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For The First Time In 15 Years, NYC Will Accept Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Applications

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will begin accepting applications for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, reopening a waitlist that has been closed to general applications for nearly 15 years.

Section 8 HCV is a federally funded program administrated by NYCHA that provides rental subsidies for eligible low-income families to rent housing in the private market. Interested households may apply to the Section 8 HCV waitlist — which has been closed since December 10, 2009 — between midnight on Monday, June 3 and 11:59 PM on Sunday, June 9, 2024. Today’s announcement delivers on another key commitment made by Mayor Adams in his 2024 State of the City Address to reopen Section 8 HCV applications this year, and helps the city take another step closer to reaching the moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes by 2032. New Yorkers can learn more about Section 8 eligibility at NYCHA’s website and apply to join the waitlist online on June 3rd at nyc.gov/section8-application.

“After 15 years, we are reopening NYCHA’s doors to hundreds of thousands of new Section 8 applicants and helping more New Yorkers find the housing they need,” said Mayor Adams. “Addressing our city’s housing crisis means using every tool our city has, and that’s exactly what we are doing. From advancing 24 housing projects on public land this year through our ’24 in 24′ plan, to fighting for our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal to build a little more housing in every neighborhood, we are committed to helping every New Yorker find and stay in their home.”

NYCHA administers the largest Section 8 HCV program in the country, currently providing rental subsidies to 241,117 residents to rent apartments in the private market, while facilitating access to social services through a variety of programs with OpportunityNYCHA. Since the waitlist last closed 15 years ago, NYCHA has worked tirelessly to serve those on the waitlist. Last year, NYCHA issued 7,538 vouchers and worked to reduce the eligible pool over time.

Households that receive a voucher will be able to search for housing within a neighborhood of their choice. As part of the program, qualifying households must have a gross income of 50 percent or below the area median income and generally pay 30 percent of their adjusted monthly income toward rent, with the subsidy in most cases covering the remaining portion. Following the upcoming application period, a new waitlist is expected to be established by August 1, 2024. Once the application period has closed, a total of 200,000 applications will be randomly selected by lottery to join the waitlist, ensuring that all households have equal opportunity to be chosen regardless of when their applications were received. Once the waitlist is established, applicants will be notified and will have the ability to check the status of their application by logging into NYCHA’s Self Service Portal.

Over the last two years, Mayor Adams has made historic investments towards public housing. Last year, the Adams administration set several records and milestones, including, a new record by converting more than 5,200 units to Section 8 through the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, for a total of more than 20,000 converted units; closed on financing for $1.8 billion for capital repairs at PACT developments — the largest capital financing in the program’s history; continued to utilize a record $1 billion in funding for capital projects in 2023; set a new Public Housing Community Fund record with an historic $8 million haul; and made historic progress to bolster sustainability through clean energy initiatives and flood resiliency infrastructure improvements; among other efforts. 

Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city financed a record number of affordable homes in 2023 and is ahead of schedule on a 2024 State of the City commitment to advance two dozen 100-percent affordable housing projects on city-owned land this year through the “24 in ’24” initiative. Mayor Adams has also taken steps to cut red tape and speed up the delivery of much-needed housing, including through the “Green Fast Track for Housing,” a streamlined environmental review process for qualifying small- and medium-sized housing projects; the Office Conversion Accelerator, an interagency effort to guide buildings that wish to convert through city bureaucracy; and other initiatives of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Taskforce. Finally, last month, the Adams administration kicked off the start of public review on “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing proposal in New York City’s history. The proposal would enable the creation of “a little more housing in every neighborhood” through a set of carefully crafted zoning changes — which has not been done in more than half a century — to increase overall housing supply.

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28 Comments

  • Francesca Mason

    It is very nice to know that we are getting housing. Now, that’s very beautiful, and I really appreciate that mayor Adam’s, I am a lady who’s a domestic violent victim. I am 62 years old at living in transitional. Housing, and I’ll be so glad when I can move out of here. Thank you so much for opening up housing for us. We really need it.

  • Melissa Crum

    However, if landlords don’t accept the program or you don’t have the first month rent. It makes no sense. The city should
    Also include paying the initial fees through NYCHA. Which would make the process easier for the tenants and the landlord.

    • Curtiss

      That’s the program NYers are lazy ppl, they want everything handed to them. Everybody has to do their part. Not just reap the benefits. Recognize the blessing coming from God!!

  • Alfredo Batista

    Thank God for this awesome news, I can’t wait to get my very own apartment. I currently have a city fheps housing voucher, good luck to those seeking apartments.

  • Sweetwater

    Pls prioritize citizens who’ve been here more than 3 years. I can see a lot of these go to recent immigrants while long standing citizens get waitlisted. Also, make sure you put in controls. I have a friend with a tenant that is breaking the law and has her boyfriend living with her while she claims it’s her and her son. Stealing. But as she says, “so, they won’t do anything. I just hide.” SMH

  • Felicita Tecxidor

    I am Senior88 years old and I have dention I’m on social security and my daughter is on disability. I live onthe third floor I can’t even go down the stairs

  • Thomas Ackerly

    I wonder if VETERANS can get in on it. 23 YEARS IN CORE USMC HOORAY HOORAY but we VETERAN’S don’t get nothing but Spilling our blood for this Republic Country

  • Edward

    And not one American citizen will be living in those apartments and they’ll be all illegal immigrants who got section 8 vouchers using their children’s social security numbers and someone like me is 62-year-old man can’t get help with crap in this country

  • Fran

    It sounds good,but landlords are not accepting section 8, they have so many other subsidies and vouchers

  • Lola

    Loser Mayor Adam’s reopened the program for the illegal immigrants that are taking over the city making it more degenerate. NYC is a cesspool.

    • TM

      A great example of “smoke and mirrors”. I wholeheartedly agree with you but of course they have to make it seem like everyone is getting a fair chance when in fact the majority of American citizens knows what’s truly going on. Not impressed and most certainly not fooled.

  • Jane

    I only hope they call me for an interview because I applied for both, and it’s coming to three years now.

  • Craig

    That’s because of the Migrants they going to receive the apartments Black been get section and got nothing ??? What do you think we are stupid with this (BS)

  • Lilmama

    I hope the American ppl of NYC can receive the housing ñeeded to feel,n be complete. No to the illegal immies…

  • Ms World

    I’ve been on the waiting list over 15 years. It has opened and closed. No one has called me yet. I don’t think it’s fair. But I’m glad you guys are reopening. It now and getting people from the waiting list. It would be well appreciated if someone pulls my name. I need this That was the purpose for me to even sign up for section 8. It’s been over 20 years and no one has yet to call me.
    Thank you

  • We

    Landlords are not taking vouchers. I had a tenant based voucher and was not received well.

  • Crystal Smith

    Thank you for opening the section 8 once again because I am in a one bedroom and I can’t never get anything fixed in my apartment and this is a subsidized building but I need something new and comfortable just for me please.

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