‘Poor Doors' In Toronto? Controversial Trend Appears At New Condo Developments

The news earlier this summer that a New York City condo building is planning to install a “poor door” — a separate entrance for lower-income residents — sparked a controversy rife with accusations of elitism.

Closer inspection revealed that such “poor doors” are nothing new in New York, but in these days of concern about the income gap, the developer’s move to segregate lower-income residents seemed like an apt symbol for an unequal age.

Luxury Apartment Building Will Have Separate Door For Poor Residents

A luxury condo building on New York City’s Upper West Side has gotten clearance from the city to have a separate entrance, or a “poor door,” for low-income tenants, according to the New York Post.

Extell, which is building the 33-story complex, will build a specific door for the 55 affordable housing units it’s including in order to be allowed to build a bigger building. The low-income units, which are available to people making 60 percent of median income or less, will also be in a segment that only contains affordable apartments and that faces the street while the luxury apartments will face the river.