For decades, Mott Haven carried a reputation built on decades of disinvestment, poverty, and neglect. In the 1970s and 1980s, the South Bronx — with Mott Haven at its center — became a national symbol of urban decline. Today, that reputation is genuinely outdated, and 2026 finds Mott Haven in the middle of a transformation that is generating real excitement and, in equal measure, real anxiety among the people who have called it home through all of it.

New Affordable Housing Coming in Several Forms

The most concrete sign of Mott Haven’s changing landscape is the amount of affordable housing under development. Three significant projects are worth knowing about.

At 351 Powers Avenue, renderings have been released for Powerhouse Apartments — an eight-story, 100-percent-affordable development that will include 24 studios, 18 one-bedroom units, 31 two-bedroom units, and 11 three-bedroom units. More than a third of all units will be reserved for formerly homeless New Yorkers, reflecting the site’s dual purpose as housing and supportive service delivery. City officials indicate construction could begin within months.

At 290 East 149th Street and 299 East 148th Street, the two-building Haven Court development has launched its affordable housing lottery. The complex yields 163 total units, with 129 available to income-qualified residents earning between 30 and 90 percent of the area median income. The range of AMI tiers means residents at significantly different income levels are potentially eligible — worth checking at housingconnect.nyc.gov if you or someone you know is looking.

At 431-441 Concord Avenue, Taryn Tower is moving forward with $73 million in financing secured. The 142-unit, 11-story building will be marketed to households earning 70 percent or below of the area median income — a commitment to affordability that goes deeper than many market-rate-inclusive developments in comparable neighborhoods.

The Broader Transformation

These three projects are part of a much larger shift. According to city records, the Department of Buildings issued permits for 24 new developments in Mott Haven and neighboring Port Morris between 2021 and 2025, collectively representing more than 3,200 new apartments. For a neighborhood that spent decades losing population, that pace of development is remarkable.

The waterfront has changed most visibly. The former industrial parcels along the Harlem River have been converted into mixed-use spaces — most notably The Bronx Point, the new waterfront development that opened in recent years and is now home to the Universal Hip-Hop Museum. That institution alone has changed the cultural conversation about Mott Haven, drawing visitors who might never have crossed the Third Avenue Bridge and introducing them to a neighborhood that has stories to tell far beyond its troubled reputation.

St. Mary’s Park, the neighborhood’s largest green space at over 35 acres, has also undergone significant refurbishment, with new playgrounds, improved pathways, and upgraded facilities serving the thousands of residents who use the park daily.

The Luxury Question

Not all of the new housing in Mott Haven is affordable. A parallel wave of market-rate and luxury development has transformed sections of the neighborhood near the waterfront and the 138th Street-Grand Concourse subway hub. New amenity-rich rental buildings have attracted young professionals from Manhattan and other boroughs who are drawn by comparatively lower rents and quick subway access — the 6 train gets you to Midtown in under 30 minutes from 138th Street.

Long-time residents have mixed feelings. Rising property values benefit homeowners and can improve neighborhood services. But rising rents displace tenants who’ve lived in Mott Haven through the hard years, and there is understandable frustration when the neighborhood’s new identity is written primarily by and for newcomers. Community organizations like South Bronx Unite have been vocal about ensuring that development benefits the existing community, not just the incoming one.

Getting to Know the Neighborhood

Mott Haven sits just south of the South Bronx’s main commercial corridor and is accessible via the 6 train at 138th Street-Grand Concourse, as well as the 2 and 5 trains at Third Avenue-149th Street. The neighborhood’s main commercial strips run along Third Avenue and Willis Avenue, where a mix of long-established bodegas, Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants, and newer cafes reflects both the old and new Mott Haven side by side.

For a deeper look at what makes the Bronx’ many neighborhoods distinct, see our complete Bronx neighborhood guide.

What You Need to Know

• Powerhouse Apartments at 351 Powers Avenue will bring 84 units of 100-percent-affordable housing to Mott Haven, with more than a third reserved for formerly homeless residents. Construction expected to begin soon.
• The Haven Court affordable housing lottery is open — 129 units available at 30-90% AMI. Apply at housingconnect.nyc.gov.
• Taryn Tower at 431-441 Concord Avenue adds 142 units for households at 70% AMI or below, with $73 million in financing secured.
• The Universal Hip-Hop Museum at The Bronx Point has become a genuine destination, drawing visitors to the Mott Haven waterfront.
• The 6 train at 138th Street-Grand Concourse connects Mott Haven to Midtown Manhattan in under 30 minutes.
• More than 3,200 new apartments were permitted in Mott Haven and Port Morris between 2021 and 2025 — the neighborhood’s supply pipeline is significant.

Mott Haven’s story in 2026 is not a simple one. It is a neighborhood being remade — quickly, unevenly, and with enormous stakes for the people who have always lived there. The transformation is real, and so is the tension. What will ultimately define Mott Haven is whether the community that survived the hard decades can shape the better ones that seem to be arriving. The organizing is happening. The housing is being built. The outcome is still being written.