Red Hook's Columbia Commons I: 369 Affordable Apartments at 498 Columbia Street, 239 on Housing Connect From $777 a Month

Published October 18, 202620 min readBy VoucherMatch Editorial Team

Quick answerThe building Housing Connect lists as "Columbia Commons I" stands eight stories at 498 Columbia Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn, with 369 apartments on its city permit. Housing Connect advertised 239 of them at rents from $777 for a studio to $2,668 for a two-bedroom, with applications due August 28, 2026. As of October 8, 2026, all nine rents are under the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for their size, and Housing Connect waives minimum income for voucher holders. City records show two more buildings planned for the block.

Last checked: October 8, 2026, against the Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572, Department of Buildings jobs B00830930, B01142698 and B00934265, HPD's Affordable Housing Production by Building data, city property records (ACRIS) for Brooklyn block 579, the Housing Development Corporation's memorandums of May 28, 2024 and November 18, 2024, HPD's environmental review of the Columbia Street Redevelopment, CEQR 24HPD039K , its floodplain notice of June 20, 2024 and its area median income page, Reside New York's page for the building as archived June 15, 2026, reports by the New York Real Estate Journal, New York YIMBY on July 3 and July 14, 2026, 6sqft and Brick Underground, the Housing Connect FAQ, HPD's guide Applying for Affordable Housing and the 2026 CityFHEPS payment standards in DSS-8r.

Columbia Commons I in numbers

369apartments in the building, on its city permit
239apartments advertised on Housing Connect
$777the lowest rent, for a studio at 40% AMI
$2,668the highest rent, for a two-bedroom at 100% AMI
August 28, 2026the application deadline
$231,463,576expected development cost in HDC's 2024 memorandum

Aerial rendering of a long mid-rise apartment block faced in red, grey and tan brick with cream-colored upper floors set back from the street, filling a corner lot along a tree-lined street with parked cars, a second similar building beyond it at the left, brick towers behind and a skyline on the horizon — Rendering of Columbia Commons I at 498 Columbia Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn, from the Housing Connect listing. The listing does not name who made it; the architect on the permit is Aufgang Architects. Photo: NYC Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572 (rendering; maker not named), lottery listing rendering, via NYC Housing Connect (cropped).

What Was Built at 498 Columbia Street

498 Columbia Street is an eight-story, 85-foot building with 369 apartments on its city permit, at the Columbia Street end of a Red Hook block where a one-story commercial building stood until 2024.

Size: Department of Buildings job B00830930 is for an eight-story new building with 369 apartments and 312,579 square feet of floor area.
Who built it: HDC names the developer as "Express Builders Jb Inc. and YTM Development" and the sole member of one of two leaseholders as "The Jericho Project". The land is leased.
Architect: the permit applicant is Ariel Aufgang of Aufgang Architects.
Program: the listing names the "Extremely Low and Low-Income Affordability (ELLA) Program" of HDC and HPD. HDC's loan chart adds NYC 15/15.
Heating and cooling: HPD's review says the buildings on the block "would utilize all-electric systems for heating, cooling and domestic hot water".
Flood design: the block is in the 100-year floodplain. HPD's notice says ground floors would hold lobbies, mailrooms and storage "but no permanently occupied residential spaces".
Before construction: the review describes a "vacant commercial building formerly occupied by a supermarket, laundry service, and door supplier".

Watch outone building, several names. Housing Connect uses "Columbia Commons I". HDC wrote "Columbia Street Building C" in May 2024 and "Columbia Street Commons I" that November, and New York YIMBY wrote Columbia Commons 1. Every record uses 498 Columbia Street.

Photograph of a windowless one-story grey commercial building at a street corner, its lower wall painted black and marked with graffiti, roll-down gates shut, coiled razor wire along the roofline, a street sign reading Creamer St and Columbia St on a lamp post, and parked cars along the side street under a cloudy sky — The one-story commercial building at Columbia and Creamer streets in 2023, before it was demolished for 498 Columbia Street. Photograph from the environmental review of the Columbia Street Redevelopment (CEQR 24HPD039K), which does not name the photographer. Photo: Environmental Assessment Statement for the Columbia Street Redevelopment, CEQR 24HPD039K (photographer not named), photograph in a city environmental review document, via NYC CEQR Access, project 24HPD039K (lead agency: HPD) (cropped).

