What it's like to be an NYC retiree paying $400 in rent
A 67-year-old New Yorker discusses his experience living in a new affordable housing development in Brooklyn designed for low-income seniors. The project provides stable, low-cost housing and community support for residents who might otherwise be priced out of the city.
Why it matters
It addresses the critical issue of housing affordability for the aging population in major urban centers.
Sydney Krantz for BI Tico Flores Kyle squinted against the sun as we stepped onto the roof. There were a few garden troughs with ripening tomatoes, a gaggle of women swapping gossip, and an unobscured view of the New York City skyline. "This is where we watched the fireworks" on July 4th, he said. "We ate here, we had our little spread." The 67-year-old lives at Linden Grove, an affordable housing development for older adults in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He pays just $400 a month for rent and utilities, far below typical prices in the neighborhood , allowing the lifelong New Yorker to stay in the city. On a hot summer afternoon, Kyle gave me a tour of his apartment building, which opened in 2025.
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