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Crown Heights' Botanic Heights: 91 Middle-Income Apartments at 960 Franklin Avenue, From $2,950 a Month

22 min readBy VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Quick answerBotanic Heights is a new seven-story building with 301 apartments in city records at 960 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, one block from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. NYC Housing Connect advertised 91 of them at 130% of area median income, from $2,950 for a one-bedroom to $3,950 for a two-bedroom, with applications due July 2, 2026. As of October 8, 2026, all four rents are above the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for their size and above HUD's fair market rent for ZIP code 11225.

Last checked: October 8, 2026, against the Housing Connect listing for lottery 7571, the leasing site botanicheights.com with its availability list, amenities page and apartments page, Department of Buildings jobs B00754304, B00754646, B00848994 and B01325937 and certificate of occupancy 3430207-0000001, HPD's Affordable Housing Production by Building data, city property records (ACRIS) and tax-lot records (PLUTO) for Brooklyn block 1192, the City Planning Commission's reports of September 22, 2021 and September 23, 2024, chapter 1 of the Final Environmental Impact Statement of September 10, 2021, City Planning's records for the 2019 application and the 2023 application, HPD's pages on 421-a and area median income, Reside New York's FAQ, New York YIMBY's report of June 11, 2026, the Housing Connect FAQ, HPD's guide Applying for Affordable Housing, HPD's re-rentals page and HDC's re-rental search, and the CityFHEPS payment standards in DSS-8r (effective April 1, 2026).

Botanic Heights in numbers
  • 301apartments in the building, on its certificate of occupancy
  • 91apartments advertised on Housing Connect, all at 130% AMI
  • $2,950the lowest rent, for a one-bedroom
  • $3,950the highest rent, for a two-bedroom
  • $106,766the lowest yearly income the listing accepts
  • July 2, 2026the application deadline
Rendering of a seven-story apartment building on a street corner at sunset, with a grid of stone-colored panels and large windows, glass-railed balconies, planted terraces stepping back on the upper floors, glass storefront windows at street level, street trees, people on the sidewalk, a white car passing and a hedge along the corner at the right
Rendering of Botanic Heights at 960 Franklin Avenue, the first image on the Housing Connect listing, which labels it "Rendering". The listing names no maker; the building permit's applicant is Hamish Whitefield Architects P.C. Photo: NYC Housing Connect listing for lottery 7571, lottery listing rendering, via NYC Housing Connect, Botanic Heights (lottery 7571) (cropped, enlarged 1.04 times).

What Was Built at 960 Franklin Avenue

Botanic Heights is a seven-story, 74-foot building with 301 apartments on part of a former spice company site, and it received its first certificate of occupancy on April 23, 2026.

  • Size: Department of Buildings job B00754304 is for a "seven (7) story + cellar residential use building", 74 feet tall, with 301 apartments and 331,141 square feet.
  • Owner and architect: the permit names YS Developers LLC as the owner's business and Hamish Whitefield, a registered architect, as applicant. Property records name Franklin Plaza II LLC as owner. The leasing site says "Development by Jay Group".
  • Program: the listing says the building "is anticipated to receive a Tax Exemption through the 421a Tax Incentive Program" of HPD.
Watch outthe apartment count is in print two ways. The permit, the certificate of occupancy and HPD's data say 301. The leasing site says "Seven stories, 290 apartments", and New York YIMBY wrote "290 residences".
A terrace with a grey stucco wall, a wooden sofa and armchair with pale cushions, a low slatted table with flowers and an open book, a potted palm and a glass railing, overlooking a grassy lot, trees and six-story brick apartment buildings under a clear sky
Terrace image from the Botanic Heights leasing site, credited to Rentopia, the leasing agent. The site does not say which apartment it shows, which way it faces, or whether its apartment images are photographs or renderings. Photo: Rentopia, from the Botanic Heights leasing site, leasing agent's marketing image, via Botanic Heights leasing site, The Apartments page (cropped, reduced).
Botanic Heights, from foundation permit to lottery
  • June 14, 2022the new building application is filed, and a foundation permit "for 421A program" is issued the same day.
  • November 3, 2023a full demolition permit is issued for the spice company lot.
  • August 9, 2024the new building permit is issued.
  • April 23, 2026the first certificate of occupancy is issued.
  • June 11, 2026New York YIMBY reports that the lottery has launched.
  • July 2, 2026applications are due.

