Home is Where the Lot is: HPD Launches Transformation of East Village Parking Lot into 100 Percent Affordable Housing

December 11, 2024

Extensive Community Engagement Campaign Begins for 324 East 5th Street

The East Village Development Marks the Latest Step in Mayor Adams' Ambitious '24 in 24' Plan to Advance 24 Affordable Housing Projects on Public Sites in 2024

New York, NY - The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. today announced plans to redevelop a city-owned parking lot at 324 East 5th Street in the East Village into 100 percent affordable housing, beginning with an extensive community engagement campaign for the new development project. The advancement of this project marks the latest steps in New York City Mayor Eric Adams' "24 in 24" plan to advance 24 affordable housing projects on public land in 2024.

"The continuation of the Mayor's '24 in 24' initiative is yet more proof that this administration refuses to sit idly by as a decades-long housing crisis impacts too many New Yorkers," said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. "324 East 5th St is a key example of how we're solving this housing crisis with common-sense strategies: we identified a city-owned parking lot in a high-service, transit-rich location, and will turn it into affordable housing, with the support of a local Council Member."

"A year ago, this administration set out to use land owned by the people of New York City to build affordable housing for the people of New York City," said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. "I am thrilled to see we completed our goal of advancing 24 affordable housing projects on public lands in 2024. The 324 East 5th Street RFP further proves this administration's commitment to creating community focused affordable housing everywhere it possibly can."

"The reuse of public land currently used for parking of city vehicles for affordable housing is exactly the right thing to do. We are excited to use this property owned by the taxpayers to confront our historic housing crisis in a creative and sustainable way," said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. "As is our policy and practice, we will engage with the host community, which is the neighborhood of my early years, to ensure that what gets built at 324 East 5th Street addresses local needs and aspirations. After all, this is the iconic Loisaida!"

324 East 5th Street is an 11,540 square-foot site in the heart of the East Village currently used as a parking lot by the New York City Police Department (NYPD)'s 9th Precinct. The city identified the parking lot for redevelopment based on its suitability as new housing, to follow through on commitments made in the SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan, and to capitalize on a continued desire to create more affordable housing in amenity-rich communities with few affordable housing opportunities. The site is located in a mixed-use neighborhood, close to transit, as well as great public spaces.

The process of creating new affordable housing at 324 East 5th Street begins with a robust community engagement process culminating with the creation of a community visioning report summarizing the community's input. Together with local stakeholders, HPD will lead an in-person community workshop, local tabling events, meetings with the local community board and stakeholders, and other activities, all while collecting responses through a questionnaire, available online and in print at each event. Community members, local organizations and residents are invited to provide feedback and suggestions via the questionnaire. Following the community visioning report, HPD will release a request for proposals (RFP) where affordable housing development teams may submit their proposed plans for the site. Responses from developers must be responsive to the community priorities laid out in the community visioning report. Additional information including updates on the process and upcoming public tabling events is available on the HPD website.

The 324 East 5th Street project is the latest steps in completing Mayor Adams' "24 in 24" plan, first announced in his State of the City address in January 2024. Through the plan, the Adams administration is advancing 24 affordable housing projects on public sites in 2024 to create or preserve over 12,000 units of housing through partnerships across HPD, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

So far in 2024, HPD has advanced affordable housing development on public land in the following ways:

1. Selecting a development team to construct approximately 116 homes for low-income families in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
2. Selecting a development team to construct approximately 90 affordable homes and a community theater in an all-electric building in Mott Haven, in the Bronx.
3. Releasing the Stebbins Avenue RFP to seek proposals for new affordable housing on a city-owned lot in the Crotona Park East neighborhood of the South Bronx.
4. Releasing the Nevins and Third RFP to seek proposals for new affordable housing on two city-owned parking lots in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn.
5. Launching the community engagement process to develop approximately 570 homes on city-owned land along the Harlem River waterfront in Inwood, Manhattan.
6. Launching the community engagement process for development of over 800 homes on city-owned land in Hunter's Point South, Queens.
7. Launching the community engagement process in partnership with The New York Public Library (NYPL) for the redevelopment the Grand Concourse Library with a brand-new library and affordable housing on top.

"Our community has been tirelessly fighting to protect and expand affordable housing in our neighborhoods to make sure families and seniors can afford to stay here," said New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera. "Our district has formed a strong coalition to welcome much needed homes into the area and we have secured a commitment to transform this underutilized parking lot into affordable housing. I am excited to begin the public engagement process and continue to work closely with the administration, advocates, and neighbors to secure resources to expand affordability and strengthen our communities."

The Adams administration's advancement of new affordable housing at 324 East 5th Street follows the City Council's recent passage of Mayor Adams' City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the most pro-housing set of zoning changes in the city's history, which will make the way for up to 80,000 new homes to be built across the city over the next 15 years. This allows the city to maximize the amount of affordable housing, including projects like 324 East 5th Street.

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) the nation's largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.