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Overview

2 NYCHA’s public housing development, Howard Houses, consists of 10 residential buildings located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. 12 Howard Houses has ten buildings, 7 and 13-stories tall with 813 apartments. Completed December 30, 1955, the 15.26-acre Brooklyn complex is bordered by Mother Gaston Boulevard, and East New York, Pitkin and Rockaway Avenues.

Construction & Design

2 Howard Houses, completed in 1955, has been identified as one of the fifteen state-aided, “Tower in the Park” model projects — a design philosophy popular in mid-20th-century public housing that placed tall residential towers within open green spaces. The development was built during the post-World War II public housing boom, when 9 the Authority boomed in partnership with Robert Moses after World War II as a part of Moses’ plan to clear old tenements and remake New York as a modern city. The majority of NYCHA developments were built between 1945 and 1965.

Physical Details

According to NYCHA’s property profile, the development includes:

  • 10 10 residential buildings with building heights of 7 and 13 stories, 20 elevators, and a total of 810 dwelling units plus 5 non-dwelling units (815 total). The development uses natural gas heating, and its 5-year Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) was estimated at approximately $327.4 million, with a 20-year PNA of roughly $382.4 million.

Neighborhood Context

5 Howard Houses is located in Brownsville, Brooklyn. 16 NYCHA owns more housing units in Brownsville than in any other neighborhood, with about one-third of the housing stock (around 10,000 units) in its 18 Brownsville developments, comprising over 100 buildings within 1 square mile. 16 The breaking point for the area’s Jewish population came about in the 1950s, when the New York City Housing Authority decided to build more new public housing developments in blighted portions of Brownsville. The Jewish population quickly moved out. Citing increased crime and their desire for social mobility, Jews left Brownsville en masse, with many black and Latino residents moving in, especially into the area’s housing developments.

Resident Population

5 The resident population is currently 1,707 according to the NYCHA 2025 Databook.

Historic Significance

2 NYCHA and SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) have evaluated all public housing properties built by or for NYCHA and planned, funded or constructed between 1934 and 1973. Howard Houses, completed in 1955, has been identified as one of the fifteen state-aided, “Tower in the Park” model projects through the MPDF (Multiple Property Documentation Form). 3 Howard Houses may be eligible for historic tax credits, as it was built in 1955 and is one of the fifteen State-aided “Tower in the Park” public housing developments.

Community Programs & Developments

  • Howard Houses Farm: 5A 3/4-acre urban farm opened in July 2016, located at Howard Houses, Brownsville, Brooklyn, behind the Brownsville Brooklyn Public Library branch. It was built and is maintained by Green City Force.
  • Art Installations: 15Howard Houses Drawing Dialogue is a mural by artist Jeanne Verdoux that playfully intersperses the artist’s drawings with images made by resident youth. Incorporating ink portraits created during workshops, the artwork reflects the creativity of Howard’s youngest residents.
  • Community Programming: 7The first public housing program of its kind in the nation, the Campus offers activities at the Brownsville Collaborative Middle School, the Brownsville branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, and other sites.

Current & Future Plans: PACT/RAD Conversion

Howard Houses is currently slated for a major transition under NYCHA’s PACT (Permanent Affordability Commitment Together) program:

  • 1 The March 2025 NYCHA PACT/RAD dataset lists Howard as in the Planning and Engagement stage.
  • 2 PACT leverages programs of HUD to preserve existing public housing stock through conversion to Project-Based Section 8 funding. Under PACT, NYCHA enters into public-private partnerships to make major improvements to its public housing developments while preserving long-term affordability and resident rights and protections. NYCHA has an established goal to comprehensively rehabilitate at least 62,000 NYCHA apartments through the PACT program.
  • 18 Resident engagement sessions have been held, including an Introduction to PACT on November 14, 2024 and a Visioning Workshop on March 20, 2025, where residents identified priorities for renovations through small group discussions with NYCHA and Marvel Architects.

Additionally, 1NYCHA has planned to dispose of approximately 15,000 square feet of surplus development rights through a zoning lot merger. The proposed land sale and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) will facilitate an affordable housing development and generate revenue for NYCHA. Related to this, 11the site of an abandoned police station on a busy block in Brownsville, Brooklyn, will soon become an affordable apartment complex, with an assist from NYCHA. The project would include 95 apartments for low-income families and individuals.

