How to Apply to the NYC Housing Connect Lottery

NYC Housing Connect is the city's centralized platform for affordable housing lotteries. It lists apartments available at below-market rents in newly constructed or renovated buildings across all five boroughs. Applications are free. The lottery selects applicants at random.

This guide covers how the system works, who qualifies, and what the application process involves.

In this guide

• What NYC Housing Connect is
• How income eligibility works
• Household size and unit type
• Priority categories
• Immigration status
• How to apply
• What happens after the deadline
• Documents required if selected
• Realistic expectations
• Income limits and who qualifies
• Understanding your log number
• Frequently asked questions
• Where to find current lotteries

What NYC Housing Connect is

NYC Housing Connect randomizes both online and paper applications and creates a log of applicants for each lottery. Many apartments listed on the platform are rent-stabilized or income-restricted, meaning future rent increases are governed by applicable regulations rather than market conditions.

The platform is operated by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC). It is accessible at housingconnect.nyc.gov.

How income eligibility works

Every listing on Housing Connect specifies income requirements tied to Area Median Income (AMI). AMI is the midpoint income for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area, calculated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each apartment is restricted to households earning within a specific percentage range of AMI for their household size.

NYC affordable housing groups these AMI percentages into standard income categories:

Lower percentages mean lower income limits, and larger households have higher limits than smaller ones at the same percentage.

Different lotteries may use different income bands even at the same AMI percentage, depending on household size, unit type, and program structure. A listing at 80% AMI in one building may have different dollar thresholds than a listing at 80% AMI in another.

Income limits depend on household size and the AMI percentage required by the specific listing. Each listing on Housing Connect shows the exact income range — both minimum and maximum — for each unit type. The range varies by development and year.

To find your AMI percentage, divide your household's gross annual income by the current AMI for your household size. HUD updates AMI figures annually, typically in spring. The current figures are published at housingconnect.nyc.gov.

There are also minimum income requirements. Many listings require applicants to show income sufficient to support the rent, often expressed as a rent-to-income ratio or minimum income threshold. Each listing specifies both the minimum and maximum income for each unit type.

Income is calculated as gross household income before taxes, including wages from all jobs, self-employment income, Social Security and disability benefits, pension income, child support received, and most other regular income sources.

Household size and unit type

Each unit type has an eligible household size range. A studio or one-bedroom is typically available to one or two-person households. A two-bedroom typically requires two to four or five people. The listing specifies the acceptable range.

If your household income exceeds the maximum for your household size, you are automatically disqualified regardless of other qualifications.

Priority categories

Some lotteries give priority to specific applicants — NYC residents who have a disability, are seniors, or live in the same neighborhood as the development. Community Board preference means residents of the local community board district are contacted before the general pool.

Priority does not guarantee selection. It means a preferred applicant is reviewed before general-pool applicants of similar log numbers.

Immigration status

You can apply to Housing Connect lotteries and re-rentals regardless of your citizenship or immigration status.

How to apply

1. Create a free account. Go to housingconnect.nyc.gov and complete your household profile — household size, income, current address, and contact information. The profile is used to filter the lotteries you may be eligible for.
2. Find open lotteries. Browse active listings; each shows the address, unit types, income bands, AMI percentage, deadline, and required household sizes. Filter by borough, bedroom size, or income level. Weverit publishes a current lottery index with active listings linked directly to the Housing Connect application.
3. Submit your application. Submit one application per listing — you can apply to unlimited listings at once, each taking about five to ten minutes once your profile is complete. Lotteries are random: submitting early offers no advantage, because the log number is assigned after the deadline closes, not at submission.
4. Paper applications (optional). Most lotteries also accept paper applications; the listing gives the mailing address and the postmark deadline. Online and paper applications are treated equally.

One application per lottery. Under NYC Housing Connect's rules, you may submit only one application per listing — submitting duplicates, including through both the online and paper methods for the same lottery, can get the application rejected, assigned a less favorable log number, or disqualified. One person should manage a household's applications.

What happens after the deadline

After the application deadline closes, Housing Connect assigns random log numbers to all applicants. Applicants with lower log numbers are reviewed first.

Selected applications are reviewed in log order to determine whether the applicant is income eligible. Applicants who appear eligible are then notified to provide further documentation.

Documents required if selected

If your application is selected, you may need to provide: proof of income (paystubs, W-2 forms, benefits statements); asset information (bank or investment statements); rent payment history or credit check; IDs and birth certificates for household members.

Selection initiates a document review process. Meeting the income eligibility requirements during the lottery application does not guarantee placement — the formal review may identify additional eligibility issues.

Realistic expectations

Most applicants are not selected in any single lottery. Success requires applying broadly and consistently over time.

Individual lotteries can receive thousands of applications for a small number of units. The log number assigned is random. Applying to more lotteries increases the number of chances, not the odds within any single lottery.

After the initial lease-up of a development, if there are more selected applicants than apartments, the managing agent will maintain a waiting list to fill future vacancies.

Income limits and who qualifies

Every affordable lottery sets an income range for each unit type — a minimum and a maximum — and your household's total income must fall inside that band to qualify. It is not a single cutoff: earn too little and program rules may treat the rent as unaffordable for your household; earn too much and you are over the cap for that unit.

