Freedom Springs in Albany: 120 Affordable Apartments Going Up at 64 Colvin Avenue, Half Reserved for Veterans and Seniors

Published October 15, 202617 min readBy VoucherMatch Editorial Team

Rendering at dusk of a three-story apartment building with gray and tan siding, a wood-clad entrance bay with a round emblem and cars parked in front — Rendering of Freedom Springs Albany, 64 Colvin Avenue, from the City of Albany planning case file. Photo: Vecino Group project drawings, from the City of Albany planning case file, planning record, via albanyny.gov (cropped).

Quick answerAs of October 7, 2026, Freedom Springs Albany at 64 Colvin Avenue is under construction and has no public application. The three-story building will have 120 apartments: 98 one-bedrooms and 20 two-bedrooms for rent at 50%, 60% and 80% of area median income, plus two staff apartments. Sixty are reserved, 30 for veterans and 30 for seniors at risk of homelessness. No rents or opening date are published, and the building's website was behind a password on October 7, 2026.

Last checked: October 7, 2026, against the City of Albany Industrial Development Agency's project record, staff summary and residential tax agreement; Capitalize Albany Corporation's release of April 18, 2024; the City of Albany's planning case file for project P00484, its building permits and its property record; and HUD's 2026 income limits and fiscal year 2027 fair market rents. Rents and the application date are not published.

Freedom Springs Albany in numbers

120apartments, two of them for on-site staff
98 and 20one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms for rent
72, 34 and 12apartments at 50%, 60% and 80% of area median income
60reserved, 30 for veterans and 30 for seniors at risk of homelessness
$43,100 to $68,950HUD's 2026 income limits for one person at 50% and 80%
Under 0.1 milesto the route 712 bus on Colvin Avenue

What Freedom Springs Albany Is and Who Is Building It

Freedom Springs Albany is a new three-story apartment building with 120 apartments, set behind a one-story commercial building on a former parking lot at 64 Colvin Avenue.

Names: Freedom Springs Albany; 64 Colvin Avenue. The applicant is Freedom Springs Albany, LLC, which the April 2024 release calls "a subsidiary of The Vecino Group".
Team: the IDA record lists Vecino Group New York, LLC as owner and developer. The project drawings in the City's file name Vecino Construction, LLC.
Program: the IDA's staff summary says the project "will be funded in part through 4% low-income housing tax credits". It puts the investment at $46,331,841.
Who it is for: "thirty (30) will be reserved for veterans at risk of homelessness and an additional thirty (30) units will be reserved for Seniors at risk of homelessness. The remaining units will serve income qualifying residents that fall between 50% and 80% of the area median income."
Services: the release names Gateway Hudson Valley for the seniors and Albany Housing Coalition for the veterans.
How the plan shrank: the City's staff report records "a reduction in stories from 5 to 3" and "in the number of proposed dwelling units from 187 to 120" after the site was rezoned.

Question	One source	Another source
Size of the apartment building	±108,504 square feet (Planning Board decision)	112,000 square feet (April 2024 release); ±115,800 in two buildings (IDA record)
Commercial space	3,654 square feet (Planning Board decision)	3,600 (release); ±4,400 (IDA record)
Apartments at 60% or less	106 (City staff report; the plan's own rows add to 106)	112 (summary line on the same plan)
ZIP code	12206 (City permits; project drawings; Census geocoder)	12205 (City property record)

What it means: every source agrees on 120 apartments in three stories. This article uses 106, the figure the itemized rows support, and ZIP code 12206.

Source: City of Albany Planning Board decision of March 5, 2024, staff report and Inclusionary Housing Compliance Plan in project P00484; City of Albany IDA project record; Capitalize Albany Corporation release, April 18, 2024; City property record for tax parcel 53.74-2-14.

