How to Apply for Housing Lotteries - Coalition For The Homeless (2024)

FAQs

How to Apply for Housing Lotteries - Coalition For The Homeless? ›

You can request an application by sending a postcard or a self-addressed envelope to the address provided for each development, or you can go in person to the address provided to pick up an application. Another option is to create an account and apply online through NYC Connect.

Yes, non-New York City residents can apply, however, preference is given to current New York City residents. New York City is defined as the five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.

When Will You Hear Back? A property may receive tens of thousands of applications. You may hear about the status of your application within two to ten months after the deadline. However, because there are so many applications, you may not be contacted, even if you could have qualified.

Affordable housing applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If your application is selected and you appear to qualify for an apartment, you will be invited to an interview. That interview is to figure out if you are eligible for affordable housing.

NYC Housing Lottery Odds

There were over 5 million applications for the lottery in 2022. The New York Times estimated that applicants have about a 1 in 590 chance of winning the housing lottery.

The New York Times reported in 2020 that since 2013, there had been more than 25 million applications submitted for about 40,000 units. In 2018, the odds of winning the housing lottery were 1 in 592, the Times reported.

Credit Criteria for General Applicants. You may not be rejected solely because of your credit score, your score may only be used as an indicator of financial stability. You may be accepted with a FICO credit score of 580 without further review of financial stability.

Make sure to double-check that you meet the guidelines — even if you beat the odds and are selected for an interview, you won't be offered an apartment if you don't qualify. Also, there is no application fee or broker involved in applying for housing through NYC Housing Connect.

After your interview a City employee will review your file for accuracy and may contact you if there are any questions. If your eligibility is confirmed you may be placed on a waiting list or invited to sign a lease.

Gross Income: Your annual (yearly) total earnings, wages, payments, or other money you receive from jobs and other sources, before any taxes are taken out. This is usually more than your take-home pay. Most people will report gross income on their applications.

How many people apply for the NYC housing lottery? ›

Tens of thousands of people, and sometimes many more, vie for the handful of units available at a time. Since 2013, there have been more than 25 million applications submitted for roughly 40,000 units.

The applicant, or co-applicant, must be 18 years of age or older or an emancipated minor to be eligible for public housing. At least one person in the applicant household must be a United States citizen or have eligible immigration status for the household to be eligible for the Public Housing program.

Under the “80/20” program, 20% of the units in certain newly constructed buildings are set aside for low- and moderate-income households. The rest (the 80%) of the units are rented at market rates.

Another option is to create an account and apply online through NYC Connect. You can apply for as many opportunities as you are eligible for, but it is important to pay attention to the deadline for applying and to make sure that you only submit one application for each development.

Post Application Process:

Once you apply to a particular NYC apartment lottery, it gets randomly assigned a number. As a rule, the lower the number, the better your odds. Once the date closed, HDP will vet them and it might take a long time since the process is slow. So don't grow anxious if you don't hear for a while.

Immigrant, Undocumented or Partially Documented Families

Families with at least one documented family member are eligible to receive NYCHA public housing and Section 8. Undocumented family members will be responsible for paying for their portion of the subsidy.

HUD sets the lower income limits at 80% and very low-income limits at 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which you choose to live. Income limits vary from area to area so you may be eligible at one HA but not at another.