Affordable Housing in New York City

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in New York City — not generic Section 8 advice. NYCHA's HCV waitlist drew 633,808 applications when it briefly reopened in 2024, but active outreach was paused August 1, 2025, so the realistic short-term path is CityFHEPS for households who are homeless or facing eviction, plus the named DHS shelters, HRA One Shot Deal, and free Right to Counsel representation in Housing Court. NYC has the strongest layered tenant protections in the country: HSTPA, rent stabilization on 1 million units, NYC Good Cause Eviction (effective April 17, 2026), and NYC Human Rights Law source-of-income protection.

Emergency Help Tonight in New York City

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Intake — the city is legally required to provide shelter under the right-to-shelter consent decree (Callahan v. Carey, 1981). Single men go to the 30th Street Men's Intake Center (400 East 30th Street, Manhattan, open 24/7). Single women go to HELP Women's Shelter (Franklin Avenue, Bronx). Families with children go to the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) Center (151 East 151st Street, Bronx, open 24/7). Adult families go to Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC). Call 311 from any NYC phone for routing
• Coalition for the Homeless Crisis Intervention Hotline — independent advocacy hotline. (212) 776-2069 · coalitionforthehomeless.org
• The Bowery Mission — Manhattan, men and family shelters with recovery programs. (212) 226-6214 · bowery.org
• New York City Rescue Mission — oldest rescue mission in NYC, Lower Manhattan. (212) 226-6214
• Project Hospitality (Staten Island), BronxWorks, CAMBA (Brooklyn), Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens — borough-based providers operating dozens of shelters and supportive housing sites
• Covenant House New York — youth shelter 16-24, Manhattan and citywide outreach. (212) 613-0300
• Safe Horizon — domestic violence shelters and 24-hour crisis line. 1-800-621-HOPE (4673)
• Sanctuary for Families — DV shelter and legal services with Spanish, French, and South Asian language services
• NYC HOPE (DV) — citywide DV referral, 1-800-621-HOPE
• The Door — youth-focused legal, health, and shelter referrals
• NYC 311 — dial 311 to be routed to DHS Intake, ACS, or HRA emergency services

For a full walkthrough, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in NYC: NYCHA and HPD Status

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in NYC are administered by two separate authorities. Current status (May 2026):

• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) — the largest public housing authority in North America. The HCV (Section 8) waitlist was closed since December 10, 2009. NYCHA reopened the waitlist briefly in 2024 and received 633,808 applications; 200,000 were randomly selected by lottery to join the list. Effective August 1, 2025, NYCHA paused active outreach, voucher issuance, and processing for applicants on the general HCV waitlist. (718) 707-7771 · nyc.gov/site/nycha/section-8
• NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) — separately administers approximately 30,000 Section 8 vouchers tied to specific affordable housing developments. Apply property-by-property via Housing Connect. housingconnect.nyc.gov
• EHV deadline: HUD has announced Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) funding will end in late 2026. Current EHV holders should plan for the transition
• Specialty referrals still accepted: HUD-VASH (veterans), Family Unification Program (FUP), Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly people with disabilities, Foster Youth to Independence
• Public Housing: NYCHA manages ~170,000 public housing units across the five boroughs. The Public Housing waitlist is also closed

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide.

NYC's Local Voucher: CityFHEPS (the Practical Alternative)

CityFHEPS is NYC's local rental assistance voucher and the most accessible voucher for households facing homelessness:

• Eligibility: household must be currently homeless (in shelter or facing eviction) with gross income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
• Statewide use: since 2023, CityFHEPS can be used anywhere in New York State, not just NYC
• Current scope: approximately 66,000 families use CityFHEPS
• Rent contribution change: as of September 13, 2025, CityFHEPS households enrolled for 5+ years with earned income must contribute 40% of monthly income toward rent (up from 30%) — affects approximately 30,000 households
• Apply: through DHS shelter or HRA Job Centers. Many households are referred while in shelter. Stay-in-place applications (without entering shelter) may be available for households facing imminent eviction

