Housing lottery launches for 110 rent-stabilized apartments in Woodside
- Households that earn $57,189 to $250,380 are eligible to apply, and rents start at $1,541 for a studio
- The doorman building has a gym, playground, lounge, and sun deck—but fees apply for these perks
Housing lottery applications are open for 110 rent-stabilized apartments at a new development on the border of two Queens neighborhoods: Woodside and Elmhurst. Households that earn $57,189 to $250,380 are eligible to apply, depending on the number of people they live with. Rents start at $1,541 for a studio.
The pet-friendly, doorman building at 72-01 Queens Blvd. has a gym, playground, media room, parking, co-working space, lounge, and sun deck—though additional fees apply for these amenities. It’s located just over half a mile from the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue and the Elmhurst Avenue subway stations serving the E, F, M, and R lines.
Dubbed the SOLA, the 12-story building towers above Queens Boulevard, with 364 units total. The Hakimian Organization affiliate Eight West developed the brick-and-steel building, and MNS Real Estate began leasing market-rate units this past summer, the Sunnyside Post reported.
The apartments are set aside for New Yorkers earning from 80 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 apartments available include studios as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.
There are 26 one-bedroom apartments available for households earning from $61,235 to $111,840. The rent for these apartments is $1,640.
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 Jan. 23rd.
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.
