In Far Rockaway, affordable apartments in passive house complex up for grabs

A truly affordable housing lottery, offering more than 100 apartments for New Yorkers across a wide swath of income bands—and with apartments renting for as low as $360/month—has opened in Far Rockaway.

The building is part of the Beach Green Dunes complex, located on Rockaway Beach Boulevard close to the Beach 44th Street subway stop. The larger complex was designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects to passive house standards, meaning that the buildings—there are two—have many sustainable elements. In addition to making the projects more energy-efficient, the design (which includes bioswales and solar panels on the roof) also makes them better able to withstand the elements—a necessity given the complex’s waterfront location. The first building in the complex opened its affordable housing lottery in 2016, and opened to the public in 2017.

As for the apartments themselves, they’re available for New Yorkers making between 30 and 100 percent of the area median income (AMI), meaning they run the gamut from $331/month for a studio, to $1,910 for a three-bedroom, depending on the income band. Most of the apartments are open in the higher income bands—60 to 100 percent of the AMI.

Building amenities include a courtyard, a laundry room, bike storage, and on-site parking. The lottery is open until May 17.