$560-A-Month Bed-Stuy Apartments Open To Seniors

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A new affordable housing building for seniors is now accepting applications, with rents as low as $560 a month.

Herkimer Gardens, located at 491 Herkimer St. — where a parking lot behind Interfaith Medical Center used to exist — is a 60-unit building that is open to residents older than 62-years-old and that meet certain income requirements.

At the lowest end, a resident making between $22,149 and $28,020 can rent a studio apartment for $560 per month while applicants earning more money — up to an annual income of $96, 080 for a household of three — can pay up to $1,602 for a one bedroom.

Despite a big 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security beneficiaries that kicked in at the start of the year, it is unclear if the average retiree relying exclusively on the program would be eligible for housing at the Herkimer Gardens.

According to a CNBC article from the fall, the average retired worker will collect just under $22,000 in annual benefits, a bit below the minimum income range listed on the Herkimer Gardens website.

Just over half of the studio and one-bedroom apartments will be available for households making under $60,000 per year.

The building was constructed with funds from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal affordable housing program, part of former Governor Cuomo's $1.4 billion "Vital Brooklyn" housing initiative.

The building is being constructed to passive house standards, including a green roof and solar-voltaic shades, according to New York YIMBY.

Aside from its close proximity to a major hospital, the building will contain several features helping seniors to continue an independent life, including an urban garden, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a wellness center with physical therapy, a reading room, community rooms and a counseling offices, according to the New York Housing Conference.

Applicants can apply via mail or online, and residents will be selected via a lottery.

To learn more and apply, click here.