NYC Housing Connect
We have launched a new version of NYC Housing Connect. Learn more about the new website and continue to find and apply for affordable housing units at nyc.gov/housingconnect.

To help us do everything we can to move New Yorkers into affordable housing as quickly as possible, we have made several changes to the lottery process. Please see the Housing Connect Application Guides webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Application Resources
Housing Ambassadors are community-based service providers who help people prepare and apply for NYC Housing Connect affordable housing lotteries. Please email or call the organization in your community to learn more about what services they're offering at this time. Office locations may be changing their hours or offering services over the phone.

Free financial counseling through Ready to Rent will continue by phone. Our financial counselors will help you check your credit, calculate your income for housing applications, and save for moving expenses.

Evictions
The NY State Eviction Moratorium ended on January 15th, 2022. NYC launched a campaign to inform tenants about their rights and connect them to critical resources. Most importantly, we want every New Yorker to know three things:

1. Lockouts (also known as unlawful evictions or self-help evictions) are illegal. All tenants (including those in private residential programs) have the right to stay in their home unless they choose to leave or are evicted through a court process.
2. Under New York City's Right-to-Counsel (RTC) law, legal services are free, available in every ZIP code, and available regardless of immigration status. DSS/HRA's Office of Criminal Justice (OCJ) ensures tenants facing eviction in Housing Court or NYCHA administrative proceedings have access to free legal representation and advice, provided by nonprofit legal services organizations from across the five boroughs.
3. We urge all New Yorkers in need of rent relief to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) web portal, as a pending application will provide temporary protection from eviction.

For up-to-date information on evictions, please visit the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT)'s webpage or Housing Court Answers. For more information about how eviction protections might apply to you, contact the City's Tenant Helpline by calling 311 and saying "Tenant Helpline."

Visit the NYC Tenant Resource Portal, the City’s first-ever online resource to help residential renters access free resources from the City to help prevent evictions.

You can learn about the facts and resources available to you in the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) Eviction Prevention Brochure, which was created in partnership with HPD, NYCHA, HDC, HRA, and the office of Civil Justice.

New York City renters, you have rights!
Free legal advice and counsel is available for New York City residential renters. To access these services, please call 311 and ask for the "Tenant Helpline", visit the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants' Information and Resources for NYC Tenants Impacted by COVID-19 webpage, or fill out their Contact Us form.

New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
ERAP will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experience homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. We urge all New Yorkers in need of rent relief to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) web portal, as a pending application will provide temporary protection from eviction.

Emergency Cash Assistance

One-Shot Deal

• If your work schedule was reduced as a result of the coronavirus and you are unable to pay your rent, you can apply for a Cash Assistance special grant request to get benefits for emergencies. Learn more about One-Shot Deals. If you have an active Cash Assistance case, visit ACCESS HRA.

Financial Resources for Tenants

• Tenants experience loss of income should file for unemployment
• AccessNYC is an online tool that households can use to screen their eligibility for many public assistance programs
• Learn about HPD's Section 8 and Rental Subsidy Programs and NYCHA's Section 8 Program

Homelessness Prevention
If you are at imminent risk of entering the New York City shelter system, visit Homebase or call 311 and ask for "Homebase." Homebase locations are currently closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, however services are still available by phone.

Tenant Protection
It is unlawful to discriminate against a tenant based on their status as someone impacted by COVID-19. The New York City Council passed Intro No. 1936-a (Local Law 56 of 2020) to amend the definition of harassment in the Housing Maintenance Code to include threats against an individual based on their actual or perceived status as a COVID-19 impacted person, status as an essential employee, or receipt of a rental concession or forbearance or rent owed during the pandemic. 

Free legal advice and counsel is available for New York City residential renters. To access these services, please call 311 and ask for the "Tenant Helpline", visit the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants' Information and Resources for NYC Tenants Impacted by COVID-19 webpage, or fill out their Contact Us form.

Visit Housing Court Answers for COVID-19 information about Housing Court.

Landlord-Tenant Mediation
The Landlord-Tenant Mediation Project is designed to resolve housing-related issues that have arisen as a result of COVID-19. The Project helps tenants and landlords create an agreement outside of Housing Court to resolve issues that include but are not limited to unpaid rent, lease concerns, or move outs.

To connect with the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Project, please call 311 and ask for the "Tenant Helpline", or visit the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants' Information and Resources for NYC Tenants Impacted by COVID-19 webpage for more information.

Report a Complaint
New Yorkers should continue to report housing code violations to 311. HPD's Housing Inspectors are conducting inspections in response to complaints, prioritizing hazardous complaints including lack of hot water, lack of essential services, mold, lead-based paint and window guards, and reinspections in response to property owner requests.

Utility Arrears
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and tenants pay for utility and heating bills. Visit HRA's HEAP webpage for more information.

The City of New York wants to make sure you have access to free services and support from the safety of your home. Help is available. For a complete list of services, visit NYC Department for the Aging.

