Apartments Planned at Former Lincoln Correctional Site Are Unaffordable, Harlem Lawmakers Say

"New York State is planning to build 105 'co-op style' apartments at the former Lincoln Correctional Facility site on West 110th Street in Harlem, requiring just a 5 percent down payment to purchase—offering 'an invaluable opportunity to build wealth through property ownership,' officials said when announcing the plan in December.

But local elected officials say the units are still priced too high for the neighborhood, where they say housing costs have spiked in recent years. They’re calling for The Empire State Development Corporation, which is overseeing the “Seneca” redevelopment plan, to halt the project until committing to deeper affordability levels.

'Children of families that have lived in Harlem for generations go off to college and are stuck with nowhere to live upon their return, because of the skyrocketing prices,' State Sen. Cordell Cleare said in a statement last week, after holding a rally alongside Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs and Councilmember Yusef Salaam, who also represent the area."