Brooklyn Community Board 6

The purpose of these maps and charts is to provide a clear snapshot of housing costs in CB6 today. They use public data sources – NYC Open Data, StreetEasy, and Zillow – updated monthly.

Discussions about housing policy are often driven by vibes. Someone might describe a neighborhood as “gritty,” but the median down payment might be $440,000, with monthly payments over $11,000, or $4,000 for a studio. We’ve all seen NYC apartments that look unremarkable – or worse – that cost wildly more than they would almost anywhere else on the planet. Part of that reflects something real: this is a place people want to be, and that’s rare. The cost of that demand, at its worst, is displacement. That’s the truest cost of gentrification. But this isn’t a binary choice. Better policy can produce a city where people want to be, can afford to live, and can call home.

Policy should be based on facts, not vibes. It would be nice if HUD – the federal agency for Housing and Urban Development – actually developed urban housing, but that’s a longer conversation while we write blank checks for military interventions. It’s also worth recognizing that although most people say they want lower housing costs, those collecting rent checks or mortgage payments may feel differently, for obvious reasons. I could say more, but the point is this: look at the maps and charts. See what things actually cost right now, for anyone who wants to call CB6 home.

Mike Racioppo