Affordable Housing in New York City

NYC has the largest affordable-housing system in the country but also the longest lines. NYCHA's Section 8 waitlist is paused, ERAP is closed, and most paths now run through city-specific programs (CityFHEPS, SOTA) or through the Housing Connect lottery. This page lists the named programs that are actually functioning in 2026 — not the ones still on Google's first page that have since shut down.

Emergency Help Tonight in NYC

• If you have no place to sleep tonight: Single adults can go to a DHS intake center: 30th Street Men's Shelter (400 East 30th St, Manhattan) for men; HELP Women's Shelter (Powers Ave, Bronx) for women. NYC's right-to-shelter rule means the city must provide a bed
• Families with children: Go to PATH (Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing), 151 East 151st St in the Bronx — the family intake center, open 24/7
• Domestic violence: Call 1-800-621-HOPE (4673) for NYC's 24-hour DV hotline. Specialized DV shelters bypass DHS intake
• If you're at risk of eviction in the next few days: Call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, or visit your Housing Court to request free legal counsel under NYC's Universal Access law — every NYC tenant facing eviction has the right to a lawyer
• Coordinated 211: Dial 211 for referrals to food, utility help, and case managers across the five boroughs

For broader guidance, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

NYCHA Section 8: Current Status and the New Waitlist

• Waitlist is paused. Effective August 1, 2025, NYCHA paused all active outreach, application processing, and voucher issuance on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waitlist
• The new waitlist exists but is closed. NYCHA opened applications June 3–9, 2024 (one week). About 200,000 households were randomly selected by lottery; roughly 150,000 are on the active list today
• If you applied during the June 2024 window: log into the NYCHA Self-Service Portal to check your status. Mail notifications go to the address on file — keep your address updated
• If you didn't apply: there is no current way onto the Section 8 list. Focus your effort on CityFHEPS, public housing, Housing Connect lotteries, and HCR's statewide voucher program

For the broader Section 8 application landscape, see how to apply for Section 8 and how to find your PHA.

NY State Section 8 (HCR)

NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) runs a separate Section 8 program for areas outside NYC, parts of Long Island, and certain upstate counties. If you are in any of those areas, apply to HCR's program separately — it has its own waitlist independent of NYCHA's: hcr.ny.gov/hcv.

CityFHEPS — NYC's Own Rental Subsidy

CityFHEPS (City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) is NYC's own voucher program, created because Section 8 is largely inaccessible. It functions similarly to Section 8 — the city pays a portion of your rent direct to your landlord — but eligibility and application paths are NYC-specific.

• Who qualifies (roughly): households in DHS shelter, certain families at imminent risk of eviction, certain HRA cash-assistance recipients, and survivors of domestic violence. The rules change periodically
• How to apply if you're in shelter: through your DHS case manager — they initiate the application
• How to apply if you're at risk of eviction: through HRA. Call (718) 557-1399 or go to an HRA Job Center
• Source-of-income protection applies: NYC and NY State law both prohibit landlords from refusing CityFHEPS (or Section 8). Enforcement is uneven — document refusals in writing and report to the Commission on Human Rights at (212) 416-0197

SOTA — One-Year-Rent Upfront for Shelter Clients

Special One-Time Assistance (SOTA) pays one full year of rent upfront for stable DHS shelter clients. Eligibility:

• Families with children: at least 90 days in DHS shelter
• Single adults and adult families: at least 90 of the past 365 days in DHS shelter
• Used to move into apartments anywhere in the U.S. — many SOTA users relocate out of NYC for affordability
• Ask your DHS case manager to start the SOTA paperwork

Housing Connect — The Lottery Portal

NYC Housing Connect is the city's central portal for affordable-unit lotteries. Income-restricted units come on at multiple tiers, up to 130% AMI (about $157,040 for a family of four). Strategy that works:

• Create your profile once with accurate household income
• Apply to every lottery you qualify for — selection is random; quantity matters
• Keep your profile updated after any income or household change
• Respond to log-number requests immediately; the timeline is unforgiving
• Most lotteries close to applications within 30–60 days of opening; the picks happen 6–24 months later

Emergency Rental Assistance — What Actually Exists Now

NY State ERAP is closed (final closing was November 17, 2025; over $4 billion distributed). Anyone telling you they can submit a new ERAP application is wrong or running a scam. Current paths:

• HRA One-Shot Deal: one-time rent arrears assistance for households at risk of eviction. Apply through HRA. Documentation-heavy — bring lease, eviction notice, ID, proof of income
• NYCHA Rental Arrears Assistance Programs — only for NYCHA tenants behind on rent in NYCHA developments
• FHEPS for households on cash assistance (HRA program)
• NYDIS (New York Disaster Interfaith Services) — case-by-case emergency assistance for households in crisis
• 211 / Community-Based Organizations — Catholic Charities, Met Council on Jewish Poverty, Lutheran Social Services, Bowery Mission, and parish-based programs that frequently have small emergency funds
• Free legal help to fight the eviction itself: NYC's Universal Access to Counsel program gives every tenant in Housing Court the right to a free attorney. Show up — do not default. Legal Aid Society, Legal Services NYC, and Met Council on Housing all represent tenants

Tenant Rights in New York City

• Right to Counsel in Housing Court: every NYC tenant facing eviction has a right to a free attorney under the city's Universal Access law. Do not appear without one — request counsel at intake
• Source-of-income protection: NYC Human Rights Law and NY State Human Rights Law both ban discrimination based on lawful source of income (vouchers, SSI, SSDI, alimony, child support, etc.)
• Good cause eviction: NY's 2024 Good Cause Eviction law gives most NYC tenants protection against arbitrary nonrenewal and limits annual rent increases (currently CPI + 5% or 10%, whichever is lower) in covered units. Coverage has exceptions; check your building
• Rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments: roughly half of NYC's rental stock. Increases are set by the Rent Guidelines Board annually. You have the right to a renewal lease
• Warranty of habitability: heat, hot water, working plumbing, and freedom from infestation are non-negotiable. Call 311 to file a complaint; HPD inspections create a paper trail
• Security deposit: maximum is 1 month's rent (since the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act). Must be returned within 14 days of move-out
• Notice requirements: 14 days written notice for nonpayment evictions; 30–90 days for non-renewal depending on tenancy length
• Retaliation: landlords cannot evict, raise rent, or refuse renewal in retaliation for complaints to 311, HPD, DOB, or organizing other tenants

State-level details: New York state housing resources. To file a complaint: how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Affordable Housing Options in NYC

• NYCHA Public Housing: approximately 178,000 apartments across the five boroughs. Separate application from Section 8. Waitlists are long but open for some developments — check the NYCHA Self-Service Portal
• Mitchell-Lama: middle-income subsidized co-ops and rentals. Many have closed waitlists; some open periodically. Check HPD's Mitchell-Lama list and DHCR's listings
• LIHTC and 421-a properties: private buildings with income-restricted units, listed primarily on Housing Connect
• HUD-VASH for veterans: referrals through the NY Harbor VA system or the Manhattan VA
• Rapid Rehousing: through DHS for people exiting shelter
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a free counselor at HUD's counselor locator — useful for navigating any of the above

Next Steps

If you're not sure where to start, our Where to Start tool routes you to the right combination of NYC programs in about two minutes. If you're in DHS shelter, talk to your case manager about SOTA and CityFHEPS the next time you meet — those are the two fastest exit paths.