Housing lottery launches for 58 rent-stabilized apartments in East Harlem
- Households that earn $31,132 to $218,010 are eligible to apply, and rents start at $834 for a studio
- The 21-story building will be home to the National Black Theater’s classroom and performance space
A rendering of the 222-unit building between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and East 126th Street.
Housing lottery applications are open for 58 rent-stabilized apartments at a new development in East Harlem. Households who earn $31,132 to $218,010 are eligible to apply, depending on the number of people you live with. Rents start at $834 for a studio.
The pet-friendly building at 2035 Fifth Ave. has an elevator, gym, media room, bike storage lockers, laundry room, business center, party room, and roof terrace, with additional fees to access some of these amenities. It’s located between the 125th Street subway station, serving the 2 and 3 trains, and the Harlem–125th Street station serving the Metro-North Railroad.
Dubbed Ray Harlem, the building will soon be home to the National Black Theater, the longest-running Black theater in New York City and a partner in the development, according to the theater and its two co-developers, Ray and an affiliate of L+M Development Partners.
The 222-unit building replaced the theater’s original, three-story property between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and East 126th Street, according to the developers. Rising 21-stories, the new building will include a 27,000-square-foot space for the theater, including offices, classrooms, and performance space.
The apartments are set aside for New Yorkers earning from 40 to 130 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. The units available include studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments.
There are 10 one-bedroom apartments available for households earning from $33,326 to $55,920. The rent for these apartments is $888 per month.
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 apartments are also set aside for residents with mobility, vision, and hearing needs.
Applications must be submitted online or postmarked no later than Feb. 3rd.
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.
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.