64 Colvin Avenue, from parking lot to construction

September 2023 to February 2024the plan goes before the City Planning Board three times.
January 15, 2024the developer signs the plan that lists the apartments by income level.
March 5, 2024the Planning Board approves a waiver for the building's entrance.
April 18, 2024the IDA board approves tax exemptions and a payment agreement.
July 22, 2024the City issues new-construction permits BLDG24-51111 for the apartments and BLDG24-51110 for the commercial building.
October 1, 2024the date of the residential tax agreement with the IDA.
January to October 2025permits for electrical service, plumbing, the fire alarm, heating and cooling, and sprinklers.
August 10, 2026the City issues two elevator permits, the latest on file.

What it means: the building has been under permit for more than two years. No certificate of occupancy appeared in the City's permit search on October 7, 2026.

Source: City of Albany planning case P00484; City of Albany IDA project record and residential payment in lieu of tax agreement; City of Albany permit portal, read October 7, 2026.

Aerial rendering of a site with a small flat-roofed commercial building at the street, a parking lot behind it and a long three-story apartment building at the back beside trees — Aerial rendering: the commercial building on Colvin Avenue in front, the apartment building behind. The white block is a neighboring building. Photo: Vecino Group project drawings, from the City of Albany planning case file, planning record, via albanyny.gov (cropped).

Where 64 Colvin Avenue Is

The site is on Colvin Avenue just off Central Avenue, on the same block as Colvin Avenue Commons at 60 Colvin Avenue, in the Upper Washington Avenue neighborhood.

Fact	Detail
Address	64 Colvin Avenue, Albany, NY 12206
Neighborhood association on the Planning Board decision	Upper Washington Avenue
Lot	3.66 acres, tax parcel 53.74-2-14
What was there	a 246-space parking lot that served the former Armory Garage showroom
Zoning	MU-NC, mixed-use neighborhood center
Nearest stop	Colvin Avenue and Anthony Street

What it means: this is the second new income-restricted building on the block. Colvin Avenue Commons at 60 Colvin Avenue was taking applications on October 6, 2026.

Source: City of Albany Planning Board decision, March 5, 2024, and staff report in project P00484; City property record; stop location from the Capital District Transportation Authority. The Census Bureau's geocoder places 64 Colvin Avenue in ZIP code 12206.

Street-level rendering of a one-story commercial building with a canopy beside a brick sidewalk, with a three-story apartment building in the distance and people walking — Rendering from the street: the one-story commercial building, with the apartments behind it. Photo: Vecino Group project drawings, from the City of Albany planning case file, planning record, via albanyny.gov (cropped).

Rents, Apartment Types and Income Limits

No rent is published, but the City's file lists every apartment by size and income level.

Freedom Springs Albany apartments by size and income level, from the developer's January 2024 plan

1 bedroom2 bedrooms

50% of area median income

60% of area median income

80% of area median income

View the data table

Income level	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms
50% of area median income	64	8
60% of area median income	24	10
80% of area median income	10	2

What it means: six of every ten rental apartments are at the 50% level, and there are no studios or three-bedrooms. The plan does not say which apartments are the 60 reserved for veterans and seniors.

Source: Inclusionary Housing Compliance Plan for Freedom Springs Albany, signed January 15, 2024, in City of Albany project P00484. It also lists two "non revenue" apartments for on-site staff, which brings the total to 120.

Household	50%, 2026	60%, 2026	80%, 2026
1 person	$43,100	$51,720	$68,950
2 people	$49,250	$59,100	$78,800
3 people	$55,400	$66,480	$88,650
4 people	$61,550	$73,860	$98,500

What it means: find your household size, then the highest column you fit under. Limits for 2027 will apply if the building leases next year. County figures are on the Albany County income limits page.

Source: HUD fiscal year 2026 income limits for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area (median family income $123,100). The 50% and 80% columns are HUD's; the 60% column is 1.2 times the 50% limit.