What it means: permit to first certificate of occupancy took about 20 months.

Source: Department of Buildings jobs B00754304, B00754646 and B00848994 and certificate of occupancy 3430207-0000001; New York YIMBY; the listing.

Before Botanic Heights: A Brewery, a Spice Company and a 39-Story Plan

The City Planning Commission disapproved two 39-story buildings on this site on September 22, 2021, and Botanic Heights was then built at seven stories under the existing zoning.

960 Franklin Avenue before Botanic Heights, 1908 to 2021
  • 1908 to 1955Consumers Park Brewery, then Burton Dixie Corporation, "a manufacturer of mattresses and cotton felts", use the northern part of the site.
  • About 1955Morris J. Golombeck, Inc. Importers begins operating there "as a spice warehouse, processing and distribution facility".
  • 1991the City rezones 13 blocks, this site to R6A, "to support the existing neighborhood character and minimize potential shadow impacts on the nearby BBG", the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
  • November 4, 2019Franklin Ave. Acquisition LLC files to rezone the site for "two 39-story mixed use buildings containing 1,578 dwelling units".
  • June 23, 2021Brooklyn Community Board 9 adopts a resolution recommending disapproval, "22 in favor, two in opposition, and nine abstaining".
  • September 22, 2021the Commission disapproves the application.

What it means: Botanic Heights stands on the northern lots, where the spice company was.

Source: the Final Environmental Impact Statement of September 10, 2021, chapter 1; the Commission's report on application C 200184 ZMK.

What the Commission's 2021 report records, in its own words
  • The applicant's case"the proposed density is necessary to achieve the project's affordable housing objectives."
  • Shadowsthe environmental review showed "a significant, adverse, and unmitigated shadows impact on BBG's greenhouses, conservatories, and other indoor and outdoor facilities."
  • Left open"opportunities for housing growth at this site could be considered at a later time".
Axonometric line drawing of two tall buildings on one site, shaded grey with pink tops and pale blue street-level bases, labelled BUILDING 1 and BUILDING 2, each stepping up in several blocks to a tower, with dimension lines on both sides and street labels reading FRANKLIN AVE (NARROW STREET) and MONTGOMERY STREET (NARROW STREET)
Drawing of the two 39-story buildings proposed in 2019 and disapproved in 2021: Figure 1-10, "Axonometric View: Northeast Corner", in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, credited there to Hill-West Architects. Neither was built. Botanic Heights stands on the northern part of the site, at Montgomery Street, where the drawing shows Building 2. Photo: Hill West Architects, in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 960 Franklin Avenue Rezoning (lead agency: City Planning Commission), architect's drawing in a city environmental review document, via NYC Department of City Planning, 960 Franklin Avenue Rezoning FEIS, chapter 1 (September 10, 2021), Figure 1-10 (reduced and centered on a white field).
ItemPlan disapproved in 2021Existing zoning, as the 2021 review assumedBotanic Heights
Landfour lots, 120,209 square feetthe same four lotsthe two northern lots and a small third, 67,895 square feet
Height421 and 424 feet, 39 stories70 feet at most74 feet, 7 stories
Apartments1,578about 518301
Income-restricted apartments789, by the applicant's statementnone91, at 130% AMI

What it means: the report gives the height limit of the existing R6A district as "70 feet or 75 feet" with a qualifying ground floor.

Source: the Final Environmental Impact Statement, chapter 1; the Commission's 2021 report; Department of Buildings job B00754304; PLUTO; the listing.

Building heights on the former spice company site, proposed and built, in feet
View the data table
PlanHeight in feet
Taller building in the plan disapproved in 2021424
Building proposed for the lots next door in 2023145
Height limit the Commission approved next door in 2024115
Botanic Heights, on its permit74

What it means: Botanic Heights is 350 feet lower than the taller building in the 2021 plan.

Source: the Commission's reports of 2021 and 2024; Department of Buildings job B00754304.

