NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) has launched an affordable housing lottery for units at 3547 Webster Tower, an 8-story, mixed-use building located at 3547 Webster Avenue in the Norwood section of The Bronx, as reported by YIMBY.

 

Available on NYC Housing Connect, HPD’s online tool, are 39 units for residents earning 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $92,880 to $238,160.

 

Designed by Genaro Urueta Inc. and developed by Yoel Landau, the structure yields 88 residential units, according to HPD. It is located within the boundaries of Bronx Community District 7 (Bronx CD7), which covers some or all of the Bronx neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and University Heights.

 

According to Data USA, the average individual income in Bronx CD7 is $53,785. Specifically, male residents average $53,785, while female residents earn about $55,599 on average. 

For comparison, the broader Bronx County has a median household income of roughly $48,700 and a per capita income of $27,421 according to Census.gov. HPD officials say affordable housing is based on a household’s percentage of Area Median Income (AMI), which is set by the federal government on a yearly basis.

 

They said housing is considered affordable if it costs about one-third or less of household income, and is regulated so the rent can’t go up dramatically over time.

They said in order to be eligible for affordable housing, residents must be 18 years old, and their household income needs to be in a specific range for each affordable housing opportunity. Applicants are required to meet additional guidelines, including asset limits, and tenant selection criteria to qualify.

 

The AMI for all cities across the country is defined each year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The 2025 AMI for the New York City region is $145,800 for a three-person family (100% AMI).

Norwood News previously asked HUD to provide the AMI for the New York City region for a single person and has not received a clear response. We’re following up with HUD and will share any further feedback we receive. For more background on this, click here.

 

Various graphs which show Bronx demographics in terms of income and more are attached, courtesy of New York City University (NYU)’s Furman Center.

According to the center, between 2019-2023, the largest share of studios in The Bronx had gross rents of between $1,000 and $1,500 (32%), the largest share of one-bedroom units had rents between $1,000 and $1,500 (33%), the largest share of two-bedroom units had rents between $1,500 and $2,000 (29%), and the largest share of three-bedroom units had rents between $1,500 and $2,000 (21%).

 

In Bronx CD7, 53.8% of households spend 35% or more of their income on rent, according to the latest available data by NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), and it has a density of 72,836 people per square mile. Forty-four per cent of residents are foreign-born, 52.4% are female, 70% are Hispanic, 17% of residents of 25 years or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 7.2% of the estimated 169,400 residents are unemployed, and 30.8% (almost a third) of residents have incomes below the New York City poverty threshold. 

 

Norwood News had asked different elected representatives and congressional candidates running for office in the past if (if elected where relevant) they would be willing to look into amending the AMI, as defined by HUD, given the cost of living in New York City is higher than in other parts of the country. Most said they would be open to it.

 

Meanwhile, amenities at the newly opened 3547 Webster Avenue building include a shared laundry room, common area Wi-Fi, and an elevator. The residential units also include air conditioning and name-brand kitchen appliances, countertops, and finishes. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove and heat according to YIMBY and HPD.

 

A VIEW OF Webster Avenue, Norwood, The Bronx, including the new hotel & residential building at 3547 Webster Avenue, as seen on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Video by Síle Moloney

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are 19 one-bedroom units available with a monthly rent of $2,545 for those on incomes ranging from $92,880 / annum to $198,510 / annum, and 20 two-bedroom units with a monthly rent of $2,747 for residents with incomes ranging from $101,726 / annum to $238,160 / annum.

 

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments according to HPD, and  applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than Aug. 5.

Meanwhile, a room rate for Sunday, July 19, at the recently opened Liv hotel, located at 3530 Webster Avenue, located opposite the new residential 3547 Webster Avenue building is $224 per night. Norwood News was advised that the hotel is fully booked for Saturday night, July 18. The room-only hotel has no bar, no restaurant, and no cafe but there is parking.

 

Norwood News asked what type of occupants it caters to and a person at the front desk said business travelers, patients with appointments are nearby Montefiore Medical Center and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx and traveling medical professionals.

 

The hotel is owned by 3530 Webster Avenue LLC, with an address at 321 East 12th Street in Manhattan, following a foreclosure action in 2001.

Meanwhile, when asked how the new residential building at 3547 Webster Avenue is, a woman exiting the new building on Saturday evening, July 18, said, “It’s good. It’s nice.” Asked how many residents live there currently, she estimated around five families.

 

A large padlock was seen on the door of the street level entrance.

 

As reported, a new building offering 166 new homes at East 198th Street in Bedford Park, 34 of which are described as affordable, recently opened.

Apply here for units at 3547 Webster Avenue. To contact HPD’s Affordable Housing Lottery Helpline, call (212) 863-7990 or email nychousingconnect@hpd.nyc.gov.

 

For information on applying for affordable housing for people with disabilities, please submit accessibility inquiries to:
Phone: (212) 863-6486
Email: accessibility@hpd.nyc.gov

 

HPD Housing Ambassadors
Email: ambassadors@hpd.nyc.gov