THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) -- With rents in parts of New York City at all-time highs, more and more people are hoping to win the city’s housing lottery. A Bronx woman won and says it changed her life.
Nahjae Olin, 26, said it’s a dream come true to have a beautiful one-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood she grew up in and to be able to afford it. The preschool teacher can now pursue her dreams of being a businesswoman.
Olin said her life changed forever on Jan. 12, 2023. That's the day she got an email from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Housing Connect. After two years of waiting, she got an affordable apartment.
Olin now pays about $1,000 a month for her spacious one-bedroom apartment.
Olin said she turned her place into a real home and office. She now uses the hundreds of dollars a month she's saving to build back her small business. She restarted her cosmetics line called Gbd Cosmetics and a lash line that she was forced to close down in 2021.
There are 30 affordable housing lotteries currently open in New York City. The properties are listed on the NYC Housing Connect website, an online portal where people can find and apply for affordable housing opportunities in New York City.
English (US) ·