90 Sands Street Adds 185 Affordable Units to Downtown Brooklyn
Applicants can apply to the Housing Lottery through June 2
April 18, 2022
New York’s largest supportive housing developer and service provider, Breaking Ground, is delivering 491 units to 90 Sands Street, a renovated residential building that was part of The Jehovah’s Witness’ Watchtower complex before they relocated their headquarters from Brooklyn to Wallkill, NY. About two thirds of the units at 90 Sands will be supportive housing, and the remaining 185units will be affordable units for New Yorkers earning between 30% and 120% of the Area Median Income (from $18,412 for individuals to $128,880 for three-person households). Prospective tenants can apply now through June 2nd, 2022 on the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Housing Connect website.
This project will bring 185 affordable units to Dumbo, one of New York’s most expensive neighborhoods, where average studio rents exceed $3,300 and average one-bedroom rents approach $4,800. Half of the units in 90 Sands will remain permanently affordable through a HPD regulatory agreement. Monthly rents will range from $537 - $1,990 for studios and $1,215 - $2,132 for one-bedrooms depending on applicant AMI. All utilities are included in the rent.
Brooklyn Community Board 2 residents will receive preference for half of the lottery units, another 5% of the units are set aside for those with mobility impairments and 2% of for those with vision/hearing impairments.
The building’s remaining 305 units will serve as supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals and families. Supportive housing, a proven and cost-effective housing model, pairs affordable housing with social services to help its residents lead more stable lives. The Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) will provide all building tenants with onsite wraparound services, including medical care, mental health services, and employment readiness. The development will also feature three levels of community facility and commercial space - in addition to a public plaza at the corner of Sands and Jay Streets.
Building amenities include an attended 24-hour lobby, fitness room, digital library, multipurpose community room, on-site laundry, and sweeping views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Residents enjoy easy access to numerous parks, arts institutions, and restaurants in Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn. Eight subway lines provide easy access to travel throughout NYC.
Founded in 1990 to address a critical need for permanent supportive housing for New York’s homeless population, Breaking Ground has delivered nearly 30 supportive housing projects over the last three decades. Breaking Ground acquired 90 Sands in 2018. and rehabilitated the then-vacant building. Breaking Ground today serves over 8,000 New Yorkers with nearly 4,000 units of affordable housing. Funding for this project was provided by the Preservation Program of the New York City Housing Development Corporation and the Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP) of the NYC HPD.
Submit your application before June 2nd for the building’s 185 affordable units via Housing Connect, and keep up with neighborhood’s affordable housing opportunities on this page.
