In a recent announcement, Harav Aron Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel, revealed plans to develop hundreds of discounted housing units aimed at easing the housing crisis facing Charedi families across the New York area.

He shared that he had already spent recent months in active discussions with multiple developers to advance the project, seeking a practical solution to the severe housing shortage and soaring property taxes in Brooklyn. “I have sat with several developers to see how we can establish affordable housing for the general community,” he said.

The planned development is located in Monticello, a village nestled in the Catskill Mountains of Sullivan County. It offers a peaceful environment while remaining highly accessible to major Jewish hubs. The village is a two-hour drive from Crown Heights, East Flatbush, and Kingston, an hour from Monsey and Pomona, and an hour and forty minutes from Hillside, New Jersey.

Units would be offered at approximately $200 per square foot, roughly one-third less than the current $300 per square foot in Kiryas Yoel, and a fraction of what families are paying in established frum communities today. “Three hundred apartments in Monticello for two hundred dollars a square foot,” the Satmar Rebbe announced. “You can have an apartment with five bedrooms and a basement.”

The Satmar Rebbe emphasized that the initiative is open to the entire Charedi world, with families from Williamsburg, Borough Park, and beyond all welcome. A strong frum foundation is already firmly in place. “Eighty families of G-d fearing Jews already live there, Chassidishe Jews from all Chassiduses,” he noted. “There are batei midrashim, a Talmud Torah, a girls school, and a mikvah.” The community also has kosher retail in place.

The project is cleared to build “literally whole streets.” He also issued a direct warning against speculation, cautioning that broker pressure and overpaying could drive prices up for everyone. “There are enough apartments for everyone,” he said. “Do not pay more than the agreed price.”

For Lubavitch families in Crown Heights, housing prices routinely exceed $1,000 per square foot, putting homeownership increasingly out of reach for young couples and growing families. Perhaps the time has come to explore similar solutions – before the window closes further.