Agency, Developer Wrestle Over Atlantic Yards Affordability

A look at negotiations between developer Forest City Ratner and New York City's Housing and Development Corporation around the Atlantic Yards project shows that there will be less housing units set-aside for low-income families than promised.

1 minute read

September 3, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Citylimitsorg


"Announced in 2005 during a time of rising rents, an explosion of luxury condos, and gentrification pressures in Central Brooklyn, Forest City Ratner's promise of 2,250 'affordable' units in the Atlantic Yards project was a political masterstroke. Announced with the support of the community group ACORN, it gained kudos from numerous elected officials, like Council Member (and now Public Advocate) Bill de Blasio."

However, as "[t]he much-delayed first housing tower..., where half the 363 units have long been promised for "affordable housing," seems poised to get millions in city housing bonds," it's becoming apparent that promises for the amount of family-sized units, and their affordability, will fall well short of promises made by the developer.

Thanks to Nekoro Gomes

Monday, August 27, 2012 in The Brooklyn Bureau

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

7 hours ago - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

April 22 - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

April 22 - Urban Edge