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NYC affordable housing lotteries open now.

You don't have to wait for Section 8 to find affordable housing. These New York City lotteries are taking applications right now.
A 1936 WPA poster reading Better Housing, with a new apartment block beside old tenements
WPA poster, 1936

30 lotteries are open, soonest deadline first within each borough.

Manhattan (4)

Brooklyn (13)

Queens (5)

The Bronx (6)

Borough not listed (2)

KPCB Edge is an independent publisher, not a government agency, and does not run these lotteries. Apply only through the city's official Housing Connect site. Applying is free.

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More help

Section 8 income limits for New YorkHUD's limits by county and household size.Check for open waitlistsHow to find open lists and avoid scams.Benefit finderSee which other programs may fit your household.

Good to know

Questions about housing lotteries

What is an affordable housing lottery?

New York City fills most income-restricted apartments by lottery. Anyone who meets the income and household size rules can apply once for a building before its deadline. Applying earlier does not improve your odds. If you are chosen, the building checks your documents before you can sign a lease.

Where do I apply?

On NYC Housing Connect, the city's official site. Applying is free. Be careful with anyone who asks you to pay a fee to apply or to move up a list.

Do I have to be on Section 8 to apply?

No. These lotteries are separate from Section 8 and public housing. You can apply to a lottery while you wait for a voucher.

What do the income levels mean?

Each lottery sets aside apartments for households at different shares of the area median income (AMI). A household of three at 50% of AMI earns less than one at 80%. Housing Connect lists the exact income range for each household size on every listing.

Where does this list come from?

The city's housing department (HPD) publishes it as open data and updates it about daily. We show lotteries marked active whose deadline has not passed. It does not include rents or addresses, so open the listing on Housing Connect before you apply.

Source

Where the list comes from

Advertised Lotteries on Housing Connect by Lottery, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, on NYC Open Data.