Activists protested at Midtown high-rise One57 Wednesday against the luxury condo building's tax breaks — but a group of needy Bronx residents indirectly benefiting from the discounts thinks they're clueless.
"Those people should go protest somewhere else," said Maria Roman, 41, a dental assistant who lives with her two young children in a building in the Belmont section where some apartments are subsidized in part by money from One57 developer Extell.
"What are they protesting about, anyway? Look what those subsidies get us, a nice place to live with good rent."
About 100 activists gummed up sidewalk traffic outside the 75-floor condominium at 157 W. 57th St. Wednesday afternoon over its tax exemptions under the city's 421a program, which give filthy-rich owners steep breaks on their property taxes.
In one case, the owner of a $100 million penthouse apartment will get a 95 percent break.
In exchange for those tax breaks, Extell shelled out $5.9 million to buy up "negotiable certificates" that effectively help subsidize 66 apartments in three affordable-housing buildings in The Bronx.
Low-income residents of those buildings are grateful for getting cheaper apartments — even if the wealthy are also benefiting.
Roman pays $1,086 a month on an apartment that would normally rent for $1,600 — and said she was living in an "attic" in Elmhurst, Queens, for the same price before she moved into her two-bedroom at 2277 Bathgate Ave. in 2012.
"I don't care about how much of a tax break One57 is getting," she said.
"As long as the rent is good here, I'm fine with it. This place is clean . . . I love it here."
One57 at 157 West 57th StreetPhoto: Splash News
Extell funding helped subsidize 35 affordable units in the Bronx building, out of 89 total apartments.
Moguel Quinones, 27, lives with his wife and three kids in the building and said everyone benefits, "especially us."
"Those subsidies give us a place to live," the Gristedes clerk said, adding that he pays $221 a month for a well-maintained unit that would otherwise rent for $1,151.
Another tenant, Yvonne Bacott, 70, said she was living in a homeless shelter before she found her 12th-floor studio for which she pays $115 a month instead of a market-rate $936.
"At least we know the money is doing some good rather than doing no good at all," she said.
"When I lived in the shelter, I asked God, 'Could you just give me my own bathroom?' When I found this place, I was just grateful."
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