In the redevelopment plan of Willets Point located next to Flushing, the first phase of the project, Willets Point Commons, consisting of two buildings with 880 units of 100% affordable housing has been completed. These units are now open for public lottery applications through the NYC Housing Connect platform with an application deadline of February 25th. The developer has announced that the initial residents are expected to move in by April this year.
On January 23rd, Council Member Sandra Ung visited the site for an inspection and observed that the properties have finished interior decorations and are undergoing final touches and interior arrangements. Ung emphasized the project’s proximity to Flushing, located next to the Willets Point station on the 7 train line, just one stop away from Flushing. She encouraged residents of the 20th district of Flushing to apply enthusiastically and reminded interested applicants not to miss the February 25th deadline. She noted that Willets Point, formerly known as the “Iron Triangle,” has lacked basic infrastructure for decades but is now transforming into a new community integrating affordable housing, public facilities, and development opportunities.
The two residential buildings in this lottery are located at 126-55 39th Avenue and 126-43 39th Avenue, offering various unit sizes ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, catering to household sizes of 1 to 7 people. The income requirements range from $20,469 to $301,350 annually, corresponding to 30% to 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the region.
The development is spearheaded by the Queens Development Group, a joint venture of Related Companies and Sterling Equities. Aaron Lipman, senior assistant at Related, mentioned that out of the 880 affordable units, 747 are available for public applications through Housing Connect, while the remaining 133 units will be allocated through municipal plans for homeless individuals recommended by the city government.
The lottery includes several community priority quotas, reserving 20% for residents within the jurisdiction of Community Board 7 in Queens, 10% for veterans and/or New York City government employees, 5% for residents with disabilities, and 2% for residents with visual or hearing impairments.
During the visit to the property with Council Member Ung, journalists observed that the facilities inside the buildings are comprehensive, including a fitness center, children’s playroom, yoga studio, communal laundry room, resident lounge, shared workspace, community garden, rooftop BBQ area, outdoor green space, bicycle storage, tenant storage rooms, and indoor parking, with free Wi-Fi coverage throughout the premises.
The apartments are fully equipped with amenities such as hardwood floors, air conditioning and heating systems, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, ovens, spacious closets, and some unit types featuring walk-in closets.
Applicants are required to provide valid identification such as a driver’s license, non-driver ID, or IDNYC. For children under 18, birth certificates or school identification can be submitted. Necessary documents include pay stubs, tax returns, proof of address, and asset documentation. It is recommended to submit all required documents at once to avoid impacting the lottery number allocation.
Within a few weeks after the lottery deadline, Housing Connect will randomly assign registration numbers to applicants with complete data. If family information is incomplete during this period, the application may not receive a registration number.
The overall redevelopment plan for Willets Point will ultimately construct 2,500 affordable housing units, along with a public school, over 150,000 square feet of public open space, and the future home stadium of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC), Etihad Park. Additionally, the third building of the first phase consisting of 220 affordable housing units for low-income seniors is set to begin construction in April or May this year.
Council Member Ung emphasized that there are no application fees or deposits required for applying, but cautioned against submitting duplicate applications to avoid disqualification. Residents in need of assistance during the application process can contact her office at 718-888-8747, where she will coordinate assistance from non-profit organizations.
For more details on the property, visit: https://www.livewilletspoint.com/; To submit a lottery application, visit: https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/