looked at prices for studios 1 bdrooms in jersey city on craigslist and me likey those prices.
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at December 17, 2008 11:59 AM
JERSEY CITY!!! I love it over here. All the people bitching about the Disneyfication of NYC should move over here. Plus after all the NYS tax increases it's even better over here. No sales tax on clothing. 3.5% sales tax in JC, beer and cigarettes are soo much cheaper, GAS is next to nothing. Great restaurants and bars, WTC in 7 mins, so much more to say but I got to get back to work.
Cue derogatory Jersey comments below
Posted by: Adam Dahill at December 17, 2008 12:39 PM
"[Jersey City and Brooklyn are] basically the same. both are across rivers and both are bridge and tunnel."
That's a pretty Manhattan-centric view of the world, no? Brooklyn would be the 3rd largest city in the country if it returned to independence. JC is a hamlet compared to Brooklyn.
Posted by: NorthHeights at December 17, 2008 12:40 PM
As anyone who grew up in Brooklyn knows, the oldest rivalries and the most derogatory comments are saved for Queens. Jersey is just a poser on that totem pole. It's unfortunate, Rob, to see you disparage neighborhoods you're unfamiliar with, but I understand that many of your prejudices were learned on this site. There are beautiful apartments, homes and neighborhoods wherever you go (Brooklyn, New Jersey, even Queens), and to the greatest extent, you will find these neighborhoods good or bad because of what *you* bring to them, rather than what they bring to you. From what I've read, at least part of your scrounging the sofa for change is directly related to your party/recreation preferences. My unsolicited advice: drop the price of one night out on the town into a glass jar each week, and see whether it doesn't quickly result in an easier time making your rent.
Posted by: vinca at December 17, 2008 1:06 PM
I like what I hear about Jersey City but I have 3 young schoolage kids. Anyone know what the schools are like "out there"?
Posted by: CHMomma at December 17, 2008 2:03 PM
Me too CHMomma. I have a 3 year old. Very curious to hear about schools in the JC area. Also, is a car required there? Adam -- enlighten us, please!
Posted by: I_haz_TWO_toilets at December 17, 2008 2:16 PM
CHMomma- Re: A little hit and miss. There are a few really great public schools but they're competitive (I assume you're talking about public schools). For instance people who can get into PS 3 will pull their kids out of private schools. Other schools not good at all.
I don't have kids myself but this is a huge topic of conversation with the parents at our block meetings so I'm only relaying what I've overheard.
Cars are not required as there's the Path Train, Lightrail and many buses but in certain areas it sure helps. Jersey City is huge so it really depends on the area you move to. Same as Brooklyn, if you don't have a car you try to stick close to the PATH Stations.
Posted by: TownhouseLady at December 17, 2008 2:22 PM
Townhouse Lady -- Thanks so much for the info, and Happy Holidays!
Posted by: I_haz_TWO_toilets at December 17, 2008 5:01 PM
I think it's a great idea to get into a rent-stabilized apt at these prices now while you're young. Very wise in terms of affordability and planning for your future.
That said, I lived in Queens and felt pretty out of it there as a single person.
The Jersey City idea sounds nice, esp because all the apartments are rent stabilized. Or any other area in Brooklyn that has single people and offers rent stabilized places.
If you liked the East Village circa 1990 or Williamsburg circa 2003, check Bushwick around the Dekalb stop for low-income lofts and rent-stabilized apartments. There are a ton of young gay men here, great restaurants, and lots of loft parties and art events.
It's no small thing that you get along so well with your roommate. A good roommate is so hard to find. And that you love your neighborhood. But if it's more than 30/40/50 percent of your income, it's hard to sustain...
I have a friend who lived alone in a beautiful rent-controlled apt in SF, but it was kind of pricey for her at $1200. She moved to a shared loft, got into a fight with the crack-smoking roommate, moved in 24 hours, lost her deposit, now pays $1600 for a worse apt miles from the city center, and has taken on a second job. (On the plus side, she now lives in the same building as her incredibly fabulous girlfriend.) She is also looking into the low-income housing lottery.
I'm not sure what the moral of this story is.
Posted by: mopar at December 17, 2008 5:34 PM
Rob,
I live in Bensonhurst now...I have been since I moved here from Beantown 9 years ago...I also just bought a house in Bay Ridge. If I were you I would move to Bay Ridge before Bensonhurst. Bay Ridge has many great restaurant/shops/friendly people. 3rd ave is great...plus you have all the mansions on Ridge to look at and parks along the shore on Shore Rd.
Posted by: nybk01 at December 17, 2008 5:37 PM
Just to clarify regarding rent stabilization in Jersey City it's any building with 5 units or more is rent stabilized. Here are the guidelines:
http://www.getnj.com/jerseycity/increasesrc.shtml
Posted by: TownhouseLady at December 17, 2008 10:03 PM
When I was a single mother in Manhattan, I won a housing lottery entitling me to purchase a new construction unit on Malcom X Boulevard in Harlem. This was about nine years ago. If I remember correctly, the asking price for the two bedrom was $45K. I passed it up because I met my current husband, who lived in Brooklyn, and was getting serious. Still, I couldn't believe I was passing up the opportunity.
Posted by: Architerrorist at December 18, 2008 8:22 AM
nybk01, you are advising him to move to BR but not telling him that BR is much more expensive than BH.
From what I see Rob does not want to pay 1800 for a one B apartment.
Posted by: karo25 at December 18, 2008 12:26 PM
You can easily find a decent 1 bedroom in Bay Ridge for less than $1200. Studios for $900. $1800 will get you a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment.
Posted by: setancre at December 18, 2008 12:52 PM
You can get a 1 bedroom apt in downtown JC in a brownstone that is a little shaby for around 1100, and renovated 1 bedroom in brownstone for 1500. Very trendy neighborhood with lot's of cafes, bars, gays, dog parks, etc...
not the best one to ask about the schools but I do know that McNair Acadamey a public high school ranks in the top 30 high schools in the country and it's one block from Hamilton Park in downtown JC. It ranked higher than Stuyvesant High School in NYC.
Posted by: Adam Dahill at December 18, 2008 5:17 PM
I have won 3 lotteries, two for apts and the latest being for a two family home. "Is it worth it"? What do you have to lose except a stamp? I used to apply to all that I qualified for. Like someone else said you don't have to take it if you selected.
I too am now looking into JC. I have two cousins younger than me, make less than me, and are living better than me in JC.
Posted by: di at December 19, 2008 11:34 PM
I have won 3 lotteries, two for apts and the latest being for a two family home. "Is it worth it"? What do you have to lose except a stamp? I used to apply to all that I qualified for. Like someone else said you don't have to take it if your selected.
I too am now looking into JC. I have two cousins younger than me, make less than me, and are living better than me in JC.
Posted by: di at December 19, 2008 11:34 PM
I have won 3 lotteries, two for apts and the latest being for a two family home. "Is it worth it"? What do you have to lose except a stamp? I used to apply to all that I qualified for. Like someone else said you don't have to take it if your selected.
I too am now looking into JC. I have two cousins younger than me, make less than me, and are living better than me in JC.
Posted by: di at December 19, 2008 11:34 PM
We had an extremely small 2 bedroom apartment in the middle of downtown JC for $950/month. The downside was, they were building a 30-story luxury tower across the street. However, the area's pretty nice and Path train is a fast and generally reliable commute. It is kind of strange over there though -- most of the new construction seems like it belongs in a Dallas exburb and the streets are oddly deserted.
Posted by: Heather at December 23, 2008 8:16 AM
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