QUEENS, NY (March 4, 2026) – Today, Queens Development Group (QDG) – a joint venture between Related Companies and Sterling Equities – in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced the conclusion of the affordable housing lottery for Willets Point Commons. The response to the lottery for the 880 new homes across the first two buildings signals the overwhelming demand for affordable housing in New York City and establishes Willets Point as one of the city’s fastest growing neighborhoods.
“Willets Point is an outstanding example of what we can achieve when the public and private sector come together to address the City’s most pressing issues - affordability and an urgent need for housing,” said Bruce A. Beal, Jr., President of Related Companies, and Gregory Katz, Partner at Sterling Equities, on behalf of QDG. “Willets Point is in the midst of an incredible transformation, and we are proud to have built these modern, affordable homes where hardworking New Yorkers can grow and thrive along with the neighborhood. We look forward to continuing this important work and hopefully beginning the next chapter in this development soon.”
“The overwhelming number of New Yorkers who applied to live at Willets Point Commons speaks volumes about the demand for high-quality, affordable homes,” said New York City Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy. “These 880 apartments will give working families real stability and a foothold in Queens. This is exactly the kind of bold development we need to embrace – and we’re proud to help deliver housing that will support New Yorkers not just today, but for generations to come.”
“We are proud to join our partners in marking the close of the Willets Point Commons housing lottery – a significant milestone for this transformative development,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin. “These 880 affordable homes will provide lasting stability and create new opportunity for individuals and families in this evolving Queens community.”
"As the housing lottery for Willets Point Commons comes to an end, we are one step closer towards helping hundreds of New Yorkers get the chance to live in one of the 880 affordable housing units available in the newest neighborhood in Queens," said New York City Economic Development Corporation Interim President and CEO Jeanny Pak. "The Willets Point Transformation is the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years which, when completed, will deliver a total of 2,500 housing units and we look forward to working with our development partners, QDG, and City partners in welcoming the residents who will soon call this place home."
"We are just a few months away from the transformational redevelopment of Willets Point changing thousands of lives for the better. And with a tremendous amount of people submitting applications in hopes of calling Willets Point Commons home, it is clear that Queens families see the promise of this project as well," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "It also speaks to the depth of our city's historic housing crisis and the need for revolutionary plans like this one. As we welcome the first 880 families to their new homes this spring, I look forward to our continued partnership with our public and private partners in developing the remaining 1,600 units of affordable housing on this site as quickly as possible."
"The closing of the Willets Point application represents real momentum for Queens and the families who call this borough home,” said New York City Councilmember Shanel Thomas-Henry. “This development is about creating a vibrant, sustainable, and a truly inclusive space where working families can grow, small businesses can flourish, and our community can develop lasting stability for generations to come. I look forward to witnessing this vision move forward and being a part of the countless opportunities it will create for our neighbors in the years ahead."
Willets Point Commons features 880 thoughtfully designed homes, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms available to households earning between 30 and 120 percent of the area median income (AMI). Twenty percent of apartments are set aside for Queens Community Board 7 residents, 10 percent for veterans and / or NYC municipal employees, five percent for mobility access needs and two percent for visual/hearing access needs. The first two buildings will be managed by Related Management Company and will feature a full suite of amenities including two landscaped inner courtyards, tenant lounge space, outdoor terraces and BBQs, community garden, fitness center, children’s playroom, co-working space, bike storage, electric vehicle charging, ground floor retail shops, and other community facilities. With direct transit access via the 7 train, LIRR, and Q19, Q90, and Q66 bus routes, commutes to Manhattan are under 30 minutes and LaGuardia Airport is a five-minute drive away.
The development of the Willets Point neighborhood included comprehensive remediation of contaminated soil, infrastructure improvements such as new streets, signage, sidewalks, curbs, trees, lights, draining, stormwater management, water mains, hydrants, sewers, and utilities. Additionally, because Willets Point is in a flood-prone area, the city raised the new streets and buildings out of the 100-year floodplain to protect it from future storms. QDG will continue to champion this environmental investment by seeking LEED Gold U.S. Green Building Council certification or Enterprise Green Communities for each residential building.
The next phase will be the groundbreaking of the third building this Spring, comprising 220 additional affordable homes for low-income seniors. Once complete, the Willets Point project will include 2,500 100% affordable homes, a new public school, more than 150,000 square feet of public open space, a brand-new hotel, and Etihad Park – the future home of the New York City Football Club (NYCFC), the city’s first professional soccer-specific stadium and Major League Soccer’s (MLS) first fully-electric stadium across the nation. For more information, please visit: https://www.livewilletspoint.com/.
