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Lotteries for affordable housing

NYC Housing Connect | NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)

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How it Works

NYC Housing Connect is an online portal where you can find an affordable apartment or home to rent or buy.

  • Affordable housing costs about one-third or less of your household income.
    • Affordable rental units are regulated. This means the rent cannot go up too much over time.
    • Affordable homes that you can buy include condos, co-ops, and 1-4 family homes. The prices of these are restricted.
  • You can use NYC Housing Connect to find affordable housing in all five boroughs.
    • When you find one that you like, you can apply to its lottery.
    • Your household must meet that unit’s income and size requirements to apply for its lottery.
  • You can apply regardless of your citizenship or immigration status.

Determine your eligibility

Each housing lottery on NYC Housing Connect has different income requirements based on your household size. See the requirements for open lottery units on NYC Housing Connect.

Ready to Rent can help you prepare to apply for affordable housing lotteries. You can get free one-on-one financial counseling and assistance with your housing applications.

Priority for some lotteries are given to NYC residents if they:

  • have a disability
  • are a senior
  • live in the same neighborhood

What you need to include

You may need to submit documents if your application for a lottery is selected. These documents should prove your household’s:

  • employment income (like paystubs or W-2 forms)
  • income from other sources (like a rental voucher or public assistance)
  • assets (like bank or investment account statements)
  • You may also need documents to prove your rent payment history.
    • If you do not or cannot give your rent payment history, you can do a credit check instead.
  • You may also need documents like birth certificates and IDs for your household members.

See the full list of documents that you might need.


How to apply

Apply online

  1. Create and complete your profile on NYC Housing Connect.
    • If you had a profile on the old portal, you must still create a profile on the new NYC Housing Connect portal.
  2. Search the open lotteries to find a housing unit that you like and are eligible for.
  3. Apply for a unit’s lottery before the deadline.
    • Some applicants may be reviewed first if they have a disability or live in the neighborhood.
    • It can take several months or longer to hear about your application. As you wait, make sure to keep your profile up to date with any changes (like your household income).

You can also sign up for email updates for when new lotteries are accepting applications.

Visit NYC Housing Connect


More information

Visit the website

Read the FAQ about NYC Housing Connect.

Email NYC Housing Connect

[email protected]

Call the NYC Housing Connect Affordable Housing Hotline

Call 212-863-7990. Calls may not be answered in real time, but you can leave a voicemail.

Get Help In Person

Get application assistance from an organization through Housing Ambassadors.

Get financial counseling and application assistance through Ready to Rent.


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Last Updated October 21, 2024