Affordable Housing

Housing lottery launches for 86 rent-stabilized apartments Mott Haven

  • Households that earn $67,852 to $134,160 are eligible to apply, and rents start at $1,852 for a studio
  • The 13-story new development has a business center, dog park, gym, party room, and roof terrace
Celia Young Headshot
By Celia Young  |
January 6, 2025 - 12:30PM
A rendering of the 13-story development at 120 East 144th St. between Gerard and Walton Avenues in the south Bronx neighborhood.

The 13-story development sits between Gerard and Walton avenues in the south Bronx.

NYC Housing Connect

Housing lottery applications are open for 86 rent-stabilized apartments at a new development in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx. Households that earn $67,852 to $134,160 are eligible to apply, depending on the number of people you live with. Rents start at $1,852 for a studio.

The pet-friendly building at 120 East 144th St. has a doorman, elevator, business center, dog park, gym, party room, and roof terrace, though additional fees apply for access to some of these amenities after the first year. It’s located near the 149th Street–Grand Concourse station serving the 4, 2, and 5 trains.

A rendering of the garden at the 13-story development at 120 East 144th St. between Gerard and Walton Avenues in the south Bronx neighborhood.
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Some of the units at the Mott Haven development have balconies, according to NYC Housing Connect.

Developed by the Beitel Group, the 13-story apartment building replaced the General Baking Company building, an industrial brick-and-limestone factory constructed in 1922, according to a report from students at Columbia University’s graduate architecture program. The new housing development holds 452 units total, according to Department of Buildings permits.

The apartments are set aside for New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income (AMI)—a metric that depends on how many people you live with. Currently the AMI for New York City is $124,300 for a two-person household, while 80 percent of the AMI for that same household would be $99,440. The units available include studios, one-, and two-bedroom apartments. 

A rendering of one of the common spaces at the development at 120 East 144th St.
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A rendering of one of the common spaces at the East 144th Street building.

There are 59 one-bedroom apartments available for households earning from $72,686 to $111,840. The rent for these apartments is $1,974. 

A sample floor plan of a one-bedroom unit at the Mott Haven development.
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A sample floor plan of a one-bedroom unit at the Mott Haven development.

The developers have set aside 20 percent of the rent-stabilized apartments for applicants who already live in the area. Future lotteries will use a lower ratio as a result of a lawsuit settlement, which claimed the practice of community preference perpetuates segregation and violates the Fair Housing Act. Check out: "NYC agrees to cut percentage of housing lottery units set aside for nearby residents."

Another 5 percent of the apartments will be preferentially given to NYC employees. A small percentage of the units are also set aside for residents with mobility, vision, and hearing needs. 

A rendering of the yoga room and dance studio at the 13-story development.
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A rendering of the yoga room and dance studio at the 13-story development.

Applications must be submitted online or postmarked no later than Feb. 24th.

If you’re interested and think you might qualify for one of these apartments, you can create a profile and apply online via NYC Housing Connect. For details on this particular lottery, click here. Don’t apply more than once, or you could be disqualified.

A rendering of the gym at the new building.
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A rendering of the gym at the new building.

Winning a rent-stabilized apartment can be life changing: Rent increases are capped and lease renewals are automatic, providing long-term stability for NYC renters. Need more information on how the housing lottery works? Check out “6 steps for applying to NYC's affordable housing lottery.”

For some advice from successful applicants read “How to land a rental apartment through NYC's affordable housing lottery.” And if you or someone you know is having trouble with the application process, consider reaching out to a housing ambassador in the community.

Note: Brick Underground is in no way affiliated with New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development or the Housing Development Corporation. If you are interested in applying to these or other affordable housing developments, please go to NYC Housing Connect for information and instructions.

Have you successfully won an apartment through the affordable housing lottery? If you have first-person advice to share about the process, we’d love to hear from you. Please send us an email. We respect all requests for anonymity.

Celia Young Headshot

Celia Young

Senior Writer

Celia Young is a senior writer at Brick Underground where she covers New York City residential real estate. She graduated from Brandeis University and previously covered local business at the Milwaukee Business Journal, entertainment at Madison Magazine, and commercial real estate at Commercial Observer. She currently resides in Brooklyn.

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.

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