How NYC housing lotteries work

New York City rents apartments in city-supported buildings for less than market rent. Far more people apply than there are apartments, so they are given out by lottery.

Who can apply

You must be 18 or older.
Your household's yearly income must fall within the building's range for your household size. Every listing has its own table: see NYC housing lottery income limits.
Most buildings ask for a Social Security number or ITIN.
New York City residents usually go first in buildings the city financed.

Where lotteries are listed

Most city-financed lotteries are on NYC Housing Connect. Others are only on the building's or the marketing agent's own website, on New York State's HousingSearch, or in newspaper ads.

Every listing shows the apartment sizes, how many people can live in each, the income range, the rent and the deadline.

How winners are picked

All applications sent before the deadline go into one pool and are put in random order.
When you apply doesn't matter, as long as it's before the deadline.
Paper and online applications count the same.
Send one application per lottery. Duplicates may be disqualified, so don't send both a paper and an online one.
Applying is free.

Preferences

Some apartments are reserved for certain groups. Within each group, the order is still random. The listing says which apply:

People with a mobility disability, usually 5% of apartments in buildings the city financed, and people with a vision or hearing disability, usually 2%.
Residents of the community district the building is in.
City employees and military veterans: 10% of apartments in new city-financed buildings listed since November 15, 2025.

After you apply

It can take months, sometimes a year or more, to hear back, and some applicants never do. Keep applying to other lotteries in the meantime: each application stays active on its own.

If your number comes up and your application looks eligible, the building invites you to prove it, usually two to ten months after the deadline. On Housing Connect you usually upload them; some buildings ask you to bring copies. You need documents about your household, income and current home: see Documents you need for an NYC housing lottery.

After that, you are either accepted, put on a waitlist (which can last up to two years), or rejected with a reason.

If you're rejected, you can appeal within 10 business days of the letter's postmark: write to the building's agent explaining why the decision is wrong and include any documents that support it. If the appeal fails, you can complain to HPD or HDC within five business days. The letter says which one.

How to improve your chances

Apply to every lottery you qualify for. Each one is a separate draw.
Keep your income and household details up to date, so you're not rejected for a mismatch.
Check your credit report and Housing Court history before you're picked. A low credit score alone can't disqualify you, but your history is looked at.
Save at least two months' rent for the first month and the security deposit.

Checked against official NYC sources on October 31, 2026.