Howard Houses stands as one of Brownsville’s most significant public housing complexes — a mid-century “Tower in the Park” development now entering a new chapter through NYCHA’s PACT conversion program aimed at bringing comprehensive renovations while preserving affordability for its residents.

Howard Houses — NYCHA, Brooklyn, NY

Background & NYCHA Context

8 The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation that provides public housing in New York City and is the largest public housing authority in North America. It was created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the United States, aiming to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs. 8 The majority of NYCHA developments were built between 1945 and 1965. Howard Houses is one of those mid-century developments.

Construction & Completion

11 Located at 1548 East New York Avenue in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, Howard Houses was built in 1955. 13 Completed December 30, 1955, the 15.26-acre Brooklyn complex is bordered by Mother Gaston Boulevard, and East New York, Pitkin, and Rockaway Avenues. 11 The apartment complex comprises 814 units across 10 buildings that range between 7 and 13 stories in height.

Design & Architecture

9 Howard Houses may be eligible for historic tax credits, as it was built in 1955 and is one of the fifteen State-aided “Tower in the Park” public housing developments. 2 A context statement evaluates all public housing properties built by or for NYCHA and planned, funded, or constructed between 1934, the year of NYCHA’s creation, and 1973 — and Howard Houses, completed in 1955, has been identified as one of these historically significant developments.

Size & Residents

4 Construction was completed on December 31, 1955. The development consists of 10 residential buildings, standing 7 and 13 stories tall, with a total of 815 dwelling units. It is heated by natural gas and has 20 elevators and 4 boilers. 4 The development houses approximately 1,695 public housing residents and includes a mix of unit sizes: 55 studio apartments, 80 one-bedroom units, 466 two-bedroom units, 119 three-bedroom units, and 15 four-bedroom units. 11 The average unit size at this NYCHA-owned property is approximately 946 square feet.

Community Amenities

11 The property also houses a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, a YMCA Day Care Service, the Howard Playground, and Howard Pool. 4 On-site community spaces include a Child Care facility operated by the Brooklyn Kindergarten Society and a Cornerstone Community Center operated by CAMBA at 90 Watkins Street.

Neighborhood Context: Brownsville

12 NYCHA owns more housing units in Brownsville than in any other neighborhood, with about one-third of the housing stock — around 10,000 units — in its 18 Brownsville developments, comprising over 100 buildings within 1 square mile. 12 The breaking point for the area’s Jewish population came about in the 1950s when NYCHA decided to build more new public housing developments in blighted portions of Brownsville. The Jewish population quickly moved out, even though the new NYCHA developments were actually in better condition than the old wooden tenements. Citing increased crime and their desire for social mobility, Jews left Brownsville en masse, with many Black and Latino residents moving in, especially into the area’s housing developments.

Community Programming

5 As Naomi Johnson, the resident association president of Howard Houses, has stated: “Howard Houses and the Brownsville community can only thrive with the entire community working together.” The development has seen programming such as youth coding classes and other community initiatives aimed at improving the lives of residents.

Recent Developments: PACT/RAD Conversion

2 NYCHA has been seeking proposals for tenant-in-place rehabilitation and conversion of the Howard Houses public housing development from the public housing program under Section 9 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 to a voucher platform under Section 8. 1 As of March 2025, the NYCHA PACT/RAD dataset lists Howard as being in the “Planning and Engagement” stage. In its FY20 Draft Plan, NYCHA stated that it intends to dispose of approximately 15,000 square feet of surplus development rights through a zoning lot merger, with the proposed land sale and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) set to facilitate an affordable housing development and generate revenue for NYCHA.

Transportation Access

11 The busy commercial thoroughfares of New York Avenue and Atlantic Avenue bring the 3, 4, A, C, and L subway lines all within a half mile of the Howard Houses complex.

In summary, Howard Houses is a historically significant mid-20th century NYCHA development in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood. Built in 1955 as part of NYCHA’s massive post-World War II housing expansion, it remains one of New York City’s largest public housing complexes and is currently undergoing planning for a potential PACT/RAD conversion to improve living conditions for its nearly 1,700 residents.