Ready, Set, Apply!
Getting Ready for Affordable Housing in NYC
[PAGE 2]
CONTENTS
1. Learn about your affordable housing options (page 3)
2. Get ready to apply (page 5)
3. Apply (page 8)
4. Be ready in case you get an interview (page 12)
5. Resources (page 16)
[PAGE 3]
1. LEARN ABOUT YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS
Getting ready to apply for affordable housing takes time – and it
means more than just filling out paperwork. This guide will help
you get organized so you can put together a strong application.
[PAGE 4]
WHAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING?
Housing is usually considered affordable if it costs about one-third
or less of what the people living there make. Different kinds of
affordable housing are available for families with different
incomes.
In this guide, “affordable housing” means apartments that are
part of government affordable housing programs. It focuses on
housing subsidized by the New York City Department of Housing
Preservation and Development (HPD) and Housing Development
Corporation (HDC).
The information in this guide will help you improve your
application for many different kinds of affordable housing
programs – and for housing on the private market, too.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING?
ANYONE CAN APPLY! BUT:
• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You’ll probably need a Social Security Number (SSN) or
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
• New York City residents usually have priority for HPD and
HDC housing.
• Your income needs to be in a specific range, which changes
depending on how many people live with you, and is set by
each housing program.
[PAGE 5]
2. GET READY TO APPLY
You can improve your application with a few important steps. But
these steps can take months to complete – get started today!
[PAGE 6]
KNOW YOUR CREDIT HISTORY
Landlords can’t disqualify you based on your credit score alone,
but they may check your credit history. Make sure the
information in your credit report is correct, and take steps to
improve your credit score, if you need to.
• Get your free credit report at annualcreditreport.com
• You can fix errors on your credit report by filing a request
online, by phone, or by sending a letter to the credit
reporting company.
• Get help understanding your credit report and learn how to
improve your credit score from a free, professional financial
counselor. Go to nyc.gov/consumers
for more information,
or call 311 and ask to make an appointment at an NYC
Financial Empowerment Center.
KNOW YOUR HOUSING COURT HISTORY
Landlords may check to see if you’ve been taken to Housing Court
or evicted. Check your history ahead of time so you can address
any issues, and be ready to answer questions if they come up.
• Find and print a record of your history on public computers
available at Housing Court locations. Go to
nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/housing for locations and more
information.
• Clear up judgments against you by asking for help from a
lawyer at Housing Court, or visit nycourts.gov for more
information on getting legal help.
[PAGE 7]
START SAVING
You should save at least two months’ rent to cover the first month
and security deposit. You might want to save even more to cover
your moving expenses.
• Start saving for your move by finding a savings account that
earns interest with a bank or credit union.
o If you have an IDNYC card, you can use it to open an
account at many banks and credit unions. Go to:
on.nyc.gov/idnycbanks
to find out where.
o For help creating a budget, saving, or opening a bank
account, visit an NYC Financial Empowerment Center.
For information, go to nyc.gov/consumers
or call 311
and ask to make an appointment at an NYC Financial
Empowerment Center.
[PAGE 8]
3. APPLY
Once you’ve started working on your credit, Housing Court
history, and saving, start applying for affordable housing!
[PAGE 9]
SET UP YOUR HOUSING CONNECT PROFILE
The first step in applying for affordable housing is to create a
Housing Connect profile at: nyc.gov/housingconnect
• You’ll need information about the incomes of everyone who
will live in the apartment.
Income includes money you make from a regular job, owning your
own business, and/or part-time work. It also includes other
money you get from workers’ compensation, the government
(like Social Security or public assistance), and certain payments
from investments and retirement.
Most of the information will be on the tax return you filed last
year.
If you work for someone else, include the amount you are paid
before taxes (called “gross income”). If you work for yourself,
include the amount you make after taxes and other deductions
(called “net income”).
If you need more help understanding what counts as income,
check out HPD’s income guide for affordable housing applicants:
nyc.gov/hpd/incomeguide
[PAGE 10]
SEARCH FOR APARTMENTS
• Use the “Search” page on Housing Connect to find
affordable housing listings. Click the name to learn if you
qualify for a building’s lottery.
o It’s called a lottery because that’s how it works: all
applications go into a big pool and are picked
randomly.
• You can also find listings in newspapers and on HPD’s and
HDC’s websites: nyc.gov/hpd and nychdc.com
• Every listing will show how many apartments are available,
how many people can live in each apartment, the income
range your household has to fall in to qualify, and when the
application is due.
• If the income of your household is too high or low for the
building, you won’t qualify. Apply to lotteries for buildings
that fit the number of people living with you and match the
income range of what everyone makes.
• Some apartments are reserved for people in specific
situations, including if you:
o Have a mobility, hearing or vision disability
o Live in the same Community District
o Work for the City
If any of these apply to you, make sure to include it on your
profile and in your lottery applications.
• Keep your Housing Connect profile up to date. For example,
if you get a new job or lose a job, make sure to update it.
Check your profile every time you apply to a new building.
[PAGE 11]
APPLY!
If you find a building you qualify for, click “Apply” next to the
listing to start your application.
• You can also fill out a paper application and submit it by
mail.
o Each listing will have information on how to get a
paper application.
o There will be information on the application that tells
you where to mail it.
o It can take several days to receive a paper application
in the mail, so if the deadline is coming up, think about
applying online. Paper and online applications are
treated the same way in the lottery.
• Apply before the deadline! The application period can last
from a few weeks to a couple of months, so leave yourself
enough time.
• As long as you apply before the deadline, it does matter
when you submit your application.
• Duplicate applications may be disqualified, so don’t send
more than one application. Don’t send both paper and
online applications, either.
AFTER YOU APPLY
It can take a year or longer to hear about your application. (And
sometimes you might not hear back.)
• While you’re waiting, carefully check what your current
lease says about moving out before the lease is over. If
you’re offered an apartment, you might need to move
quickly.
• Just because you qualify doesn’t mean your application will
be selected in the lottery.
• If you aren’t selected or don’t hear back, keep searching for
other apartments and apply when you’re ready.
[PAGE 12]
4. BE READY IN CASE YOU GET AN INTERVIEW
If your application is selected, you’ll be invited to a screening
interview with agents from the building. This interview is very
important. Agents from the building will confirm if you qualify for
the apartment you applied for. Get ready ahead of time to make
sure you’re prepared.
[PAGE 13]
GET IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS TOGETHER
At the interview, you’ll need to show documents that prove the
information you put in your application. Start collecting copies
today!
You’ll have to show:
• Who will live with you. Examples:
o Birth certificates
o Social Security cards
o Picture IDs
• The incomes of everyone who will live with you. Examples:
o Pay stubs
o Federal or state tax returns
o Proof of Social Security, veteran, or public assistance
benefits income
• Information about your current apartment. Examples:
o Your current lease
o Receipts for rent
o Recent gas or electric bills
• If you need help getting copies of these documents, go to
HPD’s website: nyc.gov/hpd/afteryouapply
GET READY FOR THE SCREENING INTERVIEW
You’ll get a letter or email with instructions on how to schedule
your screening interview. Anyone who is 18 or older who will live
in the apartment needs to go to the interview.
• To schedule your interview, contact the building agent listed
on the letter.
• Reschedule your interview if you need to by calling the
number on the letter as soon as possible – most agents ask
for at least 24 hours’ notice.
• The agent will tell you what forms you need to bring. If you
have questions, call the number listed on your letter.
[PAGE 14]
AFTER THE SCREENING INTERVIEW…
You might have to do some follow-up steps to make sure your
application is complete. After that…
• Your application might be accepted. You’ll have to go
through a few more steps before you decide if you want to
sign a lease.
• You might be put on a waitlist, which can last up to two
years. The agent might contact you to update your
information. Contact them if you want to be removed from
the list.
• You might get a rejection letter saying you don’t qualify and
the reason why. If this happens, you have the right to
appeal. This means you’ll get a chance to explain why you
think the decision was not correct.
o If you want to appeal, act quickly – you only have 10
business days from the date of the postmark of the
letter to submit an appeal!
o Submit a letter to the building agent explaining why
you think you shouldn’t have been turned down.
Include any documents that support your appeal. The
rejection letter will tell you where to send it.
o The building agents will review your appeal and send
you a letter with the outcome.
o If the appeal is successful, you’ll either receive an
approval letter or be put the waitlist.
o If your appeal is not successful, you’ll receive a
rejection letter. If you think there’s still an error, you
can contact the agency (HPD or HDC) within five
business days with a complaint. Be sure to include an
explanation of why you think there’s an error. The
letter will tell you which agency to contact and how.
• If you’re put on a waitlist or receive a rejection letter,
applications you’ve submitted to other buildings are still
active. Keep working on getting ready in case you’re
selected for another building!
[PAGE 15]
NOTES
[PAGE 16]
RESOURCES
FIND AND APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
nyc.gov/housingconnect
FIND OTHER CITY-SUBSIDIZED HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES
HPD’s website: nyc.gov/hpd/rentalopportunities
HDC’s website: nychdc.com/pages/Now-Renting.html
GET HELP FINDING AND APPLYING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
nyc.gov/hpd/findhousing
YOU CAN ALSO GET HELP FROM A HOUSING AMBASSADOR
These are community organizations. Find one at:
nyc.gov/hpd/findhousingresources
PREPARE TO APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH FREE,
PROFESSIONAL, ONE-ON-ONE FINANCIAL COUNSELING AT AN
NYC FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER
Visit nyc.gov/consumers
for more information, or call 311 and ask
to make an appointment at an NYC Financial Empowerment
Center.
[FOOTER]
This project was completed in collaboration with the Center for
Urban Pedagogy (CUP), a nonprofit organization that uses the
power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement:
welcometoCUP.org
Design by Maison Papercut: maisonpapercut.com
Illustrations by Rebecca Clarke.
New York City Department of Housing Preservation and
Development
New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
New York City Housing Development Corporation
Center for Urban Pedagogy
Maison Papercut
Citi Foundation
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
