"Affordable" Condos Where Brownstone Stood
When we reported last Spring on the Pratt Area Community Council’s move to tear down a derelict but salvageable brownstone at 483 Washington Avenue in order to build new affordable housing, we made no secret of our dismay at the decision. The three posts on the topic generated a lots of discussion and even a…
When we reported last Spring on the Pratt Area Community Council’s move to tear down a derelict but salvageable brownstone at 483 Washington Avenue in order to build new affordable housing, we made no secret of our dismay at the decision. The three posts on the topic generated a lots of discussion and even a lengthy response from PACC’s director which we posted on the site. Although we recognize that PACC has been a very positive force in the community for a long time, we still strongly disagree with its decision to destroy a piece of Clinton Hill’s heritage. And what for? We have just learned that the new building, to be called The Dewitt Condominium, will have eight apartments. The one- and two-bedroom condos will be priced from $212,000 to $284,000 (and, from the looks of the building site, won’t be ready for some time). The email we saw had language straight out of a Corcoran listing: “These newly- constructed apartments have state-of-the-art amenities – bamboo floors, on-site laundry and modern kitchens.” First time homebuyers who make no more than $66,469 and $79,763 (depending on family size) are elegible to apply through October 27th. Applications can be picked up at a PACC office or by mailing a SASE to PACC, Attn: The DeWitt Condominium, 201 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Winners will be picked by lottery.
The profile of this development raises an interesting question: We see why a family making this level of income could use a helping hand, but does a single person making $65,000 a year really need or deserve a hand-out like this? Heck, we have some younger siblings recently out of college who would certainly qualify and we have a hunch they weren’t who PACC had in mind when they set this up. It would also be interesting to know how these lotteries work. Are they really random or is there a lot of subjective screening that goes on to winnow it down to a small pool from which the lucky few are “randomly” chosen? Another question: Does PACC receive government grants or does it raise its money privately? Ultimately, to whom is it responsible?
What’s Really Happening at 483 Washington [Brownstoner] GMAP
What a Difference a Week Makes on Washington [Brownstoner]
PACC Director Gives Her Side of the Story [Brownstoner]
Brownstoner–
You have every right to your opinion and I am sure you’re just trying to stir the pot, but your post comes off as uniformed, overprivileged and snide. If you have an issue with the process, why not call PACC and discuss before you start spouting off. Deb Howard was more than happy to respond last time.
Personally, I would rather see 8 deserving families or singles stay in the neighborhood vs. saving 1 derelict brownstone. I lived across the street from that building for almost 6 years and it was an eyesore and nusiance the entire time. I’d much rather see PACC build something on the site rather than have some scummy developer tear it down and throw up another Fedders monstrosity or “luxury” condos.
Anon 12:03- It seems there IS a residency requirement for NYC Police (according to the NYPD website anyway) http://www.nypd2.org/html/recruit/faqs.html#US_citizen
You do not have to be a NYC resident to take the Police Officer Exam, but on the day of appointment you must reside in New York City or one of the surrounding counties of NYC which are: Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Nassau, or Suffolk counties.
Maybe folks don’t adhere to it, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not out there.
no i’m not talking about the low income tax credit. obviously you know nothing about the affordable housing industry.
as to whether these are affordable or not is irrelevant. it’s called affordable housing.
Why we call these affordable apartments, it should be called subsidized apartments; they are partially paid from my and your packets (taxes) to benefit less fortunate (hopefully).
Affordable apartments are market price apartments; someone can afford them if they sell right?
Not affordable apartments sit on the market forever because nobody can afford them.
The name is very misleading or maybe my english skills are not up to date.
p.s. and the LIHTC does not mandate how to run lotteries.
and the low income tax credit program does not mandate how to run a lottery.
you’re talking about the low income housing tax credit. it is by no means the only funding source for affordable housing.
brownstoner, sorry, you are mistaken. Discussion will not change affordable housing guidelines. affordable housing is funded by tax incentives, which are multi faceted, including government tax credits legislated by federal mandate. Who passed this legislation? Politicians, that’s who. It all goes back to the tax legislation. You are treating this as if it is a single decision about a single project. It is not. the project is a symptom of the way the legislation is written. By politicians. Trying to change a project based on the merits is a non starter. The project conforms to the tax incentives. Simple as that.
I seems that many of the comments boil down to, ‘Run the lottery the way I would run the lottery.’ I’d guess there are some good public-policy suggestions hidden behind the skim-coat that this discussion is. Thank you, Anon 12:03, because I am even more sure that there is even more ill-informed general distrust.