Columbia Commons I, from filing to lottery

March 6, 2024the new building application is filed with the Department of Buildings.
August 15, 2024the permit to demolish "a one story building" on the lot is issued.
December 9, 2024the general construction permit for the new building is issued.
December 19, 2024nine mortgages are signed. HPD lists this as the project start date.
July 3, 2026New York YIMBY reports that the lottery "has launched".
July 14, 2026New York YIMBY reports "Construction is finished".
August 28, 2026applications are due.

What it means: from the general construction permit to YIMBY's report that construction was finished took 19 months.

Source: Department of Buildings jobs B00830930 and B00868436; HPD project 75142; ACRIS; New York YIMBY; the Housing Connect listing.

No certificate of occupancy on file: the Department of Buildings' certificate data, updated October 7, 2026, holds none for the building, and HPD's data shows no completion date.

Architect's color elevation drawing of an eight-story building with a grey brick center section between two orange brick wings, rows of square windows, lighter set-back upper floors, a garage door and a glass entrance at the left end of the ground level, a second entrance at the right, floor heights marked at the right edge and the label Creamer St below — Schematic elevation of Building C along Creamer Street by Aufgang Architects, on a sheet issued in January 2023, before the permit. From the environmental review of the Columbia Street Redevelopment (CEQR 24HPD039K). Photo: Aufgang Architects, architect's drawing in a city environmental review document, via NYC CEQR Access, project 24HPD039K (lead agency: HPD) (PDF page rendered and cropped).

Where 498 Columbia Street Is

The building fills the eastern end of the block bounded by Columbia, Lorraine, Creamer and Otsego streets, in ZIP code 11231, Brooklyn Community District 6 and City Council District 38.

Station	Lines	Straight-line distance
Smith-9 Sts	F, G	about 0.7 miles
Carroll St	F, G	about 0.8 miles
4 Av-9 St	F, G	about 1.0 miles
Prospect Av	R	about 1.0 miles
4 Av-9 St	R	about 1.1 miles

What it means: no subway station is within half a mile.

Source: the MTA's station data; straight-line distances calculated by VoucherMatch from the listing's coordinates, so the walk is longer.

On foot: Brick Underground put the F and G trains at Smith-9th Street "about 15 minutes away on foot".
Buses and ferry: 6sqft named "the B57 and B61 buses, as well as the NYC Ferry, which docks at Atlantic Basin".
Apartments in the area: see voucher apartments in Red Hook and apartments along the F train and the G train.

Columbia Commons I Is the First of Three Buildings Planned for the Block

HPD's 2024 environmental review describes three eight-story buildings on the block, lettered A, B and C, with 659 apartments, and 498 Columbia Street is Building C.

Building	Address on its filing	What HPD's review describes	Size on the filing	Department of Buildings status
C (this building)	498 Columbia Street	"110 SH units, 258 units of family housing"	369 apartments, 312,579 square feet	General construction permit issued December 9, 2024
A	35 Otsego Street	"210 units of senior housing"	210 apartments, 156,632 square feet	Application approved July 16, 2025; earth work permit issued July 8, 2026
B	22 Lorraine Street	"81 units of SH (community facility/non-profit with sleeping accommodations)"	No apartments listed, 64,875 square feet	Application approved July 8, 2025; no permit issued

What it means: only Building C has a general construction permit and a Housing Connect listing.

Source: HPD's revised negative declaration of October 30, 2024, where SH stands for supportive housing; Department of Buildings job filings, read October 8, 2026.

The senior building: the filing for 35 Otsego Street reads "8 STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING FOR SENIOR HOUSING". New York YIMBY wrote in July 2026 that it "is slated for completion in March 2029, according to the info board".
No listing for A or B: among Housing Connect listings numbered after 7572, read October 8, 2026, none names Otsego Street, Lorraine Street or Red Hook.
Totals differ: HPD's review counts 659 apartments. The New York Real Estate Journal and New York YIMBY wrote 661.

369 Apartments on the Permit, 239 in the Lottery

The lottery covered 239 of the building's 369 apartments, which leaves 130 outside it by VoucherMatch's subtraction.

How each source counts the apartments

369the permit and HPD's data.
371HDC's memorandums, "inclusive of one superintendent unit".
368HPD's review, which counts 110 and 258.

Income level	Studios	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	Total
40% AMI	24	19	24	67
60% AMI	23	51	37	111
100% AMI	21	16	24	61
All levels	68	86	85	239

What it means: 111 of the 239, or 46%, were at the 60% level, and the listing has no three-bedrooms.

