East New York’s Affordable Housing Revolution: A 100% Blueprint

New York City is in the midst of a deepening housing crisis, with a historically low rental vacancy rate of just 1.4%. Projections estimate that the city will be short nearly half a million housing units by 2032. This crisis is compounded by the fact that many New Yorkers are rent burdened—spending more than 30% of their income on housing. In East New York’s Community District 5, the problem is even more severe: over 50% of residents are rent burdened, underscoring the urgent need for deeply affordable housing options tailored to local income levels.

Decades of Disinvestment and Displacement

East New York has long been overlooked in both public and private investment. Despite bearing the brunt of systemic disinvestment and displacement, many past development efforts in the neighborhood lacked meaningful community engagement and failed to deliver lasting affordability. The demand for more housing is loud and clear—but equally strong is the call for development that centers and benefits the local community.

A Community-Led Vision at Broadway Junction

The Herkimer-Williams project, now entering the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), represents a pivotal opportunity to meet those demands. Proposed for the Broadway Junction area, the mixed-use development is being led by Totem and is designed to deliver up to 1,000 units of 100% affordable housing.

What sets this project apart is the extensive community engagement behind it. Over the course of more than 100 public meetings, East New York residents have helped shape the project’s priorities and design. Community input led to significant changes—including increasing the number of housing units from 600 to 1,000 and lowering the project’s maximum building height to better align with the neighborhood’s character.

Affordability That Reflects Community Needs

Totem is currently in discussions with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) about utilizing the Extremely Low- and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) Program for the first phase of housing. This program serves households earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI)—a direct response to feedback from the Community Board’s Land Use Committee, which emphasized the importance of targeting affordability to reflect the actual income levels of East New York residents.

The Community Board remains committed to ensuring that the development truly serves the neighborhood, advocating for housing that promotes long-term stability for local families.

An Evolving Project, A Community-Driven Future

As the Herkimer-Williams project advances through the ULURP process, the development team is continuing to gather feedback from the community. The vision for the project is still evolving, and residents have an active role to play in shaping its outcome.

Community members are encouraged to share their thoughts by participating in the project’s ongoing survey. This is a critical opportunity for East New York residents to ensure that the final development reflects their priorities and creates a foundation for a stronger, more equitable future.

Your voice matters. Be part of the process and help shape the future of East New York.