LONG ISLAND CITY — Residents will soon be able to apply for hundreds of affordable units at the first phase of Hunters Point South, the massive housing project that broke ground last year on the Long Island City waterfront.
Applications will be accepted starting Oct. 15, according to Joe Conley of Community Board 2, which hosted two forums last week to help residents through the process of applying. A final information session will take place Monday at 7 p.m. at the Academy for Careers in Television and Film, at 1-50 51st Ave.
The first phase of Hunters Point South is being developed by Related Companies and Phipps Houses, and will be composed of 925 permanently affordable units in two buildings being constructed at 1-55 Borden Ave. and 1-50 50th Ave.
The buildings — which are expected to be occupied this spring — will be made of studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments and boast amenities like a fitness center, internet cafe and a bike room, among other perks.
For half of the available units, preference will be given to eligible applicants who live in CB2. Conley said the packed crowds at last week's forums show the high demand for more housing in western Queens.
"The need is great," he said.
Of the 925 apartments, 186 of the apartments will be for low-income households while 738 units will be for moderate-income households, according to plans for the site.
The low-income units will rent from a minimum of $494 a month for a one-person studio to $959 a month for a 3-bedroom for three to six people, while the moderate-income units will range from a $1,561-a-month studio to $4,346 a month for a three bedroom.
The low-income apartments will be eligible for households making between $18,618 to $48,700 a year, depending on household and apartment size, while the middle-income units are available to households making $55,200 to $224,020.
A full list of rent prices can be found here, while a chart of income eligibility requirements are available here. Applications will be accepted for 60 days starting Oct. 15 and ending Dec. 15, and those selected will be chosen via a lottery system. Applicants can apply online at NYC Housing Connect.
When completed, Hunters Point South is expected to include up to 5,000 housing units, as well as retail space. A new park and a school building have already opened as part of the project.
TF Cornerstone and the nonprofit Selfhelp were selected to develop the next phase of the project, which will include 1,193 new apartments, 796 of which will be affordable.
Conley said CB2 has been pushing for more affordable housing options in the district in addition to Hunters Point South.
"We have to find a away to solve this housing crisis in New York City, and certainly this is a start, but it's going to be a drop in the bucket, it appears," he said.
In April, the board sent a letter to the Department of City Planning asking it to review several potential sites for affordable developments in the district.
Conley said they are also planning to send a letter to Queens Borough President Melinda Katz requesting that her office look into the possibility of building a development similar to Hunters Point South on a portion of Sunnyside Yards, and to conduct a feasibility study for such a project.
"It just takes people with vision coming to the table," he said.
