29-04-2025
Affordable housing now easier to apply for, qualify for in NYC: HPD
NEW YORK (PIX11) – It will now be easier for New Yorkers to apply and qualify for affordable housing lotteries, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced on Tuesday.
HPD cited New York City's record low vacancy rate as the reason for the changes.
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'Our administration's number one goal has been to remove barriers that prevent New Yorkers from accessing the crucial services and benefits they have earned and deserve,' said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion Jr. in a statement.
Here are some of the changes made to the way residents apply for affordable housing:
Employed applicants are now only required to submit one month of pay stubs instead of multiple
Applicants who have less than $51,600 in assets can self-certify without using bank statements
Affidavits, also called self-certifications, will no longer have to be notarized
Applicants with federal benefits like SNAP now have fewer documentation requirements
Tax returns aren't required anymore (self-employed people are still required to present tax returns)
There are more ways for disabled applicants to verify their eligibility for set-aside units, like using driver's licenses or school records
Other recent changes made to affordable housing lotteries include apartments recently moved out of now being listed on HPD's new website for re-rentals or on popular rental sites. Potential applicants would no longer need to apply for the lottery to have a chance at a re-rental, according to HPD.
More than 10,000 people found apartments through lottery listings on NYC Housing Connect last year, HPD said.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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