Hpd Tenant Income Certification: Fill & Download for Free

Almost all new developments in NYC have an affordable component. The city incentivizes the development of affordable floor area through (2) programs: the inclusionary housing program and the Affordable New York (formerly 421-A and everyone still calls it that) program.I won’t get into the details of each but long story short - the former provides a density bonus to developers if they set aside affordable floor area and the latter provides a tax break.Both programs operate at varying income bands including 40%, 60%, 80% and 130% AMI (area median income). AMI is set by HUD (the federal government) city wide and we have no control over it. This is stupid. AMI varies widely by borough.Traditionally (and still today) the trick is to “double dip”. Get a density bonus (build a larger building) AND a tax break and that’s how you get affordable units. Many new buildings are 20%-30% affordable for this reason except in high value neighborhoods where it doesn’t pay to provide affordable floor area. Sometimes the affordable units are not provided onsite but built elsewhere in the community district and “certificates” are bought showing the connection between (2) different developments. This is almost always done for condos. Affordable units for sale have only worked in a handful of situations. How can you put 20% down on a unit worth several $100k and meet income limits (by being a young professional with wealthy parents that’s how)?So the answer is yes. There’s plenty of low income (the 40%-60% AMI band) being built. Now you didn’t ask for it but I’ll give you my opinion on this. I think the program is broken at best. What good does an income restricted unit do you in TriBeCa or the West Village? When you walk out your door you’re still paying $15 for a hamburger - has anyone stopped to think that perhaps that income band can’t afford the neighborhood not just the housing? NY is expensive for all of us. But the costs are borne by the rest of the residents in a building to offset the loss on those affordable units. It’s a complete distortion. Also, the cost to construct a building in Manhattan can be twice that to build in Queens or the Bronx (Staten Island doesn’t count - I hear people live there though). Maybe it makes more sense to concentrate affordable housing and provide quality services in those areas (yes, I know that’s how you get ghettos). I say this because if I can build (2)units for the cost of (1) doesn’t that make sense?And don’t get me started on rent controlled units. A huge amount of ancient housing stock can’t be demolished and replaced with newer, larger, better buildings because it’s full of a small percentage of rent regulated housing tenants that can’t be displaced. So they hold it ransom until they are paid hundreds of thousands or even millions to move out. F*ck that.For every (1) person paying $10,000/month in rent and every other (1) person paying $800 under rent control there are (6) of us carrying the burden. I get that NY has a serious problem. I’ve lived here for 32 years and I started at the bottom. I’m no where near the top and never will be. But the system that we’re working toward sucks and is full of holes. That building paying $10k/month in rent doesn’t have any affordable units in it. That clientele doesn’t want to mingle.And I realize I’m not offering any solutions only critiques…PS - if you’re looking for affordable housing check the HPD’s website and you can access a listing of units and lotteries (the units are awarded by lottery). Good luck. There’s usually 1,000x more people applying than they have units for.HPD - Renters - Find Housing