July 2026 NYC Housing Lotteries: Who They're For
Quick answer
In July 2026, 33 NYC Housing Connect lotteries were active, offering 1,670 affordable units. Eligibility peaked at middle income: a $40,000 earner qualified for 190 units, $60,000 for 719, $80,000 for 787, and $100,000 for 566. Rents ran $465–$4,843, median $2,046.
Who could actually apply
A common perception is that the income requirements are too high. The data shows a curve, not a wall: eligibility nearly triples from $40,000 to its peak of 787 units at $80,000, then falls more steeply through $100,000. The decline past the peak is far gentler than the climb — the shape matters for where a given income lands.
| Annual income | Units you qualified for |
|---|---|
| $40,000 | 190 |
| $60,000 | 719 |
| $80,000 | 787 |
| $100,000 | 566 |
By household size, a one-person household qualified for 1,003 units, two-person for 1,510, and three-person for 1,196.
What was on offer
33 lotteries were active in July, together listing 1,670 units. By borough:
| Bronx | 670 units |
| Brooklyn | 560 units |
| Manhattan | 419 units |
| Queens | 21 units |
Staten Island: no lotteries active this month.
Where the buildings were
All 39 buildings across July's lotteries — the month's full picture, open now and closed alike. (The live lottery map shows only what's open today; this one keeps the whole July set.)
All 39 buildings are listed at the end of this report →
The range of "affordable"
Rents ran from $465 to $4,843, with a median of $2,046. By unit size (min / median / max):
| Size | Min | Median | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $465 | $1,566 | $3,543 |
| 1 bedroom | $591 | $2,150 | $3,784 |
| 2 bedroom | $700 | $2,549 | $4,518 |
| 3 bedroom | $800 | $2,223 | $4,843 |
| 4 bedroom | $1,270 | $2,466 | $2,936 |
Where the units concentrate
Units are allocated to Area Median Income (AMI) bands. The largest single band was 60% AMI (621 units). Full distribution:
| AMI band | Units |
|---|---|
| 30% of AMI | 32 |
| 40% of AMI | 228 |
| 50% of AMI | 144 |
| 60% of AMI | 621 |
| 70% of AMI | 127 |
| 80% of AMI | 182 |
| 100% of AMI | 79 |
| 120% of AMI | 47 |
| 130% of AMI | 194 |
| 140% of AMI | 16 |
Income requirements spanned a wide range: minimums from $19,235 to $173,212, and maximums from $40,710 up to $294,560.
Unit sizes
| Studio | 465 |
| 1 bedroom | 538 |
| 2 bedroom | 507 |
| 3 bedroom | 151 |
| 4+ bedroom | 9 |
160 of 1,670 units had three or more bedrooms.
Asset caps
July's lotteries carried 10 different asset limits, from $50,880 to $237,440. These count savings and retirement balances — a detail applicants rarely see spelled out before applying.
Preferences
Of the 33 lotteries active in July:
| Mobility-disability set-aside | 10 |
| Vision- or hearing-disability set-aside | 10 |
| Community-board preference | 12 |
| Municipal-employee preference | 12 |
| NYCHA-resident preference | 0 |
| Senior preference | 0 |
How long you had to apply
Application windows ran from 21 days to 61 days, averaging 28. The lottery is a random draw among all on-time applications — the "apply in the first hour" advice applies to re-rental listings, not to these.
Frequently asked
What income do you need for a NYC affordable housing lottery?
It varies by unit. Across July 2026's lotteries, a household earning $40,000 qualified for 190 units, $60,000 for 719, $80,000 for 787, and $100,000 for 566. Eligibility peaked around $80,000; income ceilings on some units ran as high as $294,560.
How many July lottery units were open to lower-income applicants?
190 of the 1,670 units were open to a household earning $40,000. The single largest AMI band was 60% of Area Median Income (621 units).
What were the rents in these lotteries?
Monthly rents ran from $465 to $4,843, with a median of $2,046. Studios started at $465.
Are there asset limits for NYC housing lotteries?
Yes. July's lotteries carried 10 different asset caps, ranging from $50,880 to $237,440. Savings and retirement accounts count toward the limit.