Source: Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572, counted by VoucherMatch from its 239 unit rows. AMI is the area median income.

Apartments at 498 Columbia Street by size: whole building in HPD's data against the 239 in the lottery

Whole building (HPD)Lottery (Housing Connect)

Studio

134

1 bedroom

121

2 bedrooms

114

View the data table

Apartment size	Whole building (HPD)	Lottery (Housing Connect)
Studio	134	68
1 bedroom	121	86
2 bedrooms	114	85

What it means: 66 studios, 35 one-bedrooms and 29 two-bedrooms sat outside the lottery, by VoucherMatch's subtraction.

Source: HPD Affordable Housing Production by Building, project 75142, updated September 30, 2026; the Housing Connect listing.

Key pointHPD's data counts 111 extremely low income apartments (rents affordable at 0 to 30% AMI), 74 very low income (31 to 50%), 183 low income (51 to 80%) and one for the superintendent. The lottery had none at 30% AMI.

Watch outHDC's November 2024 memorandum says every apartment "will be affordable to households earning at or below 80% AMI". The listing's top level is 100% AMI. Its rents at that level, $1,779, $2,233 and $2,668, are under the 80% AMI maximums in HPD's 2025 rent table: $2,268, $2,430 and $2,916.

Who the 130 apartments outside the lottery are for

HPD's 2024 review gives the only count opened, and no document opened says how a household is referred to one.

HPD, October 2024: "Building C would contain 110 SH units, 258 units of family housing", with space for "supportive services, including case management and counseling".
The New York Real Estate Journal, May 2025: "Jericho Project will provide on-site services".
The remainder: 258 family apartments less the 239 in the lottery leaves 19, by VoucherMatch's subtraction. No document opened says how they are filled.

Architect's first floor plan of a building wrapped around a central space labelled Outdoor Recreation Area at 1st Floor, with apartments colored orange, green and blue along Lorraine St, Columbia St and Creamer St, a parking area and hatched service rooms at the left, a dotted green strip labelled Pedestrian Corridor, arrows for residential, parking and community facility entrances, dimensions of 315 feet and 200 feet, and a legend for 0 BR, 1 BR and 2 BR apartments — Aufgang Architects' schematic first floor plan of Building C, 2023: apartments around an outdoor recreation area, with entrances on Creamer and Columbia streets. The legend marks studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms. From the environmental review (CEQR 24HPD039K). Photo: Aufgang Architects, architect's drawing in a city environmental review document, via NYC CEQR Access, project 24HPD039K (lead agency: HPD) (PDF page rendered and cropped).

Rents and Income Ranges in the Housing Connect Listing for 498 Columbia Street

The 239 lottery apartments had nine rents, from $777 to $2,668 a month, and the lowest minimum income in the listing is $30,446 a year.

Monthly rent and yearly income range by apartment type
Apartments	Rent	People	Yearly income
24 studios, 40% AMI	$777	1 to 2	$30,446 to $54,280
19 one-bedrooms, 40% AMI	$980	1 to 3	$37,920 to $61,080
24 two-bedrooms, 40% AMI	$1,165	2 to 5	$45,669 to $73,280
23 studios, 60% AMI	$1,243	1 to 2	$46,423 to $81,420
51 one-bedrooms, 60% AMI	$1,563	1 to 3	$57,909 to $91,620
37 two-bedrooms, 60% AMI	$1,864	2 to 5	$69,635 to $109,920
21 studios, 100% AMI	$1,779	1 to 2	$64,800 to $135,700
16 one-bedrooms, 100% AMI	$2,233	1 to 3	$80,880 to $152,700
24 two-bedrooms, 100% AMI	$2,668	2 to 5	$97,200 to $183,200

Showing the first 4 of 9 rows. View allCollapse table

What it means: a two-bedroom rented for $1,165, $1,864 or $2,668 depending on income level.

Source: Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572, read October 8, 2026. The top of each range is for the largest household allowed.

Household size	40% AMI maximum	60% AMI maximum	100% AMI maximum
1 person	$47,520	$71,280	$118,800
2 people	$54,280	$81,420	$135,700
3 people	$61,080	$91,620	$152,700
4 people	$67,840	$101,760	$169,600
5 people	$73,280	$109,920	$183,200

What it means: no apartment took a household of more than five.

Source: the same listing; the figures match HPD's 2026 income chart.

