Housing lottery launches for 90 apartments at two new Gowanus towers
- The development has waterfront views of the Gowanus Canal and several amenities, for a fee
- New Yorkers who earn $31,200 to $192,600 are eligible to apply and rents start at $784 for a studio
- The 21- and 16-story buildings are the first properties developed after the 2021 Gowanus rezoning
Housing lottery applications are open for 90 rent-stabilized apartments at a new development in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood. New Yorkers who earn $31,200 to $192,600 are eligible to apply, depending on the size of the household. Rents start at $784 for a studio.
The two, pet-friendly buildings at 424 and 436 Carroll St. have a gym, party room, business center, dog park, and package lockers (owners plan to charge an extra fee to use some of the amenities). Both buildings are located on the Gowanus Canal near the Union Street subway station, serving the D, N, R, and W lines.
Both designed by FXCollaborative, the 21-story tower and adjacent 16-story building are connected by an underground tunnel that allows residents access to both properties, according to development group The Domain Companies, VOREA Group, Silverstein Properties, and financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
The two buildings—dubbed 420 Carroll—include 360 apartments total, a public walking path along the Gowanus Canal, and 27,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. The properties represent the first apartment development completed after part of Gowanus was rezoned to allow for more residential housing in 2021, according to The Domain Companies.
“We are grateful to be a part of this era of growth in Gowanus and look forward to seeing our vibrant residential community grow as a result of the lottery," Matt Schwartz, co-CEO of The Domain Companies, said in a statement.
The income-restricted apartments are set aside for New Yorkers earning from 40 to 130 percent of the area median income—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 19 one-bedroom apartments available for households earning from $33,360 to $55,920. The rent for these apartments is $828 per month.
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 Oct. 28th.
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.