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What to Expect After You Submit Your Public Housing Application

Stages of the public housing application process, from preliminary waiting list to apartment offer
Preliminary Waiting List Public Housing applicants must inform NYCHA of any changes in address, income, and/or household composition after they submit an application. They also must update or renew their application every two years if they have not been scheduled for an interview. If you provided a phone number or email address NYCHA will remind you to renew your application before it expires.
Eligibility Determination All applicants will be contacted by NYCHA's Eligibility Unit to schedule an eligibility interview over the phone at a time convenient to them. As needed, the Authority provides bi-lingual staff to meet the various language needs of applicants. For any further clarification please call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771.
Certification

During the eligibility interview, the applicant's family size, family composition, housing priority, total family income, Social Security numbers and citizenship/immigration status are verified. If the family is eligible and all the requested documentation is received, their suitability for admission is further verified by contacting their landlord. Your application will be screened to confirm that your family's past behavior will not adversely affect the financial stability or the health, safety, or welfare of other tenants, Authority staff, or an Authority development. Screening consists of landlord contacts and criminal background checks that will be conducted upon selection for a housing unit.

Emergency applicants, priorities W0, N0 and N1, which include agency referrals, victims of domestic violence and intimidated witnesses and all families requiring five bedrooms or more, are entitled to a borough choice. All other applicants, priorities N4, N8, W1, W2 and W3, are permitted to select a development. NYCHA will determine final eligibility when a suitable apartment becomes available. At that time, NYCHA will perform a criminal background check for all household members 16 years of age or older. If everyone passes the criminal background check, NYCHA will offer the apartment. Learn more about priority codes.
Apartment Offer Applicants are offered one apartment. Those certified for an accessible apartment or an emergency priority are offered two apartments.

Required Household Documents

If you are contacted for an eligibility interview, you will be asked to bring original documents that verify the people in your household. You must provide copies of these documents.

  1. Marriage Certificate
  2. Birth Certificate for everyone who will live with you
  3. Social Security card for everyone who will live with you
  4. Verification of immigration status, if applicable
  5. Proof of present address for the past three months, which can include utility bills or a postmarked envelope sent to you
  6. Proof of rent payment/utilities payment. Bring your rent receipts for the last six months (receipts must have the amount of rent), rental lease (if you have one), and last gas and/or electric bill
  7. Landlord/Owner information: Bring the name, address, and telephone number of your landlord (property owner) for residences you lived at in the past 3 years. You must bring this information even if you were doubled-up in someone else's apartment
  8. Documents showing all other family income received in the last 12 months:
    1. Social Security/SSI Income:
      1. Social Security award letter
      2. SSI award letter. The SSA/SSI benefit letter must be dated within 60 days of the interview. If you do not have a benefit letter dated within 60 days of the interview, a current SSA/SSI benefit letter may be obtained by calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or online at www.ssa.gov. From the main page of the website, the beneficiary can select "Get a Proof of Letter" and follow the instructions to request "All benefit information available."
    2. Public Assistance Income/Food Stamps: If you receive Public Assistance and/or Food Stamps, please bring the most recent budget/food stamps letter to the interview. If you do not have the budget letter, NYCHA will verify the Public Assistance income directly from the NYC Human Resources Administration.
    3. Other Income:
      1. Employment (pay stubs, W-2 forms)
      2. Pension award letter
      3. Unemployment insurance benefits letter
      4. Child support payments
  9. Documents showing assets for the last 12 months:
    1. Bank books or bank statements
    2. Verification of interest/dividend income, such as last year's 1099-INT/DIV
    3. Stock broker summary/statement of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds
    4. Copy of stock or bond certificates

Denial of Admission

Applicants interviewed for eligibility and denied admission will receive written notification stating the reason for denial and may request an informal hearing within 90 days of the Ineligibility letter.

To discuss the finding of ineligibility, applicants may visit NYCHA's Customer Contact Center.

Applicants removed from the waiting list due to denial for admission who wish to be reconsidered for public housing must file a new application. The applicant may not be selected for an interview until the end of the ineligibility period.