Where a household could fall between levels, using the listing's figures of October 8, 2026

Under $30,446below the lowest minimum, unless the household has a rental subsidy.
Four people at $67,841 to $69,634over the 40% maximum and under the 60% two-bedroom minimum.
Asset limits$67,840 at 40% AMI, $101,760 at 60% and $169,600 at 100%, in Housing Connect's advertisement table.

Key pointthe listing says "Tenant is responsible for electricity, which includes an electric stove." It does not say who pays for heat and hot water, and HPD's review describes all-electric heating. Ask Reside New York.

Watch outfour statements in print differ from the listing. Reside New York's page, archived June 15, 2026, gives $81,240, not $81,420, as the two-person maximum at 60% AMI. New York YIMBY gave the deadline as August 19, 2026 and wrote of "60 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income". Brick Underground listed three-bedroom apartments.

Two photographs side by side: at the left an empty L-shaped kitchen with flat grey cabinets, black handles, a white counter, a marble-pattern tile backsplash, a stainless-steel refrigerator, a smooth-top electric range and a range hood on light wood-look plank flooring; at the right an empty long living room with white walls, the same flooring, large windows on two walls, a white unit under the far window and an electrical panel on the right wall — A kitchen and a living room at 498 Columbia Street, in two photographs from the Housing Connect listing. The listing does not say which apartments are shown. Photo: NYC Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572, lottery listing photographs, via NYC Housing Connect (two upright photographs reduced, cropped and placed side by side).

Which Rents a CityFHEPS or Section 8 Voucher Reaches

All nine rents are under the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for the same apartment size, and the closest, the $2,668 two-bedroom, is $329 under.

The listing names HPD and HDC as its agencies, so this was a city lottery on NYC Housing Connect and 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." It names CityFHEPS and Section 8 vouchers from HPD or NYCHA.

Lowest and highest monthly rent at 498 Columbia Street against the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for that apartment size, in dollars

Lowest rent (40% AMI)Highest rent (100% AMI)CityFHEPS maximum

Studio

$777

$1,779

$2,604

1 bedroom

$980

$2,233

$2,734

2 bedrooms

$1,165

$2,668

$2,997

View the data table

Apartment size	Lowest rent (40% AMI)	Highest rent (100% AMI)	CityFHEPS maximum
Studio	$777	$1,779	$2,604
1 bedroom	$980	$2,233	$2,734
2 bedrooms	$1,165	$2,668	$2,997

What it means: the 100% AMI apartments are $825, $501 and $329 under the maximum, from studio to two-bedroom.

Source: rents from the Housing Connect listing; maximums from DSS-8r, effective April 1, 2026, all utilities included.

Watch outthe maximums assume the rent covers all utilities. Here tenants pay for electricity, so a voucher program subtracts a utility allowance. DSS-8r's 2026 allowance for electricity with a cooking range is $111 for a studio, $126 for a one-bedroom and $167 for a two-bedroom. That leaves $2,493, $2,608 and $2,830, by VoucherMatch's subtraction, and every rent is still under.

Your maximum follows your household. DSS-8r sets it by family size: the studio amount for one person, the one-bedroom amount for one or two, the two-bedroom amount for three or four.
No credit check with a subsidy: the FAQ says "Applicants qualifying with rental subsidy are not subject to a credit check or review of rental history."
Guides: CityFHEPS vs Section 8, Section 8 payment standards in NYC for 2026 and Section 8 utility allowances in NYC.

How the Rents Compare With Typical Rents in ZIP Code 11231

Every advertised rent is below what HUD estimates an ordinary apartment costs in ZIP code 11231, by $1,792 to $3,295 a month.

Lowest and highest monthly rent at 498 Columbia Street against HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 11231, in dollars

Lowest rent (40% AMI)Highest rent (100% AMI)HUD fair market rent, ZIP 11231

Studio

$777

$1,779

$3,890

1 bedroom

$980

$2,233

$4,100

2 bedrooms

$1,165

$2,668

$4,460

View the data table

Apartment size	Lowest rent (40% AMI)	Highest rent (100% AMI)	HUD fair market rent, ZIP 11231
Studio	$777	$1,779	$3,890
1 bedroom	$980	$2,233	$4,100
2 bedrooms	$1,165	$2,668	$4,460

What it means: the 100% AMI two-bedroom is $1,792 under HUD's figure and the 40% AMI two-bedroom is $3,295 under it.

Source: rents from the Housing Connect listing; fair market rents from HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027, in effect since October 1, 2026. HUD's figure is its estimate of the 40th-percentile rent in the ZIP code with utilities included.