What is on file for the lots next door, 962 to 972 Franklin Avenue

The lots next door, 962 to 972 Franklin Avenue, 2023 to 2025
  • May 30, 2023the same applicant files to rezone the two southern lots for a 14-story, 145-foot building with 475 apartments.
  • September 23, 2024the Commission approves a smaller version, for "a new ten-story, 284,947 square-foot mixed use building containing 355 dwelling units".
  • November 21, 2024City Planning's records show the City Council adopting it with modifications.
  • September 16, 2025the lots sell for $45,000,000 to Franklin Gardens II LLC, at the same street address as Botanic Heights' owner.
  • December 17, 2025job B01325937 is filed for a ten-story building with 259 apartments at 964 Franklin Avenue, by the same architect and owner's business.

What it means: the filing's status was "Objections" on October 8, 2026, and nothing opened calls it a second phase of Botanic Heights.

Source: the Commission's report on application C 230356 ZMK; City Planning's project record; ACRIS; Department of Buildings records.

Where 960 Franklin Avenue Is

960 Franklin Avenue is at the southwest corner of Franklin Avenue and Montgomery Street in Crown Heights, in ZIP code 11225, Brooklyn Community District 9 and City Council District 35.

Black-and-white zoning diagram of the block between Washington Avenue and Franklin Avenue south of Montgomery Street, with BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN lettered along the left edge, zoning labels R8A, R6A, R8X, R6, R7-1 and C8-2, and a dotted outline around an area labelled R7D that begins 285 feet south of Montgomery Street; beside it the title block CITY PLANNING COMMISSION, DIAGRAM SHOWING PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE, a north arrow, a scale bar in feet and a legend
The City Planning Commission's diagram for the 2024 rezoning next door (application C 230356 ZMK). The dotted outline is the area rezoned to R7D. Botanic Heights stands in the R6A area north of it, between the outline and Montgomery Street along Franklin Avenue. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is across Washington Avenue. Photo: NYC Department of City Planning, Technical Review Division, city agency diagram in a City Planning Commission report, via City Planning Commission report C 230356 ZMK, September 23, 2024, zoning change diagram (map and legend from one page placed side by side; the director's signature block left out).
StationLinesStraight-line distance
Prospect ParkB, Q, Franklin Avenue Shuttleabout 0.3 miles
Botanic GardenFranklin Avenue Shuttleabout 0.3 miles
Franklin Av-Medgar Evers College2, 3, 4, 5about 0.4 miles
Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum2, 3about 0.5 miles
President St-Medgar Evers College2, 5about 0.5 miles
Sterling St2, 5about 0.5 miles

What it means: two stations are about 0.3 miles away. The Commission's 2024 report says "the B48 bus route runs directly adjacent to the site".

Source: the MTA's station data; straight-line distances by VoucherMatch from the lot's coordinates in Department of Buildings records, so the walk is longer.

301 Apartments: 91 on Housing Connect, All at 130% AMI

The lottery covered 91 of the 301 apartments, or 30.2%, and all 91 are at one income level, 130% of area median income.

Apartment typeIn the lotteryMonthly rentShare of the 91
One-bedroom62$2,95068%
Two-bedroom6$3,3007%
Two-bedroom3$3,5003%
Two-bedroom20$3,95022%

What it means: the lottery had no studios and no three-bedrooms.

Source: Housing Connect listing for lottery 7571, counted by VoucherMatch from its 91 unit rows. HPD's data counts the same 62 one-bedrooms and 29 two-bedrooms as middle income apartments.

Key pointHPD's name for this income level is middle income. Its area median income page puts 121% to 165% of the median in the "Middle-Income" band, and its 421-a page describes options under which "At least 30% of the units must be affordable at up to 130% of AMI".
Watch outthe marketing agent's FAQ for developers says the program "allows renting the affordable units at market rate or close to market rate in most areas to the maximum of 130% AMI".
Two apartment floor plans side by side on a cream background: at left a one-bedroom with a bathroom, closets, a closet marked W/D, a kitchen counter with REF and DW marked, a living room and kitchen measuring 28'9" x 11'11", a bedroom measuring 11'1" x 10'2" and a terrace; at right a two-bedroom with an entry, a closet marked W/D, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, a bedroom, a master bedroom with a walk-in closet and a corner terrace
Two of the leasing site's floor plans for Botanic Heights, not drawn to the same scale: a one-bedroom labelled "Unit E" for floors 2 to 6 and a two-bedroom labelled "Unit 23" on floor 1. Both mark a closet "W/D". The site does not say which apartments are income-restricted. Photo: Rentopia, from the Botanic Heights leasing site, leasing agent's floor plans, via Botanic Heights leasing site, availability list (two plans placed side by side, each cropped to the drawing and reduced).
Plan on the leasing siteLabel on the planRooms and sizes
One-bedroom, one bathroom"Unit E", floors 2 to 6bedroom 11'1" x 10'2"; living room and kitchen 28'9" x 11'11"; terrace
Two-bedroom, one bathroom"Unit 23", floor 1bedrooms 10'0" x 12'2" and 12'6" x 8'6"; kitchen 13'4" x 6'4"; living room 18'9" x 7'9"; terrace

