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Affordable housing waiting lists

NYC Mitchell-Lama | NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)

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How it Works

The Mitchell-Lama program provides affordable rental and cooperative homeownership opportunities to families with moderate and middle incomes.

  • You have to apply to each development waiting list separately.
    • Apply to ones that fit your income, household size, and preferences.
    • Applicants may apply to open waiting lists. Closed waiting lists do not accept new applicants.
    • Entering the lottery for an open waiting list puts you in a lottery for the waiting list, not the next available unit.
    • If your application is chosen from the lottery, you’ll be added to a waitlist and notified when a unit becomes available.
  • It may take several years before a unit becomes available to people on a waiting list.
  • Veterans may be entitled to a preference for Mitchell-Lama developments with an open waiting list.
  • Mitchell-Lama housing lotteries are only one type of housing lottery. For other affordable housing opportunities, visit NYC Housing Connect.

Determine your eligibility

Eligibility for Mitchell-Lama rental units is determined by:

  • The size of the unit
  • The number of people who will be living in the unit
  • Your total household income which cannot be more than the limits shown below. Different developments have different limits:
Household Size Federally Assisted Rental Federally Assisted Cooperative Non-Federally Assisted
1 $86,960 $135,875 $135,875
2 $99,440 $155,375 $155,375
3 $111,840 $174,750 $174,750
4 $124,240 $194,125 $194,125
5 $134,160 $209,625 $209,625
6 $144,080 $225,125 $225,125
7 $154,080 $240,750 $240,750
8 $164,000 $256,250 $256,250

 


How to apply

Apply online

  1. Create an account on Mitchell-Lama Connect.
    • Signing up for NYC Mitchell-Lama Connect will provide email notifications when additional waiting list lotteries open.
  2. Find developments with open wait list lotteries.
  3. Apply for developments with open waitlists. There is a non-refundable $75 application fee.

Additional Mitchell-Lama waiting lists are managed by NYS Homes and Community Renewal. See their list of developments for middle income families and seniors.

Find a housing development


More information

Visit the website

Visit HPD’s Mitchell-Lama page for more information.

Email HPD

Email [email protected] with questions.

Call HPD

Call 212-863-6500 with questions.


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Last Updated August 20, 2024