Affordable Housing

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The City offers several resources for renting or buying affordable apartments or homes. Each program has different eligibility and application requirements and the time between applying and when you may be offered an opportunity to rent or buy housing varies.

Applying for these programs is not a guarantee that you will receive housing or be contacted, even if you qualify for the property for which you applied.

Learn more about New York City affordable housing programs.

Get general information about housing in NYC.

    NYC Housing Connect

    The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Housing Development Corporation (HDC) offer rental and homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income households through lotteries.

    Through NYC Housing Connect, you can learn how to apply for affordable housing, view current and upcoming housing lottery opportunities, and complete an application.

    In order to apply online, you must create or sign-in to a NYC Housing Connect account. You can see the status of your applications on your Housing Connect Dashboard.

    Through NYC Housing Connect platform available housing opportunities can be searched by:

    • Borough/Neighborhood
    • Household size
    • Household income
    • Minimum/Maximum Rent
    • Nearby Subway lines
    • Amenities
    • Application deadline date

    Online

    Visit the NYC Housing Connect website to view and apply to housing lotteries.

    By Phone

    Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for help.

    NYC Housing Connect Feedback

    You can send feedback or report technical issues with the Housing Connect website by sending an email to nychousingconnect@hpd.nyc.gov

    NYC Housing Development Corporation

    You can also can get information about NYC Housing Development Corporation-financed developments that are accepting applications for apartments.

    Learn more and apply to Housing Development Corporation financed apartments.

    No Fee

    Applicants to City-subsidized affordable housing are not required to pay a fee to apply. 

    If you are asked to pay a fee, you should report it to:

    • For HPD, call the HPD Office of the Inspector General at (212) 825-3502.
    • For HDC, send an email to HDC compliance at Hdccompliance@nychdc.com.

    Mitchell-Lama developments are City-sponsored housing for moderate- and middle-income households. Mitchell-Lama apartments are sold or rented through waiting lists kept by each development.

    To learn more about Mitchell-Lama Housing, go to the Mitchell-Lama Housing page.

    During the 1970s and 1980s, the City of New York acquired many residential buildings that were abandoned by their landlords and were in financial distress. Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) rehabilitated some of these buildings and, over the years, gave the tenants the opportunity to own their apartments and become shareholders in limited-equity cooperatives organized as Housing Development Fund Corporation cooperatives (HDFC coops). 

    More recently, the City has financed and provided tax exemptions for the new construction, rehabilitation, and stabilization of HDFC coops. Today, there are over 1,100 HDFC coops that make up a significant part of the fabric of New York City's affordable housing stock. 

    HDFC coops benefit from reduced real estate taxes in exchange for following income and resale restrictions, among other governance restrictions.

    Learn more about HDFC Cooperatives.

    For questions about HDFC coops, including compliance with Article XI or other regulatory restrictions, please email hdfccoop@hpd.nyc.gov.

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