New data on affordable housing in Downtown Brooklyn

Report shows the number and type of income-restricted residential units delivered between 2004 and 2019.

June 01, 2020

Downtown Brooklyn is a major regional transit hub and job center, and affordable housing is vital to ensuring that New Yorkers of all incomes have access to the district’s amenities and job opportunities, as well as sustaining Brooklyn’s diversity. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated New York City’s housing crisis, making access to quality and affordable housing more important than ever.

DBP’s report offers new insight on the exact amount and type of affordable housing built in Downtown Brooklyn over the past 15 years, as thousands of new rental units have been created and the area has become a desirable neighborhood for a growing residential community. DBP analyzed the total number of units and makeup by target income band and unit type with data from the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), city and state regulatory agreements, and private property owners.

More than 2,600 affordable housing units were built in Downtown Brooklyn between 2004 and 2019, representing approximately 21% of all new rental units in the district. Notable developments among the 23 projects with affordable units include: Gotham Organization’s The Ashland (282 affordable units); The Brodsky Organization’s 7 DeKalb (200 affordable units); and Stonewall House – the City’s first affordable LGBT-friendly senior housing development and the largest in the country, built by New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and BFC Partners (145 affordable units).

DBP found that these affordable units have been made available to households at a variety of income levels and sizes, as shown below:

Affordable Unit Deliveries by Target Income Band (2004 – 2019)

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of the affordable housing units built between 2004 and 2019 serve extremely low-income, very low-income, or low-income households earning up to 80% of area median income (AMI).

Affordable Unit Deliveries by Type (2004 – 2019)

The majority of affordable housing units built between 2004 and 2019 are studio and 1-bedroom units, though one-quarter (25%) of units are 2- and 3-bedrooms that can serve larger household sizes.

As of early 2020, 1,000+ affordable units were under construction and 900+ additional units were planned. Key projects include Alloy Development’s 80 Flatbush (200 affordable units), The Brodsky Organization and Greenland Forest City Partners’ 18 Sixth Avenue (258 affordable units), and Breaking Ground’s 90 Sands (508 affordable units). DBP will continue to advocate for projects with affordable units and land use actions that facilitate additional construction of affordable housing.

Read the full report here.