Utilities: HUD's figure includes all utilities and rents here leave out electricity, so the real gap is smaller than the chart shows.
Apartments in this ZIP code: see voucher apartments in ZIP 11231.

How Columbia Commons I Was Financed

HDC's memorandum of November 18, 2024 put the expected total development cost at $231,463,576, and city property records show nine mortgages on the lot dated December 19, 2024.

Item in HDC's memorandum	Amount
Expected total development cost	$231,463,576
Expected HDC construction financing	$91,450,000
Expected HDC permanent financing	$27,885,000
Expected HDC second mortgage	$20,000,000
Senior loan, not to exceed	$101,425,000
Subordinate loan, not to exceed	$22,000,000

What it means: the memorandum names Richman Housing LLC as syndicator, TD Bank as lead investor and Citibank, N.A. as provider of a stand-by letter of credit during construction.

Source: HDC's memorandum of November 18, 2024, loan chart and Attachment 4.

Recorded document	Amount
Mortgage to HDC	$72,957,505
Mortgage to HDC	$49,571,168
Mortgage to HDC	$38,838,832
Mortgage to HDC	$20,000,000
Mortgage to HDC	$5,726,000
Mortgage to HDC	$5,000,000
Mortgage to Red Hook Building C Developer LLC	$11,914,972
Mortgage to Red Hook Building C Developer LLC	$4,981,817
Mortgage to Red Hook Building C Developer LLC	$1,692,114

What it means: the six mortgages to HDC add up to $192,093,505 and the other three to $18,588,903, by VoucherMatch's addition.

Source: ACRIS records for Brooklyn block 579, lot 3, documents dated December 19, 2024.

Project-based vouchers: HPD's review expected vouchers "allocated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)" somewhere in the three-building plan. Housing Connect's advertisement table marks none of the 239 lottery apartments as project-based.
Affordability term: no regulatory agreement was opened.

Preferences, Building Features and Extra Costs

The lottery set aside 5% and 2% of apartments for applicants with disabilities and gave preference for 20% and 10% to two other groups.

Set-asides and preferences in the listing

5%set aside for applicants with a mobility disability.
2%set aside for applicants with a vision or hearing disability.
20%preference for residents of Brooklyn Community Board 6. Brick Underground wrote that the developers "set aside 50 percent"; 6sqft reported 20.
10%preference for municipal employees and military veterans.

What the building has: listed, extra cost, restricted, not stated

Listed on Housing Connect"a security guard, outdoor terrace, community room", plus bike storage lockers, a shared laundry room, energy-efficient appliances, high-speed internet, security cameras, an intercom and an elevator.
In HPD's review"a 10-space accessory parking garage" and "Outdoor recreation space" above its roof.
Extra costtenants pay for electricity. The listing gives no price for laundry, bike storage or parking.
Restricted"No pets are allowed with the exception of service pets." Reside New York's archived page lists the building as "Smoke Free".
Not statedapartment sizes in square feet, who pays for heat and hot water, and whether lottery tenants can use the garage.

Two photographs side by side: at the left an empty bedroom with white walls, light wood-look plank flooring, white double closet doors with black handles and a two-pane window with a white unit set into the wall beneath it; at the right a bathroom with large grey stone-look tile on the floor and walls, wood-look tile around a white bathtub, black fixtures, a white toilet, and a small vanity and mirrored cabinet in a wood finish under a bar light — A bedroom and a bathroom at 498 Columbia Street, in two photographs from the Housing Connect listing. Photo: NYC Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572, lottery listing photographs, via NYC Housing Connect (two upright photographs reduced, cropped and placed side by side).

Watch outthe listing's photographs show a unit under the living room and bedroom windows, and its amenity list does not mention air conditioning.

What Happens After the Lottery and Where Openings Are Posted

Applications for the 239 apartments were due August 28, 2026, and HPD's guide says applicants may hear back "within two to twelve months after the deadline".

How the 239 apartments are filled, in HPD's words

1Log numbers"After the deadline, all of the applications are put into a random order and assigned a log number."
2Reviewthe developer reviews them "in log number order (starting with those who meet preference categories)".
3Documents"If your log number comes up, the developer will contact you to submit documents."
4Timingtwo to twelve months after August 28, 2026 runs from late October 2026 to late August 2027, by VoucherMatch's count.

What it means: October 8, 2026 is 41 days after the deadline, and the guide adds "you may not be contacted, even if you could have qualified."

