Affordable NYC housing - help!

Affordable is probably a relative term. Are you looking to rent or buy? A room or a whole apartment? Makes a difference if you're thinking family or you're looking to live alone.

I was told that finding a cheap apartment is non-existent, unless you are on a low-income housing program. I know a friend who waited three years to get such an apartment. She now lives in a low-income housing project near the Upper East Side. This proves that there is affordable housing. You may just have to wait a while to get it. Of course, affordable depends on how you look at it. What is affordable to you compared to the prices being offered in the city?

Astoria and Brooklyn Heights seemed pretty popular destinations for a time, though I don't know how the prices have changed now. People in rent-controlled apartments hold on to them for dear life, and such places don't go on the market unless somebody actually dies. Really tough, but sometimes you get lucky taking over someone's place who wants to relocate. But those are isolated stories and there's no guide o how to do it. In college I started out as a roommate in a three-bedroom apartment where roommates were students and changed frequently. By graduation time I had been there longest and had the option of changing the apartment into my name next time the lease was up for renewal. As with finding jobs, cheap living options are a matter of networking!

What would be the cheapest neighborhoods to rent and or buy? And average prices?

Well, if you like the Bronx, many places up there are not too expensive. I used to rent an apartment there for $750 a month. I left because the area got violent with gangs forming. I was also told by a friend that some places in Queens is good, but can't confirm that.

Inwood and Washington Heights are also still relatively affordable compared to other parts of the city check out the rental figures for various NYC neighborhoods for the end of 2009 at http://curbed.com/archives/2009/12/08/manhattan_rental_market_finally_headed_for_flat_terrain.php.

I have a friend who lives in Inwood. She pays about $1500 for a two bedroom apartment. Compared to other parts of the city, that is very reasonable.

Is the city going to change the law regarding low-rent housing? I heard from someone that the city was going to stop that program. Is this possible?

If you move into a neighborhood that is relatively close to low income housing projects (not including those in Alphabet City), you will find the rent generally pretty cheap - such as that of Bushwick or Bed-Stuy. Though it now seems like building owners are taking advantage of the gentrification of Bushwick to raise rents. However, neighborhoods like these probably aren't the safest and precautions should be taken. Generally, affordable rent in NYC means that you are either living a) far from Manhattan or b) in a not-so-nice neighborhood.

All of above is generally true, and though rents are high, they've been going down recently by a few percentage points. Blame it on the recession, but if you're employed, now's a good time to renegotiate that lease to your great advantage.

@Uraniumfish Any suggestions on how to go about renegotiating a lease? Or just negotiating one? Ever done it? I always feel like landlords have the advantage, as they can always find someone else to move in, but I know plenty of people who have done this so I know it's entirely possible.

Best thing to do is not to be mousy about it. I could imagine starting with a pity plea for example: "Times are so hard, and it's gotten so tough lately, and I've heard rents are going down all over the city, man oh man what a big difference it would make if..." You could also try the more extreme version: "Times are tough and I might have to move out to save on rent, so, since everybody's doing it how about you Mr. Landlord?" It's probably good to think about how it's a pain for a landlord to lose a tenant, he has to go looking for someone new, and if you're likeable and considerate, it could be worth the landlord's time to give you some incentives to keep you.It seems legitimate to broach the subject, especially if you've got the "Everybody's doing it" argument and maybe a couple of statistics or hard observations about your immediate area that support this.

In the building where I live, there is such a long waiting list that if I complain the slightest about my rent being too high, my landlord will just find an excuse to evict me and that will be that, so I just keep quiet until I decide to leave the city for good. Currently, I do not know when that will be. Maybe not till later in the year. But when I do, it will be where I can make it better financially.

@hhusted I can relate to that, though I know if you look around enough you can find a landlord who actually wants a good tenant. Those are likely the only types of landlords that will listen to your grievances.

@ BroadwayBK Been reading of a lot of cases of people trading up: same rent but more space, or better neighborhood. Or better rent for the same kind of place. If you're adamant or maybe just have a decent relationship with your landlord, you might be able to make a good case. Probably would help to research similar kinds of places so you have some statistics to back you. If I were a landlord I wouldn't agree to a lower rent unless I had the feeling I might not get that amount of money from anyone else either. so if you can convince your landlord that no one else would pay that amount either, maybe...

@Uraniumfish Part of the problem is that I live in Bushwick on the brink of Williamsburg and there is something of an influx of new hipster residents.It seems like landlords won't go lower because they know someone is going to pay what they want. Though I am trying.

Yeah that's tricky. Don't know if it helps that even the hipsters would feel the economic crunch.

I read in one of NYC papers recently that those who own properities in NYC will be allowed to raise their rents again this year and next year. I think the percentage is 3% and 5% but I'm not sure. Anyone hear about the rent increase?

@Uraniumfish I'm not sure all hipsters do feel the economic crunch. They just seem to spend so much money! I mean, to be a hipster is to spend money (on costumes and bar outings).

They always ruin the neighborhood, don't they?

I don't know; some cool things have sprung up in Williamsburg, commodity-wise. They do drive the rents way up, there's no denying that.

Just joking. I do like what an influx of young hip people does to a neighborhood, and those are obviously the rich vibrant places you'd want to live. Williamsburg's great because of what the hipsters have done to the place.