Monthly rents published in 2026 by two other new income-restricted buildings in Albany, in dollars

Colvin Avenue CommonsMosaic South

1 bedroom, 50%

$1,050

$1,013

1 bedroom, 60%

$1,271

$1,244

2 bedrooms, 50%

$1,264

$1,224

2 bedrooms, 60%

$1,529

$1,501

View the data table

Apartment and level	Colvin Avenue Commons	Mosaic South
1 bedroom, 50%	$1,050	$1,013
1 bedroom, 60%	$1,271	$1,244
2 bedrooms, 50%	$1,264	$1,224
2 bedrooms, 60%	$1,529	$1,501

What it means: at 60 Colvin Avenue a one-bedroom is $1,050 at 50% and $1,271 at 60%, and Mosaic South is within $40 of both.

Source: Regan Development's page for Colvin Avenue Commons and NYS Housing Search listing HCR000272 for Mosaic South, both read October 6, 2026. These are other buildings' rents, not Freedom Springs'. Colvin's rents include no utilities; Mosaic South's include water, sewer and trash removal.

Watch outthe release describes "an all-electric design". Nothing published says whether the rent will cover electricity, and in an all-electric building that bill includes heat and hot water.

Using a Section 8 Voucher at Freedom Springs Albany

No voucher policy is published, but the IDA's summary says the building uses low-income housing tax credits, and federal law bars such a building from refusing a renter for holding a voucher.

The rules, quoted

Federal tax-credit lawthe building's agreement must be one "which prohibits the refusal to lease to a holder of a voucher or certificate of eligibility under section 8" (26 U.S.C. 42(h)(6)(B)(iv)).
The Albany Housing Authority"The family may choose a unit with a higher rent than the payment standard and pay the owner the difference."
The federal limit on that differenceat move-in, "the family share must not exceed 40 percent of the family's adjusted monthly income" (24 CFR 982.508).

What it means: the income limit for each apartment still applies with a voucher.

Source: the statute and regulation linked above; City of Albany IDA staff summary; the Albany Housing Authority's voucher questions page.

The Albany Housing Authority does not post its payment standards. Its Section 8 Administrative Plan commits to keeping them "between 90 and 110 percent of the published FMR for each unit size".

The range a voucher payment standard must fall in, by apartment size: 90% and 110% of HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for the Albany area, in dollars a month

90% of HUD's rent110% of HUD's rent

1 bedroom

$1,283

$1,568

2 bedrooms

$1,540

$1,882

View the data table

Apartment	90% of HUD's rent	110% of HUD's rent
1 bedroom	$1,283	$1,568
2 bedrooms	$1,540	$1,882

What it means: the 50% and 60% rents at the two buildings above are all under the bottom of these ranges before utilities.

Source: HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rents for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area ($1,425 for one bedroom and $1,711 for two, utilities included), in effect since October 1, 2026; 90% and 110% calculated by VoucherMatch and rounded to the dollar.

Ask for the real number. Call the Authority at 518-641-7500 for the payment standard for your voucher size. See the Albany Section 8 guide.
Utilities count. What you pay yourself is added to the rent before it is compared with the standard. See how the utility allowance works.
A bigger apartment than your voucher. The Authority pays up to the standard for your voucher size, not the apartment's. See a two-bedroom with a one-bedroom voucher.
The State law is in court. On March 5, 2026 the appeals court that covers Albany held New York's source-of-income protection unconstitutional as it applies to Section 8; the Attorney General has appealed. The federal tax-credit rule is separate. See the Commons West ruling.

What Ordinary Apartments Rent for in ZIP Code 12206

HUD's estimate of an ordinary rent in ZIP code 12206 is $1,420 for a one-bedroom and $1,700 for a two-bedroom, utilities included, within $11 of its figures for the Albany area.

HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 12206 against its figure for the whole Albany area, in dollars a month

ZIP code 12206Albany area

1 bedroom

$1,420

$1,425

2 bedrooms

$1,700

$1,711

View the data table

Apartment	ZIP code 12206	Albany area
1 bedroom	$1,420	$1,425
2 bedrooms	$1,700	$1,711

What it means: a 50% one-bedroom at the price charged at 60 Colvin Avenue, $1,050, would be $370 under HUD's ordinary rent before utilities, and a 60% one-bedroom about $150 under.

Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents and metropolitan fair market rents for fiscal year 2027, each HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile rent with utilities included.

Why this matters before rents exist: it is the yardstick for judging the building's rents when they are posted.
The figure rose slightly. HUD's one-bedroom figure for 12206 went from $1,410 in fiscal year 2026 to $1,420 in 2027. The fair market rent change report covers other areas.

What the Building Will Have, and the Bus Lines

The plans call for full kitchens, a shared laundry room with hookups in each apartment, a fitness center and 86 parking spaces.

Published so far, and what is not

In the apartments"full kitchens, upgraded energy efficiency and other options", in the release. The staff report adds washer and dryer connections in each apartment.
Laundry"a shared laundry room on the first floor across from the gym and community room", in the staff report.
Shared spaces"86 parking spaces, a fitness center, building-wide wi-fi and a community room", in the release, and an outdoor play area in the staff report.
Bicycles14 covered spaces, plus racks outside.
Heating and coolingall-electric.
The front buildinga one-story commercial building on Colvin Avenue. The release says it will be "a Community Service Facility" serving people at the building's income levels.
Not publishedapartment sizes, finishes, pets, parking fees, and which utilities the rent covers.

Source: Capitalize Albany Corporation release, April 18, 2024; City of Albany planning staff report in project P00484.

Two color elevation drawings of a three-story apartment building with a brick base, white and blue siding and dark pitched roofs — Two elevations of the apartment building, from sheet A201 of the project drawings in the City of Albany planning case file. Photo: Vecino Group project drawings, from the City of Albany planning case file, planning record, via albanyny.gov (cropped and placed on a white background).

Stop	Lines	Straight-line distance
Colvin Avenue and Anthony Street	route 712	under 0.1 miles
Central Avenue and Colvin Avenue	routes 1 and 807	about 0.2 miles
West Mall Station, Central Avenue at Hannaford Plaza	BusPlus Red Line; routes 1, 712 and 807	about 0.2 miles

What it means: a local bus stops at the site, and the Red Line on Central Avenue is a short walk.

Source: stops and routes from the Capital District Transportation Authority's schedule data, valid September 20 to November 28, 2026; distances calculated by VoucherMatch in a straight line from the address, so the walk is longer.

How to Apply to Freedom Springs Albany

There is no public application yet: the building's website is locked, and no leasing phone number or manager has been published.

What you can do now

1Check your incomefind your household in the table above. One person qualifies for a 50% apartment up to $43,100, a 60% apartment up to $51,720 and an 80% apartment up to $68,950.
2Watch the building's sitefreedomspringsalbany.com asked for a password on October 7, 2026.
3Watch the State's siteNYS Housing Search lists buildings financed by the State's housing agency. This one was not listed there on October 5, 2026.
4Veterans and seniorsno source says how the 60 reserved apartments will be filled. The services named are from Albany Housing Coalition for veterans and Gateway Hudson Valley for seniors.
5Apply down the block nowColvin Avenue Commons at 60 Colvin Avenue was taking applications on October 6, 2026.

What to expect, and what is not published

Nowunder construction; nothing to apply to.
Before openingthe owner has pledged to "engage in good faith marketing and public advertising efforts" for the apartments on its City plan.
Not publishedthe opening date, the manager, how applicants will be ordered, and any preference beyond the two reserved groups.

What it means: 58 of the 118 rental apartments are not reserved for veterans or seniors. That is arithmetic from the published counts.

Source: freedomspringsalbany.com, checked October 7, 2026; NYS Housing Search, list read October 5, 2026; Inclusionary Housing Compliance Plan in City project P00484; Capitalize Albany Corporation release, April 18, 2024.

