A Bronx building is renting out studio apartments for just $675 a month, and the clock is now ticking for anyone hoping to land one. The affordable housing lottery is accepting applications for units at the Webster Avenue Residence, located at 411 East 178th Street in the Tremont section of the Bronx, with a deadline of November 20.
As reported by PIX11, the studio units are for single applicants earning about $25,000 to $40,000 a year. Building amenities include an exercise room, on-site laundry, and 24-hour security, according to the same report. Applicants can apply online, or request an application by calling (646) 870-8340 or emailing [email protected].
The building itself has been part of the Tremont streetscape for several years. It originally opened in 2018 as an eight-story, 170-unit supportive and affordable housing facility developed by the non-profit Breaking Ground, according to the New York Real Estate Journal. Breaking Ground acquired the brownfield site in 2014 before completing construction four years later, per the same outlet.
A Two-Building Development Worth $64 Million
The 170-unit Webster Avenue building was constructed as part of a two-building residential development alongside Park House at 4275 Park Avenue. The Webster Avenue project cost $64 million, and the two buildings collectively brought 418 affordable and supportive apartments to the block, the New York Real Estate Journal reported. The project was financed through city and state agencies including the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and New York State Homes and Community Renewal, per that same reporting.
Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the building incorporates eco-friendly features including a seventh-floor green roof to manage stormwater runoff and has Enterprise Green Communities certification, according to Mega Contracting Group. Its exterior envelope qualifies for Zone Green certification, a qualification that allowed additional floor area dedicated to housing, the same source notes. The site sits directly between the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line and Webster Avenue. The building is a block from the Tremont Metro-North station and eight blocks from the B and D subway station.
A Dual Model Mixing Supportive and Affordable Units
When the building was constructed, 90 of its 170 micro-studio units were designated as supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals and people living with special needs, backed by on-site social services, according to Breaking Ground. The development also involved public-agency partners. Breaking Ground, originally founded in 1990 as Common Ground, now operates nearly 4,500 units of permanent supportive and affordable housing across New York City.
U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 2024 show the median annual household income in Tremont was $39,496, while the average was $52,752, according to Point2Homes.
A Previous Lottery Drew 55,163 Applications
When applications opened in 2017 for the complex's sister building, Park House, Breaking Ground received 55,163 applications for just 227 available units, according to 6sqft.
Community-district preferences in NYC Housing Connect lotteries are generally 20%, Hoodline reported. An earlier Webster Avenue lottery gave Bronx Community Board 6 a 50% preference.
