Affordable Housing in New York: Lottery Application Simplified

In New York, launched a new, improved site, which will make applying for affordable housing "easier than ever." This publication writes 6sqft.

New web portal

New York introduces an upgraded lottery system for affordable housing. This will simplify the process of applying for apartments with limited income to those who need it.

City Housing Preservation and Development has launched a new web portal even in the summer. Now it will be easier for site visitors to use it; they will also be able to view the available lotteries on smartphones and download the necessary documents online.

NYC Housing ConnectLaunched in 2013, it is a centralized Internet portal that hosts a large number of affordable housing units in five districts of the city. In the current system, applications are selected for consideration during the lottery process.

How it works

If your application is selected and you meet the requirements for income, you will be invited for an interview. Usually, after filing an application, you have to wait from two to ten months. Interested parties must bring documents to the meeting confirming the number of members of their family, information on income and property.

Since its launch seven years ago, the system has received more than 25 million applications for approximately 40 thousand housing units.

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To further simplify the process, the new website allows New Yorkers to create individual profiles and calculate their income in accordance with the open lotteries for which they are best suited to participate. The first blocks will appear on the new site at the beginning of next month, and in total about 2500 blocks will be available in the coming months.

“This pandemic not only triggered a health crisis - it also triggered an economic crisis. As the pressure on families across the city grows, we are fighting to ensure that all New Yorkers get support, said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The new and improved NYC Housing Connect will make it easier than ever to apply for affordable housing when we know families need whatever help they can get.”

Since de Blasio took office, the number of apartments provided as part of the lotteries has increased. Creating and maintaining affordable housing remains one of its main initiatives. In particular, he promised that by 2026 more than 300 thousand housing units will appear in New York.

According to the city, over the past year alone, over 8700 units of affordable housing were presented through the portal. Any applications submitted through the old site will remain active until the closure of the lotteries.

Recall that in New York there is a special program that allows you to rent housing below the market value of low-income residents. To do this, they can apply for participation in the housing lottery. On average, in New York lotteries, about 850 applicants are fighting for the right to rent each available apartment. What you need to apply read in this publication.