What it means: the listing gives no floor areas, and neither source says which apartments are income-restricted.

Source: two floor plans linked from the availability list on botanicheights.com. Each says the plans "may differ slightly from the actual units."

Rents and Income Ranges in the Housing Connect Listing for 960 Franklin Avenue

The 91 lottery apartments have four rents, from $2,950 to $3,950 a month, and the lowest minimum income in the listing is $106,766 a year.

ApartmentsRentPeopleYearly income
62 one-bedrooms, 130% AMI$2,9501 to 3$106,766 to $198,510
6 two-bedrooms, 130% AMI$3,3002 to 5$120,686 to $238,160
3 two-bedrooms, 130% AMI$3,5002 to 5$127,543 to $238,160
20 two-bedrooms, 130% AMI$3,9502 to 5$142,972 to $238,160

What it means: each rent is about one-third of its minimum income. The one-bedroom's $2,950 is $35,400 a year, 33.2% of $106,766.

Source: Housing Connect listing for lottery 7571, read October 8, 2026. The top of each range is for the largest household allowed.

Household sizeLowest income acceptedHighest income acceptedApartments open to it
1 person$106,766$154,440one-bedroom
2 people$106,766$176,410one-bedroom or two-bedroom
3 people$106,766$198,510one-bedroom or two-bedroom
4 people$120,686$220,480two-bedroom
5 people$120,686$238,160two-bedroom

What it means: income before taxes has to fall between the two numbers.

Source: the same listing; the highest incomes match the 130% column of HPD's 2026 chart.

Where a household could fall outside the ranges
  • Under $106,766below the lowest minimum, unless the household has a rental subsidy.
  • Four or five people under $120,686too many for a one-bedroom and below the lowest two-bedroom minimum.
  • Two-bedrooms under $142,97220 of the 29 need that income. A household below it qualifies for nine at most.
  • Three two-bedroom rentsthe listing does not say what separates them. Ask Reside New York, the marketing agent, at 718-387-4448.
  • Asset limit$220,480, in the listing's advertisement table.
Key pointtenants pay for electricity, cooking, heating and cooling. The listing says "Tenants are responsible for electricity, stove, and electric heat/cool split unit. Hot water is included in the rent."
A galley kitchen with pale wood cabinets, a counter with a flush black cooktop and an oven below it on the left, an espresso machine, a marble-patterned counter with a sink and tall faucet on the right, hanging open shelves, and a glass door at the end opening onto a terrace with a view of brick apartment buildings and a radio mast
Kitchen image from the Botanic Heights leasing site, credited to Rentopia, the leasing agent. The cooktop is a smooth one; the listing says tenants pay for "electricity, stove, and electric heat/cool split unit". The site does not say which apartment this is or whether its apartment images are photographs or renderings. Photo: Rentopia, from the Botanic Heights leasing site, leasing agent's marketing image, via Botanic Heights leasing site, The Apartments page (cropped, reduced).

Which Rents a CityFHEPS or Section 8 Voucher Reaches

None of the four rents is within the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for the same apartment size: they are $216 to $953 over it before utilities are counted.

This was a city lottery on NYC Housing Connect, with HPD as its agency, so HPD's rule applies. The Housing Connect FAQ says: "Minimum income requirements do not apply if you have a voucher or a rental subsidy. However, rent should be within maximum limits allowed by your voucher or rental assistance program."

