The NYC Housing Lottery offers income-qualified New Yorkers the chance to rent apartments in newly constructed and renovated affordable housing developments at below-market rents. Every year, hundreds of new listings become available across all five boroughs — but the application process has specific requirements, and knowing how it works dramatically improves your chances.

This guide explains the NYC Housing Lottery from start to finish: how to create your profile, how to find and apply to listings, what happens after you apply, and what to expect at each stage.

What Is the NYC Housing Lottery?

The NYC Housing Lottery is administered by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) through the NYC Housing Connect platform. When affordable housing developers receive city subsidies or tax benefits, they are required to set aside units for households below certain income thresholds. Those units are distributed by lottery to eligible applicants.

Apartments range from studios to three-bedroom units, and income requirements vary by development. Some buildings target households at very low incomes (30% of Area Median Income or below); others are open to moderate-income households (up to 130% AMI or higher). There are units for renters and for homebuyers.

Step 1: Create Your NYC Housing Connect Profile

All applications go through NYC Housing Connect at housingconnect.nyc.gov. Creating a profile is free and takes about 15–20 minutes.

Your profile captures:

• Household size and composition (adults, children, their ages)
• Current address and borough
• Gross annual household income
• Whether anyone in your household has a disability or mobility impairment
• Whether you’re a current NYC resident (residency preference applies to most lotteries)
• Whether anyone in your household is a veteran
• Whether anyone works for NYC (municipal employee preference applies to some developments)

Keep your profile updated. Your profile information is what determines whether you qualify for a given listing — stale data can cause you to be screened out incorrectly or miss a preference you’re entitled to.

Step 2: Find Open Lotteries

On Housing Connect, you can browse current open lotteries and filter by borough, bedroom size, and income range. Each listing shows:

• Number of available units by bedroom size
• Income bands (minimum and maximum gross household income to qualify)
• Monthly rent for each unit type
• Application deadline
• Building address and borough
• Any preference categories that apply (community board, municipal employees, veterans, etc.)

Most lotteries are open for 30 to 45 days. There is no advantage to applying early or late within that window — the lottery is random, not first-come-first-served.

Step 3: Apply — and Apply Broadly

Applying to a lottery takes about two minutes once your profile is complete — you just click “Apply” and confirm. There is no limit on how many lotteries you can enter, and there is no penalty for applying to many at once. The best strategy is to apply to every listing for which you are income-qualified.

Housing Connect will automatically flag listings that appear to match your profile, but always verify income requirements yourself — the system’s matching is not always precise.

How the Lottery Works

After the application period closes, the lottery is conducted. Applications are randomly assigned a log number. Those with preferences (community board district residents, municipal employees, veterans, mobility-impaired applicants for accessible units) are given priority within the randomized pool.

Applicants are then contacted in log number order for interview. Getting a log number does not mean you will be called — developers interview many times more applicants than available units, since not everyone will pass the interview and income verification process.

Step 4: The Interview and Document Review

If you are selected for interview, you will receive a letter or email asking you to submit documentation and schedule an appointment. This is the most important stage. Prepare the following in advance so you can respond quickly when called:

• Government-issued photo ID for all adult household members
• Social Security numbers or ITINs for all household members
• Birth certificates for all household members
• Two most recent pay stubs for all working household members
• Most recent federal tax return (all pages)
• Three months of bank statements (all accounts)
• Documentation of any other income: Social Security award letter, pension statements, child support orders
• Current lease or proof of current address

Be responsive. If you miss the response deadline in a lottery notification, your log number passes to the next applicant. Keep your contact information current in Housing Connect.

Income Limits: Understanding AMI

NYC Housing Lottery income requirements are expressed as percentages of the Area Median Income (AMI), which is set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area.

Each listing will specify the income band — for example, “Households earning between 40% and 60% AMI.” You must earn at or above the minimum to afford the rent, and at or below the maximum to qualify for the subsidy. Both limits matter.

Current AMI figures are published at nyc.gov/hpd and updated annually, typically in the spring.

Preference Categories That Improve Your Odds

Many listings give preference to specific groups. Preferences don’t guarantee you an apartment, but they move you up in the log number ranking:

• Community Board Preference: 50% of units in most lotteries are reserved for residents of the community board district where the building is located. If you live in that district, you have a significant advantage.
• Municipal Employee Preference: 5% of units in city-funded developments go to NYC employees (city workers, teachers, transit workers, etc.)
• Veteran Preference: Some developments give preference to veterans
• Mobility and Hearing/Vision Impairment: Accessible units are reserved for households with qualifying disabilities
• Current Residents: A general NYC residency preference applies to most lotteries

Free Help Applying to the Housing Lottery

If you need assistance navigating Housing Connect or preparing your application, free help is available:

• HPD Housing Connect Help: housingconnect.nyc.gov — online guides and FAQ
• 311: Ask for “affordable housing lottery assistance”
• NYC Housing Ambassadors: Community-based counselors who help with applications — find one at nyc.gov/hpd
• Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) NYC: nhsnyc.org
• CAMBA: Housing services in Brooklyn — (718) 282-2500

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get an apartment through the housing lottery?

There is no typical timeline. Some applicants are called within months; others apply for years before being selected. The best approach is to apply to every qualifying listing consistently and keep your profile current. High-demand lotteries receive tens of thousands of applications for a handful of units.

Does applying to more lotteries increase my chances?

Yes, in the aggregate. Each application is a separate, random drawing. Applying to 50 qualifying lotteries gives you 50 independent chances. There is no downside to applying broadly.

Can I apply if I currently have a Section 8 voucher?

In most cases, no — you cannot use a Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher in a Housing Lottery unit, as those apartments already have their own subsidy. However, some lotteries are specifically designed for voucher holders. Check each listing’s requirements carefully.

What happens if I miss the interview notification deadline?

Your application for that development is typically passed over and the next log number is contacted. Missing a deadline does not affect your applications to other lotteries. This is why keeping your contact information current in Housing Connect is critical.

Is there a fee to apply to the NYC Housing Lottery?

No. Applications through NYC Housing Connect are completely free. Be wary of any website, person, or service charging you to apply — that is a scam.