The band depends on two things: the unit's Area Median Income (AMI) band and your household size. AMI is a regional income benchmark set each year by the federal government (HUD) for the New York City area. A unit advertised at "80% AMI" or "130% AMI" is income-restricted to that share of AMI — so "X% AMI" is a label for the band, not a dollar figure on its own. Lower AMI percentages mean lower income limits, and larger households have higher limits than smaller ones at the same AMI.

When you read a listing, find the row for your unit type and household size — not just the AMI percentage in the header — because the dollar range that applies to you is that specific combination. The figures are reset annually when HUD publishes new AMI data, so always confirm the current numbers against HPD's Area Median Income page and the specific listing before you apply.

Understanding your log number

Your log number is assigned after the application deadline closes — typically within a few weeks — at random, to every applicant whose household profile is complete. It is not tied to when you applied, so submitting on the first day gives no advantage over submitting on the last.

Applications are then reviewed in log-number order, lowest first. A single popular lottery can assign numbers that run into the tens of thousands, so a "good" log number is simply a low one: your application is reached sooner. Low is not a guarantee, though — you still have to clear income and household-size checks, document review, and any priority categories reviewed ahead of the general pool.

You can see your log number and status by logging in to Housing Connect and opening your Dashboard / My Applications, where each application shows its stage — submitted and confirmed, lottery completed with your log number, selected for interview, waitlisted, or not selected this round. If your number is reached, the managing agent contacts you to begin document review and verify eligibility; in practice that can take roughly two to twelve months after the deadline. For the official process, see NYC Housing Connect's FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Housing Connect log number?

A log number is a position number that Housing Connect assigns at random to every applicant after a lottery's application deadline closes — not when you apply. Applications are reviewed in log-number order, lowest first, so applying early offers no advantage. A single popular lottery can assign numbers that run into the tens of thousands. A low log number improves your odds of being reached, but it does not guarantee an apartment: you still have to clear income, household-size, and document review, and priority categories are reviewed first.

What is the asset limit for the NYC housing lottery?

Most NYC affordable rental lotteries cap household assets in addition to income. Under HPD/HDC's published rule, a rental's asset limit equals the maximum income limit for a four-person household at the unit's AMI level — so the exact dollar cap rises with the unit's AMI band and is updated periodically. Check the current figure in HPD/HDC's asset-limits schedule. Counted assets include savings, checking, stocks, bonds, trusts, and the full market value of any real property; designated retirement and college-savings accounts are excluded from the limit. For rental lottery units, owning residential property — including co-op shares — within 100 miles of New York City generally disqualifies the household, even if you don't live in it (homeownership lotteries bar owning any residential property at all). Individual lotteries can also set their own caps, so always read the specific listing.

How do I update my income on Housing Connect after applying?

Log in to your Housing Connect account, open My Household, and update your income, employment, assets, and household members, saving each change. Updates apply to any application where your log number has not yet been reached; they will not change applications already past review. Keep this current: if your income at document-review time falls outside the unit's band you can be ruled ineligible, and the marketing agent recalculates your eligibility from the updated information if you are selected.

Where to find current lotteries

Active lotteries are listed on housingconnect.nyc.gov. Weverit's lottery index tracks open lotteries and links each listing to the Housing Connect application page, along with the building's public records data from HPD, 311, and DOB.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to apply to the NYC housing lottery? Yes — applying through NYC Housing Connect is completely free. It's the city's free, centralized platform for affordable-housing lotteries, operated by HPD and HDC at housingconnect.nyc.gov. There's no fee to create an account, no fee to submit, and you can apply to unlimited listings at once — each application takes only about five to ten minutes once your household profile is complete. Because it's free and random, no broker or paid "service" can improve your odds. The one rule to watch is one application per listing; submitting duplicates — including through both the online and paper methods for the same lottery — can get your application rejected or assigned a less favorable log number.

Does applying early improve my chances? No. Housing Connect randomizes both online and paper applications, so selection is entirely random — it only matters that you apply before the deadline, not how early. Log numbers aren't assigned at submission; they're generated at random after the application deadline closes, typically within a few weeks, for every applicant whose household profile is complete. That means submitting on the first day gives no advantage over submitting on the last. Applications are then reviewed in log-number order, lowest first. So use the open window to make your profile accurate and complete rather than to rush — the only hard cutoff is the deadline itself.

Who qualifies for a listing? Each listing sets an income range — a minimum and a maximum — tied to a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI) for your household size, and you qualify when your household income falls inside that listing's range. It isn't a single cutoff: earn too little and the rent may be treated as unaffordable, earn above the maximum for your household size and you're automatically disqualified regardless of other qualifications. Each unit type also has an eligible household-size range — a studio or one-bedroom typically suits one or two people, a two-bedroom two to four or five. You can apply regardless of your citizenship or immigration status.

What is AMI? AMI stands for Area Median Income — the midpoint income for the New York–Newark–Jersey City metropolitan area, calculated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Housing Connect listings are restricted to households earning within a specific percentage range of AMI for their household size. Those percentages group into standard categories: extremely low income (0–30%), very low (31–50%), low (51–80%), moderate (81–120%), and middle income (121–165%). Lower percentages mean lower income limits, and larger households have higher limits than smaller ones at the same percentage. HUD updates the figures each year, typically in spring, so confirm current numbers on the listing.