By Mark Garzon

Over the past couple of years, rental prices in New York City have risen significantly. Neighborhoods in Western Queens such as Long Island City, Astoria and Woodside have experienced the increasing costs in housing. These growing rates have proven challenging for its lower-income residents, many of whom are having difficulty keeping up with their rent.

“The increase in rents in Long Island City makes it difficult to afford as families have to work two to three jobs to keep their homes,” said Josefa Castro, the community project director of Catholic Charities in Astoria, Queens.

According to a report by MNS, a real estate brokerage, the average price for rents in Queens was $2,097 in October 2014. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,990 while two bedrooms averaged at $2,575. These prices reflect a substantial increase when compared to rent prices in 2005. According to the Housing of Urban Development, a one-bedroom apartment cost $966 in 2005. A two-bedroom apartment was priced at $1,075.

Ricardo Guerra, a resident of Jackson Heights, explained that paying for rent isn’t easy with such high prices. “Many of us work hard to make sure our families have a place to live. No one should ever have to be kicked out of their home”, said Guerra.

According to Castro, the community center provides assistance for renters who are having trouble paying rent. The group helps clients as long as they are able to pay their rent in the future. Castro stated that recently there has been an increase in those seeking aid, which reflects the problem. She expressed the need for a larger solution stating, “There should be an emphasis on affordable housing. The housing has to reflect the communities need and ability to pay for it”.

Maritza Munoz, the Housing Case Manager of Woodside on the Move, has worked with residents seeking housing support. “We have a crisis in housing; there are many low income people on the streets. People have been evicted because they can’t afford rents,” said Munoz.

Mayor De Blasio has recognized the need for affordable housing and has taken action in response. According to the New York Times article, “De Blasio Sets a 10-Year Plan for Housing, Puts Focus on Affordability”, De Blasio established a ten-year proposal in May that would create and maintain 200,000 apartments in New York City. The initiative known as “Housing New York: A Five Borough, Ten Year Plan,” will cost $41 billion and create affordability programs that will help those with middle and extremely low incomes, according to an article on the official New York City website.

The launch of this plan would be beneficial to those currently struggling in Queens. The “Housing New York” plan refers to the unstable relationship between income and rent in New York in which it states, “Between 2005 and 2012 rents rose by 11 percent while renter’s incomes stagnated, after adjusting for inflation,” according to the document. In addition, Munoz stated that once rent surpasses $2000, a landlord can increase rent significantly. Therefore, tenants have difficulties paying to keep their homes.

As stated by Munoz, the organization is filling out applications every day for housing projects. However, she explained that people are not willing to move out of Queens. Currently the organization is directing applicants to Far Rockaway and in particular Hunters Point South.

According to the New York City Economic Development Corp website, Hunters Point South is an affordable housing project undergoing construction in Long Island City. It states, “Up to 5,000 housing units, 60 percent of which will be affordable to middle income families, are expected to be developed on the site.”

The Hunters Point South sheet lists 924 affordable apartments available at the site ranging from one to three bedrooms. Availability is based on the applicant’s household size and annual income. For the example, the sheet designates that a one-bedroom apartment is available for two people with an income of “$19,989-$26,880.” Selection is based on these factors as well as disabilities. However, priority is given to residents of the Queens Community Board 2, which consists of Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, and a portion of Maspeth.

The complex is currently part of an economical housing lottery that began on October 15th as stated in an article by the New York Observer. The article states that there have been 25,000 applicants since the lottery began. This lottery is among eleven lotteries currently open to New Yorkers in all five boroughs as listed on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website.

Gabriel DeJesus, a struggling resident in Astoria, explained the difficulty of paying rent alongside other expenses stating, “It adds up little by little and then at the end of the month when you have nothing left and you’re worrying about how you’re going to get the next bill paid, it stresses you out”.