A new affordable-housing lottery is up for grabs in East New York, with studios starting at $830 per month. The apartments sit in a newly finished building on the Alafia campus at 888 Fountain Avenue, on the former Brooklyn Developmental Center site. The current offering runs from studios to three-bedroom units, all tied to income bands set at roughly 40 percent of the area median income.
Lottery details and eligibility
The active waitlist covers 49 apartments in total: eight studios at $830, 17 one-bedrooms at $1,051, 19 two-bedrooms at $1,245, and five three-bedrooms at $1,423. Each apartment type comes with specific household-size and income limits. Studios are listed for one- to two-person households with incomes around $32,263 to $54,280, and the three-bedroom tiers apply to larger families. The listing also highlights on-site amenities that include a gym, laundry facilities, a computer room, and a recreation room, as reported by St. Vincent Times.
Part of a larger Vital Brooklyn plan
The building is one piece of Alafia, the multi-phase Vital Brooklyn redevelopment of the former Brooklyn Developmental Center. State officials say the full buildout is expected to deliver about 2,400 affordable and supportive homes, along with a 15,000-square-foot One Brooklyn Health clinic, plus retail and open space. The project is pitched as a wide-ranging investment in neighborhood health, housing, and services. Governor Kathy Hochul has described the development as an investment that will help “generations of New Yorkers flourish and thrive.” Empire State Development.
Where the project stands
Developers and public filings show that the Alafia team has completed Phase 1 and advanced financing for later phases. Phase 3 is projected to add roughly 273 affordable units and a one-acre park. Industry coverage reports that Apex Building Group and L+M Development Partners closed more than $217 million to fund the next stretch of work and expect construction to wrap by 2029, with sustainability features that include geothermal heating and rooftop solar. For financing and phase specifics, see Multi-Housing News.
How to apply
Applications are available through New York State’s housing-search portal, and the St. Vincent Times coverage links directly to the online listing for this waitlist. The public listing notes that the lottery drawing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on October 9, 2026. Applicants pulled in the randomized drawing will still need to clear income checks and paperwork verification before any lease is offered. For the official listing and application portal see St. Vincent Times, and for agency guidance see Homes and Community Renewal.
Local reaction and affordability questions
Even with the new apartments in the pipeline, community advocates and coverage have flagged concerns about whether AMI-based affordability, tied to a metro-area figure, will truly match what many longtime East New York residents can afford. Critics argue that when rents are calculated off a relatively high metro-area AMI, units can be labeled affordable while still landing beyond reach for many neighborhood households, unless deeper income targeting or extra subsidies are used. For additional context and community reaction, see reporting by the New York Times.
