The whole lottery system for affordable housing is already kind of crushing and bleak and generally makes you want to give up. After all, you’re wasting your “winning the lottery” luck on a lottery that still costs you money. Which don’t get us wrong, it’s better than nothing. Except in this case maybe, where there’s one single two-bedroom apartment in Crown Heights that’s well under market value, at $965 per month. But Jesus, ONE? You know, maybe you should take that Hunger Games training class, we might be headed there sooner than we think.
The apartment building, at 950 St. Johns Place in Crown Heights, appears to be a long thin stack of apartments. Apartments that come with balconies. Want to live there? Of course you do, there are zero apartments like that anywhere in Crown Heights. Before you rush off to apply and start dreaming dreams of your below market paradise in an up-and-coming neighborhood, perhaps the even the next next Williamsburg, take a look at the flyer again.
There are two apartments being offered in the lottery for people making between $32,000 and $51,000. But residents of Community Board 8 receive preference in the process (as they should) for 50% of the units. So you’re fighting with the general population of people who see this and apply for one apartment. Don’t get us wrong, it looks nice and everything. But you’re probably better off saving yourself the time and aggravation of applying and instead spending $965 on Powerball tickets, once. But, if you’re still game to apply, start here and get it in by December 2. And may the odds be ever in your favor.