1970s NYC is widely remembered as a time of decline, decay and disco, defined by images of abandoned buildings. However, the decade also saw the rise of new, high-rise affordable housing constructed through the Mitchell-Lama program -- and it looked unlike anything that had come before.

Signed into law in 1955, the Mitchell-Lama program financed the construction of affordable co-ops and rentals for lower to middle-income residents across New York State. While Mitchell-Lama designs could be boxy and bland, many from the 1970s stood out for their striking Brutalism, like Tracey Towers in the Bronx, designed by acclaimed Modernist architect Paul Rudolph. Others were distinctive by their sheer scale, like Riverside Park Community, which at the time was the largest residential building in the U.S. Some Mitchell-Lamas occupy remarkable places in NYC cultural history, like Manhattan Plaza, where Alicia Keys learned to play piano and Larry David met his inspiration for Seinfeld’s Kramer!

Construction of new Mitchell-Lama housing halted by the end of the decade due to lack of funding, and in the following years, buildings often chose to exit the program to go market-rate. Nevertheless, HPD remains committed to preserving this vital source of affordable housing, both by helping buildings stay in the program and by re-entering former Mitchell-Lama buildings into new affordability agreements. All of this is to ensure that these unique mid-century towers continue to provide safe affordable homes well into the future.