How long do you get to apply?
Application windows ran from 21 to 61 days, averaging 28. Unlike re-rental listings, lottery applications are not first-come — every on-time application is entered into the same random draw.
Do the lotteries have accessibility or other preferences?
Of the 33 lotteries active in July, 10 had a mobility-disability set-aside and 10 a vision- or hearing-disability set-aside; 12 gave a community-board preference and 12 a municipal-employee preference.
The buildings
All 39 buildings in July's lotteries. See them on the map ↑
Closed — 18
- 1004 Summit Avenue Apartments
- 104 Fleet Place Apartments
- 106 Fleet Place Apartments
- 1060 Prospect Avenue
- 163 Willoughby Street Apartments
- 1938 Prospect Avenue Apartments
- 223 East 117th Street aka PETER JAY SHARP RESIDENCE
- 2351 Lorillard Place Apartments
- 269 Van Cortlandt Avenue E
- 343 Himrod Street Apartments
- 534 Third Avenue Apartments
- 645 Park Place Aka 711 Franklin Avenue Apartments
- Botanic Heights
- COLUMBIA COMMONS I
- PENINSULA 1221 & 1225 Spofford Avenue
- PENINSULA 1221 & 1225 Spofford Avenue
- RIALTO WEST
- WILLOW TREE RESIDENCES
21 not on the map. New construction whose exact address isn't in the city geocoder yet — it resolves to a neighbouring building, and a pin on the wrong building is worse than none, so these are listed but not placed: 1760 3rd Avenue Residence (1768 3 Avenue, Manhattan, NY); 2246 Bathgate Avenue Apartments (2246 Bathgate Ave, Bronx, NY); 2757 & 2759 Fulton Street Apartments (2757 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY); 2757 & 2759 Fulton Street Apartments (2759 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY); 2764 Wallace Avenue Apartments (2764 Wallace Ave, Bronx, NY); 283 Flatbush Avenue Apartments (283 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY); 2838 & 2840 Webb Avenue Apartments (2840 Webb Avenue, Bronx, NY); 2838 & 2840 Webb Avenue Apartments (2838 Webb Avenue, Bronx, NY); 3312-3314 Decatur Avenue Apartments (3312 Decatur Ave, Bronx, NY); 3312-3314 Decatur Avenue Apartments (3314 Decatur Ave, Bronx, NY); 3547 Webster Tower (3547 Webster Ave, Bronx, NY); 3556 Holland Avenue Apartments (3556 Holland Ave, Bronx, NY); 729 Rogers Avenue Apartments (729 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn, NY); 733 Lincoln Place Apartments (733 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, NY); Green Manor of Jamaica Apartments (106-25 Guy R Brewer Boulevard, Queens, NY); Green Manor of Jamaica Apartments (106-29 Guy R Brewer Blvd, Queens, NY); Jamaica Central (89-25 162nd Street, Queens, NY); Joe BK Cluster (941 Intervale Avenue, Bronx, NY); Joe BK Cluster (976 Tinton Avenue, Bronx, NY); Nevins Landing South (417 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY); STARHILL PHASE II (51 Featherbed Ln, Bronx, NY).
Where to go from here
July's lotteries have all closed. See the lotteries open now →
Every lottery open today, plotted by location: the lottery map →. The map above shows July's full set.
Methodology
Data is collected from NYC Housing Connect and has been gathered since 29 May 2026. 33 lotteries were active in July 2026 — meaning their application window overlapped the month — of which 20 opened during July. Figures describe lotteries active in the month, not only those that opened. Unit counts are the advertised affordable units (total_units, corroborated by the size and rent breakdowns). Area Median Income (AMI) bands are taken directly from each Housing Connect listing — the advertised “N% Area Median Income” label — not calculated from HUD income limits; analyses that derive the band (needed where a listing omits it) may report different figures. Listings that publish no band are excluded from the AMI distribution here rather than back-filled. We do not have data on the number of applications submitted, who received apartments, or how quickly the waitlist moved by log number, and make no claims about them.