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Key Program Points
Subsidy/Rent Levels
Eligibility Requirements
Application Process
Common NYCHA Issues
Key Program Points
- NYCHA applicants must meet one of NYCHA’s
working or needs-based priorities to apply for Public
Housing.
- Victims of domestic violence (VDV) are among the
groups considered emergency priorities for Public
Housing and therefore have much shorter waiting periods
than non-emergency applicants.
- VDV applicants must meet NYCHA’s documentation
criteria to be certified as a victim of domestic
violence for Public Housing.
- Applicants must be 18 or older and earning some
source of income (employment, PA, SSI) that falls
under NYCHA’s income limits.
- Once in public housing, households pay 30% of
their income or their Public Assistance shelter allowance
towards rent.
- There is no time limit for how long a household
may remain in Public Housing if they remain a good
tenant.
NOTE: Victims of domestic violence who do not meet
the criteria for the VDV priority may apply for Public
Housing through one of NYCHA’s non-emergency
priorities. Homeless families and singles are no longer
considered an emergency priority. Obtaining housing
through a non-emergency priority may take several years.
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Subsidy/Rent Levels
NYCHA Public Housing residents pay 30% of their income
or their Public Assistance shelter allowance towards
rent. If a family’s income rises above NYCHA's
income limits,
the household can stay in NYCHA housing but will pay
the full NYCHA rent. However, the full rent will not
exceed NYCHA’s
ceiling rents,
which are below-market rate levels.
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Eligibility Requirements
- Age: The head of household must be 18
or older to live in Public Housing
- Income: Households must be receiving some
source of income (i.e. employment, public assistance,
or SSI) that does not exceed NYCHA’s
income limits.
- Priority Documentation: Applicants must meet one of NYCHA’s working or needs-based priorities. In order to receive priority certification as a victim of domestic violence (VDV), applicants must meet NYCHA’s VDV documentation criteria. Please note that in addition to the documents shown on NYCHA’s list of criteria, NYCHA is now accepting the District Attorney’s Complaint as an item for Category A.
NOTE: Certification as a victim of domestic violence
is unrelated to domestic violence shelter residency.
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Application Process
Public Housing applications can be obtained and submitted
at local
borough offices.
Public Housing applications should include priority
documentation, family birth certificates, proof of
income, and social security numbers for all family
members over 6 years of age. Applicants have 30 days
from the initial application date to submit all of
the necessary documents.
If you are applying for public housing under the
victim of domestic violence priority, you will be asked
to choose two boroughs on your application, but generally
only your first choice is considered. NYCHA uses an
excluded zip code list to determine what zip codes
are unsafe for domestic violence applicants based on
the zip codes in which any domestic violence incidents
occurred. VDV applicants should not choose boroughs
where they may have many excluded zip codes.
NOTE: Applicants choosing Manhattan or Queens can
expect to wait much longer for a Public Housing placement
than those selecting Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Staten
Island.
Click
here, for flow charts detailing the full application
and placement process for Emergency (including victims
of domestic violence) and Non-Emergency Public Housing
applicants.
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Common NYCHA Issues
- Application Ineligibility: The main eligibility
obstacles for Public Housing applicants are: immigration
status,
criminal
background,
and rental arrears from
a previous NYCHA or Section
8 apartment.
Click on the issue area you are facing for more information
on how to overcome these obstacles.
- NYCHA Transfers: Click
here if you need
to information about transferring out of your Public
Housing apartment.
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