Public housing: How to Apply
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1. Is the participant eligible? So long as they are over 18 and earn less than $50,750 (for single person, there are different levels for multi-member families) they should meet facial eligibility requirements. If so, proceed to step 2.
2. Go to the online application and fill it out with the participant. The application will take about thirty minutes to complete.
The application will ask applicants to provide information about: (1) total household income, (2) family composition, (3) current living situation, (4) criminal background, and (5) whether or not they have ever been evicted from public housing -- among other questions.
3. Upon completion, explain to applicant that they will be placed on a waiting list for an eligibility interview. Participants should expect an absurdly long wait time (some reports estimate an average wait time of 18 years). As of March 2016, 258,880 families were on the waiting list for Public Housing.
Applicants should receive a letter from NYCHA within 2 weeks acknowledging the date their application was received and the housing priority that they have been assigned based on the information provided in your application. If they do not receive such a letter from NYCHA, they should contact the Customer Contact Center at (718)-707-7771 from 8 AM – 5PM, Monday through Friday.
At the eligibility interview, the applicant’s family size, family composition, housing priority, total family income, Social Security numbers and citizenship/immigration status are verified. They must bring prescribed household documentation.
4. Ask if the participant would like to complete an application for Affordable Housing. If so, help them complete the application for Affordable Housing.