Emergency Rental Assistance in New York City

• NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) — CLOSED: ERAP distributed more than $4 billion in pandemic rental assistance but is now closed. Final applications stopped November 17, 2025. Don't waste time on the old portal
• One Shot Deal through HRA — NYC's primary emergency cash assistance for rent arrears, security deposits, moving expenses, and utility bills. Apply at any HRA Job Center or via ACCESS HRA. nyc.gov/hra/one-shot-deal
• Family Eviction Prevention Supplement (FEPS) — for families with children. HRA-administered ongoing rental supplement
• Homebase Homelessness Prevention — neighborhood-based eviction-prevention case management. nyc.gov/dhs/homebase
• NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Adult Protective Services — for vulnerable adults at risk of eviction
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York / Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens — borough-level emergency rental help
• Met Council on Housing — Tenants' Rights Hotline — free advice and organizing. (212) 979-0611
• UJA-Federation, Mishkon Tzedek, and other faith-based one-time grants
• HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) — utility assistance through HRA
• 311 — dial 311 for routing

Tenant Rights in New York City (Strongest in the U.S.)

NYC tenants have the strongest legal protections of any city in the country, layered as:

• Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA) — eliminated vacancy decontrol (so rent-stabilized apartments stay regulated when tenants move), capped security deposits at one month, capped late fees at $50 or 5% of rent (whichever is less), required 30/60/90-day notice for non-renewal or rent increases >5%, and expanded retaliation protections statewide
• Rent Stabilization — covers approximately 1 million NYC apartments in buildings with 6+ units built before 1974. Annual increases are set by the NYC Rent Guidelines Board. For leases starting October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026: 3% for one-year renewals, 4.5% for two-year renewals. Tenants can file complaints with DHCR for overcharges with a 6-year lookback
• Rent Control — small remaining group (~16,000 units) of pre-1974 tenancies. Maximum Base Rent increases regulated by DHCR
• Good Cause Eviction (NYC, effective April 17, 2026) — NYC Council passed Good Cause Eviction over the Mayor's veto on April 9, 2026. Eligible market-rate tenants (landlord owns more than 1 unit in NYS; rent below 345% of Fair Market Rent — roughly $4,243/month for a 1-bedroom; not in units built after 2009) get just-cause protection and rent-increase guardrails
• Right to Counsel (NYC) — NYC was the first city in the U.S. to guarantee free legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. Income-eligible tenants in covered ZIP codes get an attorney at no cost
• 14-day pay-or-quit notice for nonpayment — much longer than most states. RPAPL § 711(2)
• Eviction process: Nonpayment proceedings and Holdover proceedings are filed in Housing Court (one per borough). Tenants are entitled to a court date typically 10-21 days after the petition is served
• Source-of-income protection — NYC Human Rights Law and NYS Human Rights Law both prohibit landlords from refusing Section 8, CityFHEPS, or other vouchers. Violations are enforceable through the NYC Commission on Human Rights and DHR
• Self-help eviction is illegal — RPAPL § 768 and Penal Law § 240.50. Tenants can call 311 for an emergency police response
• Heat and hot water — buildings must provide heat October 1 to May 31 (68°F by day, 62°F overnight when outside is below 55°F), plus hot water year-round
• Fair housing: NYC Human Rights Law protects beyond federal categories — source of income, lawful occupation, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, prior arrest record (with exceptions)

For free legal help: Right to Counsel through Office of Civil Justice — Housing Court tenants in covered ZIP codes are automatically connected. Legal Aid Society Civil Practice at (212) 577-3300 · Met Council on Housing at (212) 979-0611 · Legal Services NYC, Bronx Legal Services, Catholic Migration Services. For state-level details, see our New York housing resources.

Other Housing Programs in NYC

• Public housing: NYCHA — 170,000+ units across the five boroughs. Waitlist closed
• Mitchell-Lama — middle-income rental and cooperative housing. Apply via the Mitchell-Lama Connect system at hpd.nyc.gov
• NYC Housing Connect — lottery system for affordable housing developments. housingconnect.nyc.gov
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): NYC has substantial LIHTC inventory. Apply via Housing Connect for newer buildings
• HUD-VASH (veterans): NYC veterans are referred through the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through DHS, ACS, and HRA
• NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) — statewide first-time homebuyer and affordable housing programs · hcr.ny.gov
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions and routes you to the right combination of programs.

NYCHA Section 8 outreach is paused — call (718) 707-7771 only to verify your existing position. For the practical path: if you're homeless or facing eviction, ask about CityFHEPS through DHS shelter or HRA. For rent help, apply for One Shot Deal via ACCESS HRA. If you got a 14-day notice or court papers, you have NYC Right to Counsel — call Legal Aid Society at (212) 577-3300 the same day. NYC source-of-income protection plus Good Cause Eviction (effective April 17, 2026) often defeats the case outright.