I didn’t think much about it because the system itself is kind of mindless: You fill out your income details one time when first setting up your profile and then simply hit “Apply” whenever a building in your income bracket comes up.<\/p>\n
By that point, I’d applied to dozens of buildings and none had ever panned out. My randomly assigned log numbers \u2014 which determine the order in which leasing agents contact applicants \u2014 were always in the five- or six-digit range. In other words, hopeless.<\/p>\n
After all, winning the NYC affordable-housing lottery is a numbers game. In 2024, a Department of Housing Preservation and Development representative told BI<\/a> that the department receives about 3.5 million applications a year and that, on average, there are 450 applications per rental unit.<\/p>\n I hadn’t even bothered to check my log number for this building before I was called for it \u2014 it turned out I was number 41. I waved off my then-boyfriend’s suggestion that we go to the beach and instead spent the Fourth of July collecting all the documents required to verify my income.<\/p>\n A week later, I was contacted to view an apartment. Three months after that, I was moving into the high-rise building<\/a> of my dreams.<\/p>\n Through the program, I snagged a one-bedroom apartment in a coveted neighborhood for $2,295<\/p>\n A photo of an earlier, less cramped version of my apartment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Caralynn Matassa<\/p>\n At the time, I was living in a large rent-stabilized one-bedroom in Brooklyn for $1,250 \u2014 it was a steal, and I figured I would stay there forever.<\/p>\n So the lottery apartment’s rent ($2,295), though supposedly “affordable” for those of us making 130% of the Area Median Income (or “AMI”)<\/a>, made me queasy. Technically, I could afford it, but it meant slashing my disposable income and ability to save.<\/p>\n But when I looked at the details, it was clearly the right move: This would be by far the best neighborhood<\/a> and nicest apartment I’d ever lived in. <\/p>\n It would also be the first time in my entire life I’d ever had a washer, dryer, and dishwasher in my home, let alone access to building amenities like a pool, coworking spaces<\/a>, and even an arcade.<\/p>\n My apartment costs less than the going market rate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Caralynn Matassa<\/p>\n My Brooklyn apartment, on the flip side, was in an unkempt pre-war building where the only “amenity” to speak of was a heating pipe that whistled so loudly it sounded like a plane was taking off in my bedroom.<\/p>\n Despite a price that’s probably eye-watering to people who live outside the city, the new 800-square-foot apartment was also a great deal for its location.<\/p>\n At the time I signed my lease, the median asking rent for a one-bedroom in that neighborhood was at least $1,000 more. <\/p>\n For 2021 Caralynn, it was perfect. Then, that boyfriend became my husband \u2014 and a permanent resident of the apartment \u2014 and shortly after, my one-person, one-dog household became three people and one dog when our daughter was born in late 2022.<\/p>\n The apartment still worked for us during the infant stage after we made a few minor modifications and I forced my maximalist self to adopt a minimalist perspective<\/a>. <\/p>\n But now, with a toddler and a whole lot of toys, things are feeling decidedly less spacious.<\/p>\n Over the years, we’ve had to get creative with the space<\/p>\n Three of the many incarnations of the apartment’s nook.\u00a0<\/p>\n Caralynn Matassa<\/p>\n Since my daughter was born, the apartment has gone through every conceivable configuration.<\/p>\n We’ve trialed dine-in kitchen<\/a> setups versus separate dining spaces in the living area and tried creating a tiny bedroom for my daughter in my onetime office nook instead of all sharing one bedroom. <\/p>\n My husband and I also once carved out part of the living room as our sleeping space \u2014 a pseudo second bedroom \u2014 to give our daughter the bedroom, too. <\/p>\n We’ve rearranged our space a lot over the years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Caralynn Matassa<\/p>\n I’ve spent countless hours researching Murphy beds<\/a>. The only place we haven’t tried putting our couch is on the ceiling.<\/p>\n Still, giving this apartment up for a modicum more space feels foolish. When I moved, it wasn’t with the idea that this was the neighborhood where I’d raise my kids, but it’s actually one of the most family-friendly areas in the city.<\/p>\n We have great schools, tons of parks, access to multiple subway lines, and even a Trader Joe’s practically at our doorstep.<\/p>\n I try to find furniture that serves more than one purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n Caralynn Matassa<\/p>\n And while the crowded space is occasionally overstimulating for me and my late-diagnosed ADHD<\/a>, the apartment is still workable. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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