Prospect Heights renters eyeing a break on rent have a fresh shot at Eight80 BK, the 19-story tower at 880 Atlantic Avenue that just joined the city’s housing lottery. The new offering includes studios plus one- and two-bedroom apartments, with advertised rents starting as low as $962 a month. Applications are open through May 8, 2026, and the building leans into the luxury-playbook perks, with a movie theater, gym, sauna and a pickleball court alongside tenant-paid utilities for electricity, heat and hot water.
What's in the lottery
The city’s Housing Connect listing makes 65 apartments available across the 40%, 60% and 130% area median income (AMI) bands. Sample rents range from about $962 for a studio at 40% AMI to roughly $3,250 for two-bedrooms at the 130% tier. Published income bands for these units start around $38,538 and run up to about $227,500, depending on household size and AMI level. Applicants have to land within the correct income and household-size brackets to qualify, as reported by New York YIMBY.
Developer, design and financing
Developer EMP Capital Group lists Eight80 BK as a ground-up, 246-residence project in its portfolio and credits Issac | Stern Architects with the 19-story design. The development lined up roughly $110 million in construction financing in 2024 to keep the work moving, according to trade and lender filings. For full project specs see EMP Capital Group and the architect’s page at Issac | Stern Architects, and for the construction loan details see Walker & Dunlop.
What '130% AMI' actually means
Despite the “affordable” label, the 130% AMI tier is aimed at middle-income or so-called workforce households, and it often translates into six-figure income requirements for many household sizes. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development sets and updates these AMI thresholds, spelling out income cutoffs for each band. For the official tables and fine print, see NYC HPD.
Where this fits on Atlantic Avenue
880 Atlantic Avenue plugs into a larger redevelopment push along the Atlantic Avenue corridor, where city planners and the City Council have been trying to mix new housing with broader community investments. The Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan and related negotiations have been pitched as a way to secure more permanently affordable units and additional neighborhood benefits, according to Council materials. More on the framework and commitments is available from the NYC Council.
How to apply
Prospective tenants should head to NYC Housing Connect for the official listing, full eligibility rules and the checklist of required documents. The portal hosts the application, walks through income and household verification steps and lays out how the lottery process works. Before you hit submit, double-check that your household income and size line up with the AMI band you are targeting.
