Renters looking for affordable housing in New York City know that it’s a difficult task. People can spend years searching for an affordable place to live, especially if they confine their search to a particular neighborhood.
The city provides some options to make the process easier, however. NYC Housing Connect is a website that helps renters find affordable apartments. The site is run by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC). The services it provides include:
- Current and future affordable housing listings
- Online application for affordable housing
- Information about qualifying for affordable housing
- Information about the lottery process
Learn the income requirements and deadlines for each property
To qualify for these apartments, applicants must meet the income requirements. Typically, this is a percentage of the area median income. Each building has its own specific income requirements. In most cases, half of the available apartments are set aside for people who currently live in that neighborhood with a few units also allotted for city employees, law enforcement and people with disabilities.
Make sure to check each listing for the application deadline. With the scarcity of affordable units in New York City, you do not want to miss the deadline for these buildings. Brick Underground cautions, however, that submitting an online application and a paper application may result in disqualification from the lottery.
Using NYC Housing Connect does not guarantee that you will receive an apartment, but it may speed up the process.
