Public Housing Applicant FAQs

Apply online at selfserve.nycha.info from any internet-connected device. If you do not have internet access, you can schedule an appointment at any of our Walk-in Centers and apply using a NYCHA kiosk. If you need help completing your application, please call our Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You do not need to submit any documents with your application. The information you provide will be verified at the time of your Eligibility Interview. 

If you apply as a “Victim of Domestic Violence,” you must first submit your application and then complete a Victim of Domestic Violence (VDV) form. The VDV form can be completed on NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info) by clicking “VDV Upgrade” and then completing the “VDV Request.” You can also request a “VDV Document Review Form” from our Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771.

Application status can be checked on NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info). You will also receive a letter from NYCHA within 30 days after submitting your application. If you do not receive the letter after 30 days, call our Customer Contact Center at (718) 707-7771 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Application status can be checked on NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info).

Yes, any changes to the information you submitted as part of your application – including home and mailing address, phone numbers, email, income, borough of preference, need for an accessible apartment, and reason for applying – should be updated on NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info).

Your application is active for two years. Until you are called for an Eligibility Interview, you must review, update, and renew your application by clicking “Update/Renew My Case” on NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info) every two years (24 months) to remain on the waitlist. After the renewal, you will retain the filing date of the original application. .

Yes, you can apply for both programs. However, you can only receive housing or assistance from one program at any time (for example, you cannot receive Section 8 assistance while living in Public Housing). If you are on the waitlist for both programs and are selected for housing or assistance in one program, your waitlist priority in the other program will be significantly reduced to reflect this change in status.

No, you do not have to be a New York City resident to apply. However, due to NYCHA’s long waitlist, applicants who live or work in New York City are prioritized on NYCHA’s Public Housing waitlist.

No, you do not have to be a U.S. citizen to apply, but at least one member of your household must be a U.S. citizen or a non-citizen with eligible immigration status (e.g., Permanent Resident, Refugee/Asylum statuses).

You or your co-head of household must be at least 62 years or older and all other household members must be 62 years of age or older.

Yes, single adults are eligible to apply for Public Housing.

You or your co-head of household must be at least 62 years or older and all other household members must be 62 years of age or older.

No, you may not apply for a specific development. You may only list a first and second choice of borough (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island) on your application. If you are found eligible for Public Housing after your Eligibility Interview, you will be placed on a borough or development waitlist depending upon your priority and the bedroom size required

No, there is no minimum income requirement to be eligible for Public Housing.

Yes, please review the income limits on NYCHA’s eligibility information page.

Applicants will remain on the waitlist until selected for an Eligibility Interview. Applicants are prioritized for an Eligibility Interview based on their housing priority, the available units in the applicant’s preferred boroughs, the available units which match the applicant’s household size, and the date of initial application submission. 

Because of the extremely large size of the waitlist and low vacancy rate, we cannot estimate when you will be selected for an Eligibility Interview.

Your NYCHA rent is calculated as 30 percent of your household’s anticipated gross annual income minus deductions.

If, after attending the Eligibility Interview, NYCHA finds you preliminarily eligible for Public Housing, it will notify you by mail of your placement on a Certified Waitlist. When a suitable apartment becomes available, NYCHA performs a Criminal Background Check (CBC) for every household member 16 years of age and older. If everyone passes, NYCHA offers you an apartment. If any household member fails the CBC, NYCHA will not offer an apartment but will instead send a letter with instructions on what to do next. If you do not respond to the letter, your application will no longer be considered.

Yes, NYCHA has accessible (504) apartments designed for people with mobility impairments, physical disabilities and/or special medical needs.