Monthly rent at Botanic Heights, alone and with the 2026 utility allowance, against the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for that apartment size, in dollars
Lottery rentRent plus utility allowanceCityFHEPS maximum
View the data table
ApartmentLottery rentRent plus utility allowanceCityFHEPS maximum
One-bedroom$2,950$3,138$2,734
Two-bedroom, lowest rent$3,300$3,549$2,997
Two-bedroom, middle rent$3,500$3,749$2,997
Two-bedroom, highest rent$3,950$4,199$2,997

What it means: the rents are $216, $303, $503 and $953 over the maximum on their own, and $404, $552, $752 and $1,202 over with the allowance.

Source: rents from the Housing Connect listing; maximums and allowances from DSS-8r, effective April 1, 2026. The allowance column adds the form's "Electric with Cooking Range" and "Electric Heat Only" lines: $188 for a one-bedroom and $249 for a two-bedroom, by VoucherMatch's addition.

Watch outDSS-8r calls its figures "the maximum rent amounts if all utilities are included in the lease", and the agency decides which allowance lines apply.
A living room with white walls, a curved coral sofa, two round white armchairs, a round speckled coffee table, a wall-mounted television above a white cabinet, two abstract prints, a dining chair at the right edge and a glass door in a dark frame opening onto a paved terrace with a wooden fence
Living room image from the Botanic Heights leasing site, credited to Rentopia, the leasing agent. The site does not say which apartment this is or whether its apartment images are photographs or renderings. Photo: Rentopia, from the Botanic Heights leasing site, leasing agent's marketing image, via Botanic Heights leasing site, The Apartments page (cropped, reduced).

How the Rents Compare With Typical Rents in ZIP Code 11225

Every lottery rent is above what HUD estimates an ordinary apartment costs in ZIP code 11225, by $240 to $1,000 a month, and below the lowest rent the building advertises on its leasing site for the same size.

Monthly rent at Botanic Heights against HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 11225 and the lowest rent on the building's leasing site, in dollars
Lottery rentHUD fair market rent, ZIP 11225Lowest rent on the leasing site
View the data table
ApartmentLottery rentHUD fair market rent, ZIP 11225Lowest rent on the leasing site
One-bedroom$2,950$2,710$3,700
Two-bedroom, lowest rent$3,300$2,950$5,200
Two-bedroom, middle rent$3,500$2,950$5,200
Two-bedroom, highest rent$3,950$2,950$5,200

What it means: the lottery rents are $240, $350, $550 and $1,000 above HUD's figures, and $750, $1,900, $1,700 and $1,250 below the lowest rent on the leasing site.

Source: rents from the Housing Connect listing; HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027, in effect since October 1, 2026; botanicheights.com, read October 8, 2026, rents before concessions.

  • Utilities: HUD's figure is its estimate of the 40th-percentile rent with utilities included. Rents here leave out electricity, cooking, heating and cooling, so the gap is wider.
  • HPD's ceiling: HPD's chart, labeled 2025, puts maximum rents at 130% AMI at $3,948 and $4,738. The lottery rents are $788 to $1,438 under those.
  • Apartments in this ZIP code: see voucher apartments in ZIP 11225.
Residences on the leasing siteListedRent before concessionsNet rent shown
One-bedrooms111$3,700 to $4,750$3,213.16 to $4,384.62
Two-bedrooms64$5,200 to $7,150$4,515.79 to $6,600.00
Two-bedroom duplexes5$5,900 to $6,200$5,123.68 to $5,384.21
Three-bedroom duplex1$9,000not shown

What it means: every residence is priced above the lottery rent for its size.

Source: the availability list on botanicheights.com, read October 8, 2026, for its 181 numbered residences. One note says net prices reflect "1 month free on a 13 month's lease" and another "1.5 month's free".

How Botanic Heights Was Financed

City property records show Franklin Plaza II LLC buying the site for $64,000,000 on April 22, 2024 and signing $117,000,000 in mortgages the same day, and none of the lenders named is a city or state housing agency.

Date signedRecordPartiesAmount
November 2, 2022Deed, spice company lotsHPG Associates, Inc. to 960 Franklin LLC$42,350,000
November 2, 2022Deed, small third lotBrooklyn 122A Montgomery LLC to 960 Franklin LLC$400,000
April 22, 2024Deed, all three lots960 Franklin LLC to Franklin Plaza II LLC$64,000,000
April 22, 2024Three mortgagesFranklin Plaza II LLC to G4 18258, LLC$117,000,000
March 10, 2026MortgageFranklin Plaza II LLC to PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund REIT, LLC$6,750,000
March 10, 2026AgreementThe same parties$123,750,000

What it means: these are index entries; the documents were not opened.

