Bronx Commons launches housing lottery for 288 affordable apartments

The apartments are available to a wide range of income bands

Bronx Commons, a massive affordable housing development that's on the rise in Melrose, is on track to welcome its first residents close to the end of the year. The complex, which is being co-developed by WHEDco and BFC Partners, broke ground in 2017 and topped out at the beginning of this year, and now it's reached another milestone.

As of this week, the affordable housing lottery for the majority of the complex's apartments is now open, with 288 units up for grabs. The units that are available are in a wide range of sizes, from studios to three-bedrooms, and also hit a wide swath of income bands. At the lowest end of the spectrum—30 percent of the area median income—a studio may rent for $328/month for someone making between $13,646 and $21,930 per year. At the higher end—110 percent of the AMI—a three-bedroom may rent for $1,995/month for a household of six making between $71,795 and $133,100.

In total, the development will have 305 apartments—the remaining units that are not in the HPD lottery are set aside for the formerly homeless (and one for the building's on-site super). It's also amenity-packed, with on-site laundry, two outdoor spaces for residents, two new public plazas, bike storage, and parking among the perks.

But the project isn't just housing: It'll also be home to the Bronx Music Hall, a 14,000-square-foot community center, and a good chunk of ground-floor retail. It's also eco-friendly, with rooftop solar panels providing electricity.

The lottery is open until June 14, and residents are on track to move in by the end of this year. Bronx Commons is one of several big affordable housing projects—including the Peninsula, on the site of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, and the 1,000-unit La Central—currently on the rise in the borough.