NYC Housing Connect lottery: how to apply and qualify
How the NYC affordable housing lottery works: 2026 AMI income limits, set-asides and preferences, the steps after you apply, interview documents and scams.
8 min read · Updated
To enter the NYC affordable housing lottery, create a free profile on NYC Housing Connect, then apply to each building whose income range and household size fit yours before its deadline. Applications are picked in random order, and if yours is chosen you must prove your household and income at a screening interview before you can sign a lease.
Qualifying is about your household’s income compared with the Area Median Income (AMI). For 2026, HPD lists 100% AMI as $152,700 for a three-person household. Each listing then sets its own minimum and maximum income, so you can be too high or too low for a particular building.
At a glance
- Cost to apply
- $0
- Never pay anyone to apply
- Minimum age
- 18
- SSN or ITIN usually needed
- 100% AMI, 3 people (2026)
- $152,700
- Disability set-aside
- 7% of units
- 5% mobility, 2% vision/hearing
- City worker / veteran preference
- 10% of units
- Lotteries published from Nov 15, 2025
- Time to hear back
- Often a year or longer
- Sometimes never
Who qualifies
HPD’s guide says anyone can apply, but in practice you need to meet these basics:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You will probably need a Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
- New York City residents usually get priority for HPD and HDC housing.
- Your household income must fall inside the range set for the unit, which depends on how many people will live there. HPD also applies asset limits and tenant selection criteria.
- If you have a Section 8 voucher or another rental subsidy (such as CityFHEPS), mark it in your profile. HPD says minimum income requirements do not apply to voucher holders, though the rent must fit your voucher’s limits.
Landlords cannot reject you based on your credit score alone, HPD says, but they may check your credit history and whether you have been taken to Housing Court. Check both before you apply (see Housing Court records and tenant screening).
2026 income limits by AMI
Each listing is targeted to one or more AMI bands. Find your household size and see where your gross annual income lands. HPD calls 0–30% AMI extremely low income, 31–50% very low, 51–80% low, 81–120% moderate and 121–165% middle income.
| Household size | 30% AMI | 50% AMI | 60% AMI | 80% AMI | 100% AMI | 130% AMI | 165% AMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $35,640 | $59,400 | $71,280 | $95,040 | $118,800 | $154,440 | $196,020 |
| 2 people | $40,710 | $67,850 | $81,420 | $108,560 | $135,700 | $176,410 | $223,905 |
| 3 people | $45,810 | $76,350 | $91,620 | $122,160 | $152,700 | $198,510 | $251,955 |
| 4 people | $50,880 | $84,800 | $101,760 | $135,680 | $169,600 | $220,480 | $279,840 |
| 5 people | $54,960 | $91,600 | $109,920 | $146,560 | $183,200 | $238,160 | $302,280 |
| 6 people | $59,040 | $98,400 | $118,080 | $157,440 | $196,800 | $255,840 | $324,720 |
These are the ceilings. Each listing also sets a minimum income. The listing itself is the final word. You can check your numbers quickly here:
Do I qualify for NYC affordable housing lotteries?
Open full calculator →Copy the AMI level, rent and minimum income from the Housing Connect listing.
Very low-income for a 3-person household (100% AMI = $152,700).
| AMI level | Max income (3 people) | You |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | $30,540 | Over |
| 30% | $45,810 | Over |
| 40% | $61,080 | Over |
| 50% | $76,350 | Under max |
| 60% | $91,620 | Under max |
| 70% | $106,890 | Under max |
| 80% | $122,160 | Under max |
| 90% | $137,430 | Under max |
| 100% | $152,700 | Under max |
| 110% | $167,970 | Under max |
| 120% | $183,240 | Under max |
| 130% | $198,510 | Under max |
| 165% | $251,955 | Under max |
| 175% | $267,225 | Under max |
Being under a maximum is only half the test: each unit also has a minimum income tied to its rent. Apply on NYC Housing Connect.
What counts as income
HPD counts wages, self-employment, part-time work, workers’ compensation, Social Security, public assistance and certain investment and retirement payments. If you work for someone else, use your pay before taxes (gross). If you work for yourself, HPD’s guide says to use what you make after taxes and other deductions (net). Most of this is on the tax return you filed last year.
