The Housing Subsidy Program is administered by the Administration for Children’s Services. The subsidy is intended to provide rental support to families that need housing in order to reunify with children in foster care (foster care subsidy) or to prevent children from having to enter the foster care system when housing is the only obstacle to family unity (preventive subsidy). Young adults in foster care who are over the age of 18 may also qualify if they will be living on their own when they exit foster care and need permanent housing assistance to do so.

• The program pays up to $300 a month in rent, a broker’s fee, security deposit, and arrears up to $1,800 and can last up to three years with a lifetime cap of $10,800 total spent per family.
• If some of the assistance (up to $1,800) is used for upfront fees, the amount is deducted from the maximum allowable cap of $10,800 such that some families may not receive 3 years worth of assistance.
• Eligible families must have an open ACS case and housing must be a barrier to the reunification of the family or to maintain the family’s unity for those at risk of foster care placement.
• Referrals are made through ACS case workers for the subsidy.

For more information about the program, contact ACS at 1-877-KIDSNYC.

NOTE: Families with ACS involvement and young adults aging out of foster care where housing is the only obstacle to family unity and stability may also qualify for a needs-based priority for NYCHA Public Housing under the Family Unification Program. See the NYCHA Public Housing page for more information on