New York City, New York story
A Home for the Community
In the early 1970s, community organizers in Chinatown fought for a new kind of housing. Through New York State’s Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, they secured public subsidies to cr…
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In the early 1970s, community organizers in Chinatown fought for a new kind of housing. Through New York State’s Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, they secured public subsidies to create affordable homes specifically for the Chinese-American community. The result was Confucius Plaza, completed in 1975.
This forty-four story brown brick tower was a milestone, marking the first major publicly funded housing project built almost exclusively for Chinese Americans. Standing four hundred and thirty-three feet tall with over seven hundred apartments, it transformed the local skyline and provided essential stability for neighborhood residents. Today, it's regarded as a significant landmark in Chinatown's history, symbolizing the realization of community-driven aspirations.
Updated June 2026