The Sophia Apartments . Photo: NYC Housing Connect With the median asking rent in Manhattan hovering at $4,600 , it's a good time to explore the city's affordable housing lottery program—especially if you're hoping to live in the northern half of the borough. A search through NYC Housing Connect , the city's online portal for finding affordable housing, currently shows two rental lotteries—one in Central Harlem and the other in Inwood—with rent for one-bedrooms starting at $1