$539 Apartments Available in East Harlem

In a city where the average rental price is $3,129, looking for an apartment is enough to make you want to curl up and cry in a corner, and that’s before you even started actually doing walk-throughs of places, which can be a nightmare in and of itself. So what if you could get a place that’s less than $1,000 per month? No, that’s not the lack of coffee talking, there’s currently studio apartments up for grabs in Harlem that are just $539 a month. There’s no broker’s fee involved, and although prospective residents must apply, there’s no application fee.

Propspero Hall will be located at 100 East 118^th Street in East Harlem, and it will feature 32 newly constructed units, but there’s a few catches and stipulations. All the units are studio apartments, and the household size is limited to only one person who has an income level of $23,520 – $35,280 per year, the latter of which includes everything from child support and tips to Social Security and hourly wages.

Those who already live in New York City are going to receive preference for the apartments, 5 percent of the studios are set aside for those who have mobility impairments, and two percent are set aside for those who have hearing and visual impairments. In addition to the apartments serving low income adults, they’re also geared toward homeless veterans.

Some of the many amenities that come with living at Prospero Hall include an on-site resident manager, a backyard, a community room, a lobby that’s attended 24-hours, and supportive services. There are offices set aside where staff will conduct group and individual meetings pertaining to subjects such as employment development and education services.

You won’t just move in to the apartment and call it a day, or live in a building where you avoid eye contact with everyone you pass and you have no idea what the names of your neighbors are even though you’ve lived across and down the hall from each other for the past few years. You become part of a community where the primary objective is to encourage the personal growth of the tenants. The staff works with the tenants to create a plan for success, and will continue to work with them to ensure they’re making positive changes in the best interest of their respective plans which include pursuing their education, living a more healthy lifestyle, getting and keeping a stable job, and/or building the life they desire.

Those who are interested in living in Prospero Hall must apply online or print out an application and have it postmarked no later than May 5, 2015. You can also request an application by mail. Late applications will not be accepted, and if you submit more than one application, you may be disqualified from the lottery.

Once you submit an application, it’s entered into a lottery and then reviewed. If it seems like you meet all the qualifications, you’ll be called in for an interview, which can take place anywhere from July 2015 to March 2016 (2 – 10 months after the May 5 deadline). You will need to bring documents with you to verify all the information on your application.

The sponsor of the $19.2 million Prospero Hall project is Lantern Organization, Inc., the architect is Urban Architectural Initiatives, Inc., and the contractor is Bruno Frustaci Contracting, Inc. According to the application, the “building is being constructed through the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Supportive Housing Loan Program and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program.”

If you want to be a part of the Prospero Hall community and get your chance at one of the very few $539 a month apartments in East Harlem, make sure to get your application in before the deadline! There’s no better time than now to take a chance.

Photo By: Eric E. Castro