Is Fort Greene affordable for voucher holders?

The private market in Fort Greene is expensive, but the neighborhood has a deep base of subsidized housing — Whitman and Ingersoll Houses hold about 3,500 apartments — plus HPD and Mitchell-Lama buildings, making it a rare affordable foothold.

Can a landlord in Fort Greene refuse my voucher?

Generally no. New York's statewide Human Rights Law bans source-of-income discrimination, so most landlords cannot refuse you just because you pay with a Housing Choice Voucher, CityFHEPS, or FHEPS.

How do I find Section 8 housing in Fort Greene?

Apply to NYCHA and to HPD project-based buildings through Housing Connect (housingconnect.nyc.gov), and search the private market with voucher-friendly brokers, confirming the rent fits your payment standard.

New York City/brooklyn

Voucher-Friendly Apartments in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Fort Greene, in northwest Brooklyn near Downtown Brooklyn and BAM, combines a fast-changing brownstone neighborhood with two of the city's largest public-housing developments — making it an important area for voucher holders.

About Fort Greene

Fort Greene sits in northwest Brooklyn, next to Downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It is a historic brownstone neighborhood that has gentrified quickly, but its core still holds Walt Whitman Houses and Ingersoll Houses — together one of the largest concentrations of public housing in Brooklyn.

Available Apartments

All brooklyn listings

No listings currently available in Fort Greene.

Browse all brooklyn listings

Transit Access

Fort Greene is served by the G train (Fulton Street and Clinton-Washington Avenues), the C train (Lafayette Avenue), and the B, Q, R, D, and N trains at nearby DeKalb Avenue, with the 2, 3, 4, and 5 at Nevins Street and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center. Many bus routes cross the neighborhood.

Voucher Housing in Fort Greene

Even as the private market in Fort Greene has grown expensive, the neighborhood has a deep base of subsidized housing. Walt Whitman Houses and Ingersoll Houses — originally built together as the Fort Greene Houses — hold roughly 3,500 apartments between them, and there are additional HPD-assisted and Mitchell-Lama buildings nearby. For voucher holders, this is a rare foothold in a fast-changing part of Brooklyn.

About Fort Greene

Fort Greene is a diverse neighborhood with a long-standing Black community centered on its public housing, alongside a wealthier population drawn by its brownstones. That contrast makes subsidized housing especially important for longtime residents.

Local Services & Resources

Fort Greene has strong tenant and community resources, including Brooklyn Legal Services, the Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action Partnership, and nearby HRA offices in Downtown Brooklyn. These groups help with applications, tenant rights, and eviction prevention.

Parks, Museums & Cultural Sites

Landmarks include Fort Greene Park (designed by Olmsted and Vaux), the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, and the nearby Barclays Center and Atlantic Terminal.

NYCHA Developments in Fort Greene

Major NYC Housing Authority developments in this neighborhood. Apply through the NYCHA Self-Service Portal at selfserve.nycha.info.

Development	Neighborhood	Address	Units
Ingersoll Houses	Fort Greene	100 Prince St	1,826
Walt Whitman Houses	Fort Greene	79 St Edwards St	1,659

Fort Greene is one of Brooklyn's most rapidly changing neighborhoods, but for voucher holders it remains anchored by two of the largest public-housing developments in the borough. Walt Whitman Houses and Ingersoll Houses — first built together in the 1940s as the Fort Greene Houses — hold roughly 3,500 apartments side by side near Myrtle Avenue.

Why Fort Greene matters for voucher families

As the surrounding private market has become expensive, this cluster of subsidized housing is a rare affordable foothold in northwest Brooklyn, close to Downtown Brooklyn jobs and excellent transit. Alongside NYCHA, the area has HPD-assisted and Mitchell-Lama buildings that expand the subsidized supply.

Your rights as a voucher holder here

New York protects renters from source-of-income discrimination statewide under the Human Rights Law (Executive Law sections 292 and 296), strengthened by the 2019 Source of Income Non-Discrimination Act. A landlord in Fort Greene generally cannot refuse you, charge more, or advertise "no programs" because you would pay with a voucher. You can file a complaint with the NYC Commission on Human Rights or the New York State Division of Human Rights.

How to find a unit

Apply to NYCHA and to HPD project-based buildings through Housing Connect at housingconnect.nyc.gov. Because private-market rents here are high, confirm that a unit falls within your voucher payment standard before applying, and work with voucher-friendly brokers and local legal-aid groups. Bring your voucher paperwork so you can move quickly.

Get help

Free housing specialists and legal-aid groups serving Fort Greene and Downtown Brooklyn can help you search, apply, and enforce your rights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fort Greene affordable for voucher holders?: The private market in Fort Greene is expensive, but the neighborhood has a deep base of subsidized housing — Whitman and Ingersoll Houses hold about 3,500 apartments — plus HPD and Mitchell-Lama buildings, making it a rare affordable foothold.
Can a landlord in Fort Greene refuse my voucher?: Generally no. New York's statewide Human Rights Law bans source-of-income discrimination, so most landlords cannot refuse you just because you pay with a Housing Choice Voucher, CityFHEPS, or FHEPS.
How do I find Section 8 housing in Fort Greene?: Apply to NYCHA and to HPD project-based buildings through Housing Connect (housingconnect.nyc.gov), and search the private market with voucher-friendly brokers, confirming the rent fits your payment standard.