This story was originally published in City Limits, an independent, investigative news source.
The demand for affordable housing in New York City is clear.
After NYCHA reopened a waitlist that was dormant for nearly 15 years, more than half a million individuals and families applied for the chance to receive a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher.
While the program halted new applications in December 2009 due to high demand and a limited number of vouchers, NYCHA started with a clean slate in June, reopening applications for 200,000 households to join the existing waitlist of 3,759 voucher seekers.
Eligible residents had to be at least 18 years of age, have one family member who is either a U.S. citizen or has an eligible immigrant status, and is earning at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income. A single individual, for instance, can make no more than $54,350 a year while a family of three can not pass the income threshold of $69,900.
The housing authority received a total of 638,224 applications—633,808 of which were submitted online, while 4,416 were sent in by mail by the June 28 postmark deadline.
“After the incredible influx of applications we received this past June, we are eager to begin issuing vouchers to those who have been placed on the refreshed waitlist so that they can begin their search,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt in a statement.
On Thursday, voucher seekers will begin finding out whether they have made it to the waitlist. The goal is to issue 1,000 vouchers a month to those on the list, according to NYCHA.
Those who receive a NYCHA-issued Section 8 voucher typically have 180 days, roughly six months, to find an apartment. When a landlord accepts the voucher and an apartment is moved into, holders will typically pay no more than 30 percent of their monthly income on rent, according to NYCHA. The voucher covers the difference.
Maria Torres-Springer, the city’s deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce, called the issuance of these vouchers a “lifeline” for recipients.
“This opportunity is one of many actions…that prove the Mayor’s dedication to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe, affordable, quality housing,” said Torres-Springer.
If added to the waitlist, NYCHA will inform tenants by mail and start the next phase of the process, which is to confirm eligibility.
This includes applicants providing more information regarding income and additional expenses, a criminal background check for all family members 16 years and older, and an eligibility interview.
Once all requirements are met, a household will then receive their Housing Choice Voucher—officially joining the largest HCV program in the nation.
To date, the housing authority has 214,117 residents who are renting units in the private market with these vouchers, according to NYCHA. In 2023 alone, the authority issued 7,538 vouchers.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the reopening of the waitlist back in January during his State of the City Address as part of a larger effort to provide more affordable housing citywide—a task the mayor says is “far from over.” It comes as City Hall pushes to pass its City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, a series of zoning changes intended to spur new residential construction.
“Our administration will continue to use every possible tool, including advocating for the passage for the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,’ to build and connect New Yorkers to the affordable housing our city’s residents need,” the mayor said in a statement.
Regardless of whether an applicant has been added to the waitlist or not, each household will be notified of their status, according to NYCHA.
Emails will be sent in waves starting on Aug. 1. Letters will be sent out soon after.
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