New York City, New York story
A Home for Chinatown
High above the intersection of Bowery and Division Street stands a forty-four story brown brick tower that represents a hard-won victory for a community. Built in 1975, Confucius…
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High above the intersection of Bowery and Division Street stands a forty-four story brown brick tower that represents a hard-won victory for a community. Built in 1975, Confucius Plaza wasn't just another apartment complex; it was the first major publicly funded housing project built almost exclusively for Chinese Americans. In the early seventies, local organizers fought to secure public support through the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program to ensure that neighborhood residents had access to affordable homes.
By creating a limited-equity housing cooperative, they provided a stable anchor for the community in the heart of Chinatown. It stands today not just as a residential tower, but as a significant monument to the fight for equitable housing in New York City.
Updated June 2026