Source: HPD, "Applying for Affordable Housing", June 2020.

If you applied, have these ready

Identity. a driver's license, state ID or IDNYC card
Income. pay stubs and tax returns
Address and assets. 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. your shopping letter or voucher, showing the rent it covers

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

Source: the first four items follow the Housing Connect FAQ; the voucher line is VoucherMatch's addition.

Where openings are posted

Housing Connectcity lotteries are posted at housingconnect.nyc.gov.
Re-rentalsthe FAQ says apartments vacated after first leasing "may be made available for applicants outside of Housing Connect", and points to HPD's re-rentals page and HDC's re-rental search.
Reside New YorkHPD's re-rentals page lists the marketing agent among the managers to contact about vacancies. Its listings page has a group labelled "Open for Application", and its contact page gives 718-387-4448.

What Is Published and What Is Not

As of October 8, 2026, the rents, income ranges and preferences are on record, and three things a tenant would ask are not.

Known and not yet known

Not publishedhow many of the 239 apartments have been leased, a move-in date, and whether the building will keep a waiting list.
No longer onlinethe development website named in the listing, a page on residenewyork.com, returned "Page not found" on October 8, 2026.
Whom to askReside New York, or 311: HPD's guide says to "ask for the Affordable Housing Hotline."

If You Need an Apartment Now

No application for the block was found open on October 8, 2026, so a household that needs to move this year has to look at other buildings.

2 bedrooms apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — Brooklyn apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to 498 Columbia Street first

1 bedroom apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — Brooklyn apartments on VoucherMatch that take vouchers, nearest to 498 Columbia Street first

Voucher in hand: browse Section 8 apartments in Brooklyn and CityFHEPS apartments in Brooklyn, or narrow to CityFHEPS apartments in Red Hook.
No voucher yet: read how to get a housing voucher in NYC.
No voucher and a low income: low-income apartments lists income-based buildings where the application goes to the building.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent at Columbia Commons I in Red Hook?

Studios were $777, $1,243 or $1,779 a month. One-bedrooms were $980, $1,563 or $2,233, and two-bedrooms $1,165, $1,864 or $2,668. Tenants pay for electricity.

How much do you have to earn for 498 Columbia Street?

The listing's ranges run from $30,446 a year for a $777 studio to $183,200 for five people in a $2,668 two-bedroom.

Can I use CityFHEPS or Section 8 at Columbia Commons I?

All nine advertised rents are under the 2026 CityFHEPS maximum for their size. The Housing Connect FAQ says "Minimum income requirements do not apply if you have a voucher or a rental subsidy."

Was 498 Columbia Street on NYC Housing Connect?

Yes. It was lottery 7572, named "COLUMBIA COMMONS I", for 239 apartments, with applications due August 28, 2026.

Is Columbia Street Commons the same as Columbia Commons I?

Yes. HDC's memorandums call 498 Columbia Street "Columbia Street Building C" and "Columbia Street Commons I".

Is there a Columbia Commons II?

No document opened uses that name. City records show two more buildings planned for the block, at 35 Otsego Street and 22 Lorraine Street. Neither had a Housing Connect listing or a general construction permit on October 8, 2026.

Are the rents at 498 Columbia Street below market?

Yes. Every advertised rent is at least $1,792 below HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 11231, which runs from $3,890 for a studio to $4,460 for a two-bedroom.

Sources for this article (21)

Housing Connect listing for lottery 7572 (housingconnect.nyc.gov)
Affordable Housing Production by Building (data.cityofnewyork.us)
May 28, 2024 (nychdc.com)
November 18, 2024 (nychdc.com)
environmental review of the Columbia Street Redevelopment, CEQR 24HPD039K (a002-ceqraccess.nyc.gov)
floodplain notice of June 20, 2024 (nyc.gov)
area median income page (nyc.gov)
archived June 15, 2026 (web.archive.org)
New York Real Estate Journal (nyrej.com)
July 3 (newyorkyimby.com)
July 14, 2026 (newyorkyimby.com)
6sqft (6sqft.com)
Brick Underground (brickunderground.com)
Housing Connect FAQ (housingconnect.nyc.gov)
Applying for Affordable Housing (nyc.gov)
DSS-8r (nyc.gov)
Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
housingconnect.nyc.gov (housingconnect.nyc.gov)
re-rentals page (nyc.gov)
re-rental search (nychdc.com)
listings page (residenewyork.com)

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Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected