The NYC Housing Lottery and more.
Income-restricted affordable housing takes longer to land than a market-rate apartment. Start here if you're playing the long game.
Most NYC affordable housing is distributed through lotteries with income bands, household-size requirements, and long odds. Commercial and nonprofit services can help.
Government Programs
Every program here is free to apply to directly — you never need to pay to enter a housing lottery.
Citywide
ACCESS NYC
City benefits screener and program directory covering affordable housing, rent help and other supports.
CityFHEPS
A rental assistance voucher for households facing eviction or experiencing homelessness, administered by the NYC Human Resources Administration.
Emergency Assistance / One Shot Deal
Emergency cash assistance that can help eligible households facing homelessness, rent arrears or utility emergencies.
Homebase
Homelessness-prevention program offering case management, rental assistance referrals and help stabilizing housing.
HPD Affordable Housing Re-rentals
HPD page linking to affordable re-rentals and resales that may be available outside the Housing Connect lottery process.
HPD Apartment Hunting Tips
Official apartment-search guidance covering rental preparation, scams, discrimination and tenant protections.
HPD Find Affordable Housing
NYC guide to Housing Connect, Housing Ambassadors, Ready to Rent and other affordable-housing resources.
HPD Ready to Rent
Free financial counseling to prepare credit, income documentation and applications for affordable housing.
Mitchell-Lama & Middle Income Housing
State-supervised program providing below-market housing for eligible middle-income households.
New York Housing Search
New York State search, application, lottery and waitlist tool for HCR-financed affordable housing.
NYC Housing Connect
Official NYC portal to find and apply for affordable rental and homeownership lotteries.
NYCHA Public Housing
Information and application guidance for New York City public housing.
NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR)
The state housing agency overseeing rent regulation and a number of state-level affordable housing programs.
Section 8 — NYC
Information on NYC Housing Choice Vouchers; application status and availability can change.
New Jersey
Hoboken Affordable Housing
Affordable-housing waiting-list, rental opportunity, income-limit and application information for Hoboken.
Hoboken Housing Authority
Public-housing applications, notices and resident resources in Hoboken.
Jersey City Affordable Housing Portal
City portal for searching and applying for income-restricted affordable housing in Jersey City.
Jersey City Housing Authority
Public and affordable housing information, waiting-list and applicant resources for Jersey City.
New Jersey Housing Resource Center
Free statewide search for affordable, accessible, temporary and market-rate rental housing.
Application-Assistance Services
Some nonprofits and housing counselors offer free or low-cost help preparing a Housing Connect application, and some for-profit services charge a fee for the same kind of help. Before paying anyone for application assistance, verify they're a legitimate, currently operating organization, and confirm exactly what they will and won't do for the fee.
NYC Housing Lottery Alerts
Independent commercial service that monitors NYC affordable-housing lottery data and sends personalized email alerts for new Housing Connect lotteries matching borough, bedroom, and income preferences; also offers deadline reminders and application-readiness tools.
Ariva — Ready to Rent
Nonprofit program offering free one-on-one financial counseling and affordable-housing application assistance. Helps applicants calculate qualifying income, prepare financially, organize documentation, and apply through the NYC housing lottery.
Bronx Times — Housing Lottery Newsletter
Commercial local-news publication that regularly reports on newly opened NYC affordable-housing lotteries and offers a weekly email newsletter for updates on housing lotteries, particularly useful for Bronx opportunities.
Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH)
Nonprofit offering free one-on-one affordable-housing application assistance, including help navigating NYC housing lotteries, reviewing application requirements, preparing for interviews, and understanding financial documentation.
Fifth Avenue Committee — Affordable Housing
Nonprofit that offers affordable-housing information sessions, guidance on Housing Connect lotteries and re-rentals, and assistance creating Housing Connect profiles and navigating open opportunities.
IMPACCT Brooklyn
Brooklyn nonprofit providing affordable-housing lottery workshops and one-on-one housing counseling, including training to help residents understand and prepare for affordable-housing opportunities.
MHANY Management — Housing Lottery Support
Nonprofit affordable-housing organization providing Housing Connect guidance, profile and document-preparation support, lottery information, and outreach on affordable-housing opportunities; also publishes information on its own lotteries and re-rentals.
Stonewall CDC — Housing Assistance Program
Nonprofit offering free Housing Connect assistance, including profile setup, affordable-housing applications, technical help, and follow-up through the process. Serves all New Yorkers, with particular expertise serving LGBTQ+ older adults.
University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP)
Bronx nonprofit whose housing resources include a newsletter highlighting local affordable-housing lotteries, monthly housing Q&A sessions, and assistance for applicants who are selected and need help preparing documents or interviews. It no longer provides ongoing first-stage Housing Connect application assistance.