Source: ACRIS records for Brooklyn block 1192, lots 40, 41 and 46. The 2024 amount is VoucherMatch's addition of three indexed mortgages: $42,000,000, $61,296,736 and $13,703,264.

  • How long rents stay restricted: HPD's 421-a page gives 35 years, or 40 for a project with the enhanced benefit. Which applies here is not published.

Preferences, Building Features and Fees

The listing shows no set-asides and no preferences, and it prices the shared amenities separately: $75 or $125 a month for a package, $50 for the fitness center and $400 for parking.

Set-asides and preferences
  • Community boardnone listed. The Housing Connect FAQ says "This preference does not apply to developments that do not receive City financing, e.g., those that only receive a tax exemption."
  • Disability set-asidesnone appear in the listing's data. The FAQ describes 5% and 2% preferences, so ask Reside New York.
What the building has: listed, extra cost and restricted
  • In the apartment"Residences feature dishwashers and private patios or balconies." The amenity list marks the building "Smoke-free".
  • Amenity package"$75/month for one-bedroom residents and $125/month for two-bedroom residents", for "the yoga studio, coworking room, party room, social lounge, and children's room."
  • Fitness center and parking"a fitness center ($50/month), and on-site parking ($400/month)", both optional. The leasing site says of its fitness center "No membership required".
  • Pets"One pet per household (up to 20 lbs.) is permitted with no pet deposit required".
ApartmentRentWith the amenity packagePlus the fitness centerPlus parking
One-bedroom$2,950$3,025$3,075$3,475
Two-bedroom, lowest rent$3,300$3,425$3,475$3,875
Two-bedroom, middle rent$3,500$3,625$3,675$4,075
Two-bedroom, highest rent$3,950$4,075$4,125$4,525

What it means: every option together adds $525 a month to a one-bedroom and $575 to a two-bedroom, before electricity.

Source: rents and fees from the Housing Connect listing; sums by VoucherMatch.

Rendering of a gym with a row of white treadmills along floor-to-ceiling windows at the right, elliptical machines in the middle, racks of dumbbells and weight benches at the left, wood-clad columns, a wood ceiling with strip lights and a dark speckled floor
Fitness center rendering from the Botanic Heights leasing site; the Housing Connect listing carries renderings of the same room. The listing prices the fitness center at $50 a month for lottery tenants. Photo: Botanic Heights leasing site (the page names no maker), leasing site rendering, via Botanic Heights leasing site, Amenities page (cropped, reduced).
Watch outthe listing contradicts itself on laundry. Its amenity list says "Washers and dryers in units". Its text says "Applicants can install and use washer/dryers for a surcharge, which may be set by applicable law." Ask Reside New York.
Rendering of a children's playroom with sage-green built-in shelves around a television showing streaming logos, a wall mural of a yellow submarine with seagulls, a hanging pod chair, a small white table with child-sized chairs, floor cushions, toys, cloud-shaped ceiling lights and a play tent at the left
Children's room rendering from the Botanic Heights leasing site; the same rendering is on the Housing Connect listing. The listing puts the children's room in the amenity package, $75 or $125 a month for lottery tenants. Photo: Botanic Heights leasing site (the page names no maker), leasing site rendering, via Botanic Heights leasing site, Amenities page (cropped, reduced).

What Happens After the Lottery and Where Openings Are Posted

Applications for the 91 apartments were due July 2, 2026, and HPD's guide says applicants may hear back "within two to twelve months after the deadline".

How the 91 apartments are filled
  1. 1Log numbers"Within a few weeks after the lottery application deadline, Housing Connect randomly assigns log numbers".
  2. 2Review"The developer reviews them in log number order (starting with those who meet preference categories) and contacts applicants."
  3. 3Documents"If your log number comes up, the developer will contact you to submit documents."
  4. 4Timingtwo to twelve months after July 2, 2026 runs from September 2026 to July 2027, by VoucherMatch's count.

What it means: the same guide says "you may not be contacted, even if you could have qualified."