What to have ready when applications open

Income for every adult. recent pay stubs, benefit letters and your latest tax return
Everyone who will live there. names and dates of birth
Assets. bank and other account statements
Rental subsidy. your voucher and your housing agency's contact details

Source: VoucherMatch's list, built from what a tax-credit building has to verify: income and household size against the limits above. No document list has been published for this building.

What Is Known and What Is Not Yet Published

The apartment count, the mix by income level, the reserved share and the permits are on the record; the rents, the opening date and the way in are not.

Known and not yet known, as of October 7, 2026

Known120 apartments; 98 one-bedrooms and 20 two-bedrooms for rent at 50%, 60% and 80% of area median income.
Known60 reserved for veterans and seniors at risk of homelessness; construction permits since July 22, 2024.
Not publishedany rent, and which utilities are included.
Not publishedthe opening date. The latest permits, for two elevators, are dated August 10, 2026.
Not publishedthe manager, the application route, and how the reserved apartments are filled.

If You Need an Apartment Sooner

Freedom Springs has no application yet, so apply elsewhere now.

Albany Housing Authority sites: on October 5, 2026 the Authority's application page said it was taking applications for Capital Woods Apartments, Ida Yarbrough Phase II and Steamboat 20, and for public housing since August 31, 2026. Its voucher list was closed. See Section 8 and public housing compared.
No voucher yet: check which waiting lists are open and read how Section 8 lotteries work.
Nearby housing authorities: the New York directory lists each one's phone number, and the New York Section 8 page covers the State's rules.
Already have a voucher elsewhere: see how portability works. For income-based buildings where you apply directly, see low-income apartments.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Freedom Springs Albany open?

No date is published. Construction permits were issued on July 22, 2024, and two elevator permits on August 10, 2026. No certificate of occupancy appeared in the City's permit search on October 7, 2026.

How much will rent be at Freedom Springs Albany?

It is not published. Colvin Avenue Commons, on the same block, lists one-bedrooms at $1,050 for the 50% level and $1,271 for 60%.

How much can you earn and still qualify for Freedom Springs?

It depends on the apartment. Under HUD's 2026 limits, one person can earn up to $43,100 for a 50% apartment, $51,720 for 60% and $68,950 for 80%. Two people can earn up to $49,250, $59,100 and $78,800.

Is Freedom Springs only for veterans?

No. Thirty apartments are reserved for veterans at risk of homelessness and 30 for seniors at risk of homelessness. The remaining rental apartments are for households that meet the income limits.

Will Freedom Springs take Section 8?

No policy is published. The IDA's summary says the building uses low-income housing tax credits, and federal law bars such a building from refusing a renter for holding a voucher.

How do you apply to Freedom Springs Albany?

You cannot apply yet. The building's website asked for a password on October 7, 2026, and no manager or leasing phone number has been published.

Who is building Freedom Springs Albany?

Vecino Group New York, LLC is the owner and developer on the IDA's record. The applicant, Freedom Springs Albany, LLC, is a Vecino subsidiary.

Sources for this article (17)

project record (albanyida.com)
staff summary (albanyida.com)
residential tax agreement (albanyida.com)
release of April 18, 2024 (capitalizealbany.com)
planning case file (albanyny.gov)
building permits (albanyny-energovpub.tylerhost.net)
property record (albanyny.mapgeo.io)
Colvin Avenue Commons (regandevelopment.com)
26 U.S.C. 42(h)(6)(B)(iv) (law.cornell.edu)
24 CFR 982.508 (law.cornell.edu)
voucher questions page (albanyhousing.org)
Section 8 Administrative Plan (albanyhousing.org)
Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
schedule data (cdta.org)
freedomspringsalbany.com (freedomspringsalbany.com)
NYS Housing Search (housingsearch.hcr.ny.gov)
application page (albanyhousing.org)

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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