"Joseph Jones, 61, is standing in the well-furnished lobby of his apartment building on Bruckner Boulevard. the South Bronx. The clock is ticking. According to a building policy, tenants can only spend 15 minutes at a time hanging out in the building's lobby. Just downstairs in the basement is a lounge, game room, and gym where tenants are welcome to stay as long as they like. It just costs $250 a month."
"Affordable housing in New York City is increasingly found in mixed-income buildings. In exchange for a tax break, subsidy, or more square footage, developers set aside a percentage of units in new buildings for affordable housing available through the city's affordable housing lottery. Tenants who win lottery apartments or use a voucher in new luxury apartment buildings in the five boroughs told City Limits that the high cost of amenity fees creates income-segregated spaces within their buildings."
Low-income tenants who secure units through the city's lottery or rental vouchers often cannot afford optional amenity fees in new mixed-income luxury buildings. Building policies can limit non-paying residents' time in common spaces while paid lounges, gyms, and game rooms remain accessible only to those who pay fees of around $250 monthly. The fee barrier creates tension among affordable tenants, market-rate residents, and management, producing a two-tiered living environment. Developers provide affordable units in exchange for subsidies or zoning benefits. City housing authorities express that tenants should have equal access, yet few rules govern amenity pricing.
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