NEW YORK (PIX11) — Thousands of New Yorkers are waiting for the next step in the affordable housing process.
After filling out an online application on NYC Housing Connect, affordable housing hopefuls need to wait between two and 10 months to find out if their application has been selected.
“If you are selected, you will be contacted by the developer. They will invite you to an interview to verify if you meet eligibility rules. Your interview is very important. Spots are limited,” a Housing Connect document titled What to Expect explains. "Confirm your appointment immediately or reschedule if necessary. Going to the interview does not guarantee that you will receive affordable housing."
Each building listed on Housing Connect is privately owned and operated. The owner must follow the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development guidelines. The HPD monitors the portal and the process to ensure compliance, but ultimately, private building owners offer leases.
HPD provides an extensive list of documents needed for an affordable housing application. These documents are often required to verify household employment income, residency, and assets.
Some of the documents that may be helpful include:
“At a minimum, they need to provide one document from each category, but they can provide more,” said Aileen Reynolds, the assistant commissioner of housing opportunity at HPD. “There may be some instances where showing multiple documents may be helpful. I would say it's most crucial that folks have their most recent tax filing, pay stubs, and bank statements.”
Providing all of the documents does not guarantee an applicant will be selected.
After providing the required documents, the building developer will verify eligibility, and a city employee will review the file for accuracy. Applicants are then offered to sign a lease or put on a waiting list.
The applicant will receive a rejection letter, which can be appealed.
New Yorkers can apply for as many affordable housing lotteries as they want, regardless of whether they've previously been rejected, according to Housing Connect.
Yes, HPD partners with local nonprofits and other community-based providers to help applicants with the affordable housing process.
For help finding a housing ambassador and other resources, click here.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
