'Affordable' Park Slope Homes Offered To Households Making $187K

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Nearly two dozen apartments in Park Slope have hit the affordable housing lottery, but all are reserved for people making more than the area's median income — as much as $187,000 in some instances.

Households making anywhere from about $78,800 to $187,300 — depending on the number of residents and the size of the apartment — can apply for one of the 22 income-restricted units at The Deermar Residences, a new luxury apartment building on Ninth Street near Fourth Avenue.

These so-called affordable units, though, are reserved for households making 130 percent of the area's median income under 421-a, a controversial tax abatement program.

Beloved by developers, the program came under fire in Brooklyn earlier this year by leaders who said it's worsened the citywide affordable housing crisis and prioritized higher income earners — the latter a point confirmed by a New York City Independent Budget Office report last month.

After political pressure, the program expired last month, but it still hasn't been replaced.

The new income-restricted apartments at The Deermar Residences, though, are still 25 percent under market rate as compared to the building's 50 other units, according to online listings.

The so-called affordable units include five studio apartments priced at $2,300 apiece per-month, ten one-bedrooms each priced at $2,800 per-month, and, for the price of $3,344 per-month, seven two-bedroom apartments.

The amenity-packed building includes a game room, gym, backyard, rooftop and bike storage available for another $200 per-month, according to the housing lottery.

To learn more about the lottery at 262 Ninth Street, which closes on Sept. 8, check out the housing listing here.