Set-asides and preferences
Every listing shows which units are reserved for whom. In HPD- and HDC-financed projects:
- Disability set-aside: 7% of units are set aside for applicants with disabilities, 5% for mobility and 2% for vision or hearing. Applicants with a disability are also considered for every other unit they qualify for.
- Municipal employee / military veteran preference: for lotteries published from November 15, 2025, 10% of units (or one unit, whichever is greater) go first to City of New York employees and US military veterans. It replaced a 5% municipal employee preference.
- Community board preference: a share of units goes first to people already living in the building’s community district. The share is set in each listing.
Add anything that applies to you to your Housing Connect profile so it carries over to every application.
From application to lease
Before you apply
Build your profile
Register on Housing Connect and enter everyone who will live with you and all their income. Update it whenever a job or household member changes.Application period
Apply to buildings that fit
Periods run from a few weeks to a couple of months. Apply online or on paper, but only once per building: duplicate applications can be disqualified.After the deadline
The lottery
Applications are put in random order and assigned log numbers. The marketing agent reviews them starting with set-asides and preferences.Months to a year or more later
Invitation to the screening interview
You get a letter or email. Everyone 18 or older who will live in the apartment must attend, with documents.After the interview
Approval, waitlist or rejection
You may be approved, placed on a waitlist that can last up to two years, or rejected with a written reason.Within 10 business days of the rejection postmark
Appeal if you think it’s wrong
Write to the building agent with supporting documents. If the appeal fails and you still see an error, you can complain to HPD or HDC within five business days.Approved
Unit offer and lease signing
Be ready to move quickly; check your current lease’s early move-out terms now.
Being on a waitlist or rejected at one building does not affect your other applications. Keep applying while you wait.
Your documents checklist
HPD’s advice is to gather documents before your number is called. Tick each item as you collect it; your progress stays in this browser.
Ready for the screening interview
0/12Lottery scams
More warning signs are in rental scam red flags.
Free help
HPD funds Housing Ambassadors, community organizations that help people prepare and apply, and its Ready to Rent program offers free one-on-one financial counseling. NYC Financial Empowerment Centers (call 311) offer free help with credit and savings.
Other affordable options
- NYCHA public housing has its own application and waiting list.
- Mitchell-Lama lotteries run through a separate portal, Mitchell-Lama Connect.
- Rent-stabilized apartments on the private market, with capped renewals.
- Vouchers: renting with Section 8 or CityFHEPS.
Re-verified 2026-10-12. Every cell of the AMI table re-compared with the HPD AMI page (2026 AMI, 100% = $152,700 for three people) and the income-band names. Do You Qualify page: age 18, income range, asset limits and tenant selection criteria. Ready, Set, Apply! guide: SSN/ITIN, NYC-resident priority, credit score alone not disqualifying, Housing Court history terminals, two months’ rent savings, income definitions (gross for employees, net after taxes and deductions for self-employed), random lottery, a few weeks to a couple of months to apply, duplicate applications, a year or longer to hear back, interview documents, everyone 18+ attends, waitlist up to two years, 10-business-day appeal and 5-business-day agency complaint, other applications stay active. HPD disability guide: 7% set-aside (5% mobility, 2% vision/hearing), considered for all units, random order with log numbers, review starting with set-asides and preferences, no minimum income for voucher holders. Nov 2025 Marketing Handbook addendum: 10% (or one unit) ME/MV preference replacing 5% municipal employee preference, DD214/Statement of Service, utility bills and bank statements as community board proof. Housing Connect page: hotline 212-863-7990, Mitchell-Lama Connect. HPD scam alert: @hpd.nyc.gov, deposit and fee scams (alert is addressed to HPD subsidy applicants, so wording narrowed). Fixes: self-employed income wording, scam framing, added voucher minimum-income rule, sourced the utility bill and bank statement checklist notes.
Sources
- NYC Housing Connect · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Area Median Income (2026 income limits) · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Find affordable housing (Housing Ambassadors, Ready to Rent) · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Do you qualify? · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Ready, Set, Apply! Getting ready for affordable housing in NYC · NYC HPD and HDC (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Affordable housing guide for applicants with disabilities · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Marketing Handbook addendum: Municipal Employee/Military Veteran preference (effective Nov 15, 2025) · NYC HPD and HDC (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Email scam alert · NYC HPD (accessed October 12, 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency or a professional before you act.