Brooklyn Heights Library/Clinton Hill Affordable Rentals

crownheightster · June 2015

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2015/06/clinton-hill-affordable-housing-from-hudson-co-revealed/#comments
http://280cadman.com/

What does everyone think about the designs/deal? I for one think it will be a nice improvement for Atlantic Ave/Fulton to get some nice new residential buildings. I think the mix of affordable housing units will make for a diverse and inclusionary building.

People on the Brownstoner are mad that the affordable housing is not being built on the site of the Library development in Brooklyn Heights, and they worry that developers may start dumping the affordable component of their schemes in lower cost neighborhoods like Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy. What do you think? I actually am of the opinion that the AMIs and rent scales are so mixed in these two buildings that I don't mind them at all, and might actually help keep our neighborhoods more diverse and interesting, much like the way they are now.

pheightsresident · June 2015

I'd tend to agree. These apartments will not be "affordable" to most of the longtime residents of the area; from my understanding, the great majority of units will be affordable only to those who speed the process of gentrification via different tastes, etc. I appreciate both the old time residents and the newer residents. I do find it odd, however, that the buildings struck in a deal with developers of a site in Brooklyn Heights are going up in Clinton Hill. On the whole, though, I'm happy that those spaces are being filled in and, so, am not complaining.

As to the design: I actually think are fine (for the Clinton Hill building, specifically, though the Brooklyn Heights building is nice, too). No, they are not the best looking buildings, but they are far from being the ugliest buildings, and are certainly an improvement on what I call the Fedders of the high-rises; actually, I think they are nice enough. Having written that, I would appreciate some retail additions to the buildings!

whynot_31 · June 2015

Given how quickly gentrification is spreading, it not longer bothers me when a developer builds the required affordable units in a lower cost neighborhood.

The tenants of the affordable units are not so poor that we are allowing the developer to create a concentration of poverty (ie ghetto). We instead are creating someplace that working people can live, a "haven".

....unless they live in NYCHA, the low income buildings of ENY and Brownsville are rapidly being torndown for more profitable uses. Instead of leaving NYC, they are sharing very crowded apartments.

I like the designs and the income mix of Atlantic/Fulton. In light of the "poor door hysteria", if the developers are not able/willing to have lower income tenants onsite, I am fine with the trade off.

mugofmead111 · June 2015

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2015/06/clinton-hill-affordable-housing-from-hudson-co-revealed/#comments
http://280cadman.com/

What does everyone think about the designs/deal? I for one think it will be a nice improvement for Atlantic Ave/Fulton to get some nice new residential buildings. I think the mix of affordable housing units will make for a diverse and inclusionary building.

People on the Brownstoner are mad that the affordable housing is not being built on the site of the Library development in Brooklyn Heights, and they worry that developers may start dumping the affordable component of their schemes in lower cost neighborhoods like Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy. What do you think? I actually am of the opinion that the AMIs and rent scales are so mixed in these two buildings that I don't mind them at all, and might actually help keep our neighborhoods more diverse and interesting, much like the way they are now.

Certain commenters on Brownstoner seem to be reacting as if the developers are dumping "the projects" (i.e. NYCHA properties) in these lower-cost neighborhoods. *rolls eyes* I seriously doubt that these new buildings will have the type of effect that will realize their worst fear. I also don't think that these new buildings will attract the type of tenants that they fear and don't like (unless some social program were to have someone in need moved into a unit and cover one's rent).

whynot_31 · June 2015

I think their fears stem from ignorance re: the income levels of NYCHA residents.

For example, they see a new building that is targeted toward families that make between $35k - 55k, and fear that the building will be like a NYCHA complex.

Um, many tenants of NYCHA are so poor that they qualify for Section 8. This means they make below these maximums:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/section8/section8-incomelimits.shtml

The average familiy living in NYCHA made only $22,994.

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2014/01/new_york_city_census_data_manhattan_and_brooklyn_are_much_poorer_than_you.html

Do they perceive all families making below -say- $80k a year as being equally troubled/in need/bad neighbors?

whynot_31 · June 2015

Related reading: http://www.housingwire.com/blogs/1/post/34295-dispelling-the-myth-of-the-affordable-housing-bogeyman

mugofmead111 · June 2015

@whynot-31 - I think some people conflate "affordable housing" with "section 8" and "public housing...kind of like how I see people conflating "rent control" and "rent stabilization" in the Gothamist comments section.

whynot_31 · June 2015

Yes, the terms are often misunderstood by many who don't work in the field.

The confusion seems to be highest among people who are new to NYC, and lowest in circles like this: https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=3188114&sort=POPULAR

Brooklyn Heights Library/Clinton Hill Affordable Rentals

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories