Hernandez Houses

The Rafael Hernandez Houses stand as a seventeen-story residential tower at one hundred eighty-nine Allen Street. Completed in August of 1971, this building serves as a prominent piece of the local landscape on the Lower East Side. The site is bounded by East Houston, Allen, Stanton, and Eldridge Streets. This housing development honors Rafael Hernández Marín, a celebrated Puerto Rican composer who served in the United States Armed Forces during the First World War. His influence is felt in the identity of this residence, which was established to reflect the cultural heritage and pride of the Latino community that has long resided in this part of Manhattan. The building was designed by the firm Morris Ketchum Junior and Associates. It houses roughly one hundred forty-nine apartment units, providing homes for hundreds of residents. The structure represents a specific chapter in the city's approach to providing stable living environments within the dense urban fabric of the Lower East Side. In recent years, the building has been part of a federal program known as the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together initiative. This process is designed to facilitate significant renovations, including upgrades to apartments and common areas, while ensuring that the residences remain permanently affordable for the people who live here. Residents have actively participated in the planning process for these improvements, collaborating with officials to shape the future of their own homes.