An angry City Council member Monday blasted a de Blasio administration-backed "affordable housing" project in Queens for allowing rent on a "discounted" one-bedroom to top out at $2,700 per month.
That's simply not affordable, Queens Councilman Costa Costantinides said.
The push-back came one week after the City Planning Commission gave approval to the Astoria Cove project, which calls for 345 of the planned 1,723 apartments — 20 percent — to be set aside as affordable.
But of those lower-cost units, only 10 percent are guaranteed to be priced for "low income" New Yorkers — leaving the developer with significant flexibility to target moderate- and middle-income residents.
"It's something that's deeply concerning to me," said Costantinides, whose district includes the proposed project overlooking the East River in Hallets Point.
"It's out of reach for a large part of my constituency when we have a median income of $56,000," he added. "We're going to make sure that when they're building affordable, they're actually affordable to residents of our community."
City officials stood by the deal as a first-of-its kind arrangement that secured permanent affordable housing through zoning changes rather than with hefty taxpayer subsidies.
They said the developer has the option of making the entire 20 percent block of affordable units priced for "low income" families of four that earn less than $67,000 annually. A one-bedroom under that option would cost about $1,250 per month.
It's only if the developer agrees to add more affordable units that some of the rents would be hiked to $2,000 for moderate-income households, and $2,700 for middle-income residents.
"This is a game-changing moment for the city," said City Hall spokesman Wiley Norvell. "For the first time, affordable housing will be delivered not to satisfy some tax credit or financial windfall, but just for the right to build on the land."
The group behind the proposal, 2030 Astoria Developers, declined to comment.
While the project includes construction of a waterfront esplanade, a public elementary school and a supermarket, it failed to win the support of the local community board and of Queens Borough President Melinda Katz.
Both groups cited the need for more affordable housing — as well as concerns over traffic, lack of public transportation, and other issues.
But even Katz applauded the city's effort to introduce what's known as mandatory inclusionary zoning.
"It is a critical first step towards the goal of creating and preserving 200,000 of affordable housing," she wrote in comments submitted to City Planning.
The City Council, which has final say, has scheduled a hearing for Oct. 20.
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