Affordable Housing Lottery Launches for 408 Lefferts Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn
Affordable housing lottery for 408 Lefferts Avenue, a six-story mixed-use building in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn, designed by Z Architecture and developed by Tolib Mansurov.
The affordable housing lottery for 408 Lefferts Avenue has officially launched, bringing hope to low-income residents in the gentrifying neighborhood of Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn. The six-story mixed-use building, designed by Z Architecture and developed by Tolib Mansurov's 410 Lefferts LLC, offers 56 residences, with 18 units reserved for those earning 130 percent of the area median income (AMI).
While on the surface, this may seem like a win for affordable housing advocates, a closer look reveals the underlying power dynamics at play. Mansurov, a wealthy developer, stands to benefit from the lucrative tax breaks and subsidies offered by the city for providing "affordable" housing. In reality, these units will still be out of reach for the majority of low-income residents in the area.
As one local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, puts it, "It's a classic case of the rich getting richer while the poor are left scrambling for crumbs. This 'affordable' housing is nothing but a facade to appease the public and line the pockets of developers."
This sentiment is echoed by community organizers who have been fighting for truly affordable housing in the neighborhood. They see the lottery as a way for the city and developers to maintain the status quo and avoid addressing the root cause of the housing crisis - rampant gentrification and displacement.
"This is just another example of how the city and developers work together to maintain the facade of progress and diversity, while pushing out long-time residents and small businesses," says Maria Rodriguez, a community organizer