Affordable apartments are coming to Inwood. Here's where they're being built.
NEW YORK - There are plans to turn an Inwood parking lot into new affordable apartments for the community, part of a bigger revitalization picture.
New York City's Housing Preservation and Development joined other city agencies in a pledge to announce 24 projects in 2024 to address both the affordable housing and climate crises.
Addressing New York City's housing crisis
"We have a 1.4 percent vacancy rate in New York City," HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion said. "It's just near zero in terms of the availability of housing that's affordable to you and your family, and we haven't seen those rates since 1968."
A parking lot along Ninth Avenue at West 219th Street in Inwood will soon become a 574-apartment building with a Harlem River park for the public.
"The vision is a continuous waterfront esplanade," Carrion said, standing along the Harlem River.
He explained, "This will be a small carbon footprint building, as are the other sites."
In the Bronx, HPD's "Powerhouse" plan is completely passive, contributing no extra emissions to the environment. Architects will develop designs for the Inwood lot based off recent feedback from neighbors. Carrion confirmed it will include a STEM center for learners of all ages.
Carrion said his team is taking careful consideration for the culture and community already established on the northeast end of Manhattan.
"For the first time in a lot of these meetings, young people showed up," he noted, "and I think they're thinking about their future and saying, hey, you know, this is our neighborhood."
As market-rate high-rises flood the riverbanks, HPD hopes to offer affordable luxury for the families who often feel forgotten.
"Everybody deserves the opportunity to live in a great place regardless of income," added Carrion.
The series of sites will see transformations take shape over the next several years.
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