What’s Happening in NYC Housing This Week (Jan. 5–12)

Every week, City Limits puts together a NYC Housing Calendar that tracks upcoming events, public hearings, and affordable housing lottery deadlines — stuff that doesn’t always make the headlines but actually shapes how housing gets built, regulated, and discussed in New York. This week’s calendar features several things worth knowing if you’re following the housing scene.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up from

Jan. 5 through Jan. 12:

Public Meetings and Land Use Decisions

• Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 a.m. — The Landmarks Preservation Commission meets. While not strictly housing, LPC decisions can affect historic buildings and neighborhood development.

• Tuesday, Jan. 6, 6 – 8 p.m. — The State Department of Transportation holds an open house about plans to replace or rehab five bridges on the Cross Bronx Expressway at the Bronx River Art Center. These kinds of infrastructure meetings matter because transportation planning often shapes where and how housing can grow.

• Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. — The City Planning Commission votes on several land-use applications, including rezonings and special permits. These hearings are where big decisions about future development — housing included — get rubber-stamped or pushed back.

• Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. — An online Met Council on Housing workshop dives into renters’ rights and how tenants can organize for improvements. That’s a great opportunity if you’re tired of hearing about housing without actually being part of the conversation.

Affordable Housing Lotteries Ending Soon

City Limits also rounds up HPD housing lotteries that are closing this week. These are opportunities to apply for subsidized apartments with income limits that make them genuinely affordable:

• 52 4th Avenue (Brooklyn) — Last day to apply: Jan. 5

• 1119 Boston Road (Bronx) — Last day to apply: Jan. 5

• 2043 Webster Avenue (Bronx) — Last day: Jan. 5

• Inkwell (Bronx) — Last day: Jan. 7.

• 1591 Jesup Avenue (Bronx) — Last day: Jan. 8

• 233 East 202nd Street (Bronx) — Last day: Jan. 9

These lotteries often fly under the radar, but if you or someone you know is looking for an income-restricted apartment, putting in an application before the deadline is one of the few ways to get a shot at affordable rent in this city

A lot of people think the housing crisis in NYC is just about rising rents. But the way land gets zoned, how transportation infrastructure is planned, and where community groups get to speak up all influence whether affordable housing actually gets built and who gets to live in it. City Limits’ calendar pulls all of that into one place — decisions that might seem dry in isolation but, taken together, shape the future of the city’s neighborhoods. Whether you’re a renter, a future homeowner, or someone who just wants to be plugged into how decisions are made, this calendar is worth checking every week.

Read full article here: https://citylimits.org/nyc-housing-calendar-jan-5-12

New York State Just Dropped Nearly $700 Million on Affordable Housing — Here’s What That Means

I’ve been following affordable housing news pretty closely lately, and this announcement from New York State feels like a big deal. In December 2025, state officials awarded nearly $700 million in funding to eight affordable housing projects across all five boroughs — a major investment aimed at creating and preserving deeply affordable homes

What stood out to me is how widespread the impact is — this isn’t focused on one neighborhood or one developer. It’s a citywide effort that includes everything from new construction to preservation of existing units, and all of it targets households that really need help staying in the city.

Brooklyn

• A project in East New York will get more than $50 million to build about 140 new affordable apartments. This development will include apartments for households earning as low as 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) — meaning people with very limited income have a shot at affordable rent.

• Another site in Bushwick secured about $40 million for roughly 100 homes with deep affordability and community amenities.

Queens

• In Jamaica, a project is getting about $70 million to create more than 200 units. A big part of this one is that it includes retail space and supports local economic activity too.

• South Jamaica also landed funding for preservation — keeping hundreds of units affordable before they could be lost to market pressure.

Bronx

• A development in Mott Haven got around $90 million, including money for wraparound services for residents, like wellness programs or job supports.

• Another in Fordham is moving ahead with state funding to protect existing affordable units from decay or conversion to market rates.

Manhattan

• On the Upper West Side, a smaller project received funding to add 40–50 deeply affordable homes and upgrade building systems like heating and elevators.

Staten Island

• A community-focused building will get about $25 million to keep its apartments affordable and improve shared spaces for seniors and families.

These awards come from the state’s Supportive Housing Opportunity Program and a few other capital funds aimed at cranking up affordable housing production — especially for people with lower incomes or special needs.

What’s clear from the breakdown is that state money isn’t just going to any type of housing. Most of these projects are targeting households at 30 percent or 50 percent AMI, which are incomes where people are most in danger of being priced out entirely. That’s important because a lot of “affordable housing” in NYC is pegged to higher income brackets that still feel out of reach for many working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and people who are earning minimum wage.

Another thing that stood out to me is how a bunch of these awards also fund services alongside apartments — things like wellness support or community spaces. That’s a good reminder that housing isn’t just about four walls; it’s also about stability and quality of life once people are inside.

Overall, this nearly $700 million injection is the kind of funding that can actually move the needle, at least in certain neighborhoods and for people who have felt squeezed out of the city for too long. It’s not a cure-all — NYC’s housing crisis is still massive — but it’s a step in the direction a lot of advocates have been pushing for: building and preserving homes that are deeply affordable, not just nominally so.

Read full article here: https://newyorkyimby.com/2025/12/eight-affordable-housing-projects-across-nyc-receive-nearly-700m-in-state-funding.html

NYCHA Advances Major Renovation & Partnering Effort

As someone who’s been following New York City’s affordable housing efforts, I’ve got to say this update from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) feels like a rare piece of genuinely good news. On December 23, 2025, NYCHA announced that it closed on $757 million in financing to begin major renovations at Bay View Houses in Canarsie, Brooklyn — and it’s not just paint and new carpets. This is one of the largest investments in public housing modernization we’ve seen in years.

1. Big upgrades for residents

NYCHA says the funding will go toward comprehensive renovations for more than 3,100 residents living in 23 buildings. That includes things like modernized kitchens and bathrooms, updated electrical and plumbing systems, repaired elevators, upgraded community spaces, and improved outdoor areas.

2. Climate-friendly improvements

Part of the project includes the largest heating electrification conversion in NYCHA’s history — a shift away from older, less efficient systems to cleaner, electric heating that fits with broader city climate goals.

3. Resident-driven planning

What stood out to me was that NYCHA worked with residents directly on the Community Plan that shaped the project. That’s a big deal because it pushes back against the usual criticism that public housing residents are left out of decisions about their own homes.

4. The bigger context

This Bay View financing pushes NYCHA’s PACT program (Permanent Affordability Commitment Together) past 31,000 units converted to stable funding and renovation — making 2025 a record year for NYCHA capital closings and conversions.

For a long time, NYCHA has been a symbol of what happens when public housing infrastructure is underfunded and neglected. Years of deferred maintenance, crumbling systems, and frustration from residents have been all too common. This announcement doesn’t solve all that, but it does show what targeted investment and partnership can do when money finally lines up and residents have a say. The heating electrification piece is also a reminder that public housing can be part of the city’s climate solution, not just a housing solution.

All that said, it will still take time — construction isn’t expected to finish until around 2029 — and the real test will be whether these improvements actually translate into safer, more dignified living conditions for the people who have lived with years of neglect. But this move is a step in a direction a lot of advocates — especially people focused on housing justice and sustainability — have been pushing for a long time.

Read full article here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/about/press/pr-2025/pr-20251223.page