Health and Wellbeing
Get help with feelings of stress, sadness, anxiety, or fear:

• Coping tips: nyc.gov/nycwell
• Free 24/7 crisis counseling and mental health support: 1-888-NYC-WELL or text "WELL" to 65173
• Guide to mental health services available while staying home: nyc.gov/thrivenyc

Get Help with Medicare: Call Aging Connect at 212-244-6469
Stay connected with free recurring social check-in calls from a volunteer: Call Aging Connect at 212-244-6469

Safety
If you do not feel safe at home, or if you feel pressured, bullied, or scared by anyone:

• Call the Aging's Resource Center at 212-442-3101 (9am-5pm)
• Call NYC Hope's Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-4673 (24 hours)
• Call 911 in an emergency

Protect Your Money

• Free help filing your taxes: visit nyc.gov/taxprep or call 311
• Free financial counseling by phone: visit nyc.gov/TalkMoney or call 311
• Avoid Scams: Visit www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/older-adults.page

HPD Borough Offices
For assistance from borough office staff, please contact the appropriate borough office by phone or email.

Rent Collection

• Housing Court Answers provides useful COVID information about New York City Housing Court.
• If you are concerned about communicating with tenants about overdue rent, accepting partial payment of rent, entering into payments plans or other issues related to rent collection during the pandemic, you may consider consulting with an attorney.

HUD Guidance
For general guidance from HUD for housing providers, visit hud.gov/coronavirus.

Financial Assistance and Mortgage Forbearance
See the "Property Owners" tab below for other resources pertaining to all property owners, including information on financial resources and mortgage forbearance.

Financial Assistance for Owners

All owners:

• Department of Finance (DOF) Payment Plan: If you have overdue property taxes, you may be eligible to set up a payment plan to pay what you owe in installments instead of all at once. Download the DOF Payment Plan application.
• Property Tax and Interest Deferral Plan (PT AID Plan): If you own a Tax Class 1 property (DOF provides Tax Class definitions on its website), are experiencing hardship, and have fallen behind on your property taxes or are in danger of falling behind, you may be eligible for a DOF Property Tax and Interest Deferral (PT AID) plan. Like a standard payment plan, PT AID plans allow an owner to pay overdue property taxes in multiple installments, but because it considers an applicant’s income and ability to pay, scheduled payments may be lower and may come with the option to defer under certain circumstances. To learn more about PT AID, visit the Property Tax and Interest Deferral Program page.
• Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Payment Agreement: If you have overdue water or sewer bills, you may be eligible to enter into a NYC DEP Payment Agreement (PA) that allows eligible customers to gradually pay off debt. Owners entering into a NYC DEP Payment Agreement for the first time or those who have satisfied a PA in the past may enter into a new PA by visiting any of the DEP Borough Offices in person or contacting their customer service for assistance at 718-595-7000 or via email.
• The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP): HEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and tenants pay for utility and heating bills.
• Con Edison Energy Saving Incentive Program: Rebates on specific energy saving measures to make your building more energy efficient are available for multifamily buildings and for homeowners.
• National Grid Energy Saving Incentive Program: Rebates on specific energy saving measures to make your building more energy efficient.

Landlords only

• New York Forward Loan Fund: NYFLF is a new Empire State Development loan program aimed at supporting New York State small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords as they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak and New York on PAUSE.
• Section 8: Owners with vacancies interested in renting to households with rental subsidies can list vacancies at GoSection8. Learn more about HPD's Section 8 and Rental Subsidy Programs and NYCHA’s Section 8 program.

For details on agency policies and protocols related to COVID-19, please visit the HPD Agency Restart Plan page.

Visit the Division of Tenant Resources' COVID-19 Accommodations webpage for more information.

Attention all seniors: Effective March 16, 2020, the SCRIE unit at HPD will be closed to the public until further notice. We are taking steps to protect our staff, clients, customers, partners and the New Yorkers who rely on us, while continuing to perform our work. 

Seniors can email or mail their applications to HPD:

• Questions and documents can be emailed to: scrie@hpd.nyc.gov
• Documents may also be mailed to:
  SCRIE Unit
  100 Gold Street
  Rm 7M-3
  New York, NY 10038

HPD will continue to process reinstatements and new applications accordingly. In the event this process is delayed, HPD will issue retroactive SCRIE payments on behalf of seniors that are determined to be eligible for the program. As the impact of COVID-19 evolves, HPD will continue to evolve its policies to keep our staff and the New Yorkers we interact with as informed and safe as possible.

If you have additional questions, please see the SCRIE FAQ.

Code Enforcement
HPD Borough Offices are open for limited hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm. You may use the drop-boxes at our Borough Office locations at any time to submit applications or required forms.

Neighborhood Preservation
HPD Borough OfficesHPD Borough Offices are open from 9:00am to 4:00pm

Registration Assistance
Although the Registration Assistance Unit is still not seeing people in person, you can register for a Tele-Conference or Video Conference on the Property Registration webpage.

For questions about HPD disability services, contact Andrew Lange, HPD Disability Services Facilitator at accessibility@hpd.nyc.gov.

Online intake and registration have resumed. If you have been displaced from your home as a result of a vacate order or a fire incident and need shelter, please contact Emergency Housing Services (EHS) at ehs-remote@hpd.nyc.gov or call 212-863-6770. EHS business hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm, excluding national holidays.

If you need immediate housing as a result of a fire or city-issued vacate order outside of EHS business hours, please contact the American Red Cross at 1-877-733-2767 (1-800-RED-CROS).

If you have been assigned a Case Manager, please contact your Case Manager for services. If you have trouble contacting your Case Manager, please call 212-863-6770 or email ehs-remote@hpd.nyc.gov.