Source: step one from the Housing Connect FAQ; steps two and three from HPD's guide of June 2020.

If you applied, have these ready
  • Identity. a driver's license, non-driver state ID or IDNYC card
  • Income and assets. pay stubs, tax returns, proof of address and asset documentation
  • Rent history or credit. proof of 12 months of full rent payments, or consent to a credit review
  • Voucher. "proof of the subsidy and the amount of rent it covers"

What it means: the document request lists the exact papers.

Source: the Housing Connect FAQ.

Where the next openings are posted
  • Housing Connectcity lotteries are posted at housingconnect.nyc.gov. No listing numbered after 7571 carried the Botanic Heights name on October 8, 2026.
  • Reside New Yorkthe listing sent paper applications to "Botanic Heights C/O Reside New York, 349 Keap Street", Brooklyn. Its development website link led to a missing page on October 8, 2026.
  • The leasing sitebotanicheights.com says "Botanic Heights is now leasing" and marks none of its 181 residences income-restricted.
  • Re-rentalsHDC's re-rental search listed 24 advertisements on October 8, 2026, none for Botanic Heights. HPD's re-rentals page lists Reside New York among managers to ask.
Known and not yet known on October 8, 2026
  • Knownthe rents, income ranges, counts, fees and deadline in the listing, and a first certificate of occupancy.
  • Not issueda final certificate of occupancy.
  • Not publishedhow many of the 91 apartments are leased, whether there is a waiting list and which 421-a option applies.

If You Need an Apartment Now

Applications were due July 2, 2026 and every lottery rent is above the CityFHEPS maximum for its size, so most voucher households have to look at other buildings.

Brooklyn apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to 960 Franklin Avenue first

Listed by landlords who say which vouchers they accept. These are separate from the lottery. See all Brooklyn listings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent at Botanic Heights in Crown Heights?

One-bedrooms in the lottery are $2,950 a month. Two-bedrooms are $3,300, $3,500 or $3,950. Electricity, the amenity package ($75 or $125), the fitness center ($50) and parking ($400) are extra.

How much do you have to earn for 960 Franklin Avenue?

The listing's ranges run from $106,766 a year for a one-bedroom to $238,160 for five people in a two-bedroom. Twenty of the 29 two-bedrooms need at least $142,972.

Can I use CityFHEPS or Section 8 at Botanic Heights?

All four rents are above the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for their size, by $216 to $953 before utilities. Section 8 holders should ask their agency for its payment standard.

Was 960 Franklin Avenue on NYC Housing Connect?

Yes. It was lottery 7571, "Botanic Heights", for 91 apartments at 130% of area median income, with applications due July 2, 2026.

Is Botanic Heights the spice factory site next to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden?

Yes, part of it. The City Planning Commission disapproved two 39-story buildings there on September 22, 2021. Botanic Heights is seven stories, under zoning mapped in 1991.

Are the rents at 960 Franklin Avenue below market?

They are $240 to $1,000 above HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 11225, and $750 to $1,900 below the lowest rents on the building's leasing site.

Sources for this article (22)
  1. Housing Connect listing for lottery 7571 (housingconnect.nyc.gov)
  2. botanicheights.com (botanicheights.com)
  3. availability list (botanicheights.com)
  4. amenities page (botanicheights.com)
  5. apartments page (botanicheights.com)
  6. Affordable Housing Production by Building (data.cityofnewyork.us)
  7. September 22, 2021 (nyc.gov)
  8. September 23, 2024 (nyc.gov)
  9. Final Environmental Impact Statement of September 10, 2021 (nyc.gov)
  10. 2019 application (zap.planning.nyc.gov)
  11. 2023 application (zap.planning.nyc.gov)
  12. 421-a (nyc.gov)
  13. area median income (nyc.gov)
  14. FAQ (residenewyork.com)
  15. report of June 11, 2026 (newyorkyimby.com)
  16. Housing Connect FAQ (housingconnect.nyc.gov)
  17. Applying for Affordable Housing (nyc.gov)
  18. re-rentals page (nyc.gov)
  19. re-rental search (nychdc.com)
  20. DSS-8r (nyc.gov)
  21. Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
  22. housingconnect.nyc.gov (housingconnect.nyc.gov)
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