NYC reopens Section 8 housing waitlist after 15 years - What you need to know
STREET SOLDIERS - NYCHA's New Challenges
As many NYCHA residents continue to struggle with basic quality of life issues and an uncertain future, housing authority management practices are coming under growing scrutiny. A federal investigation revealed a decades-long corruption scheme that could be just the beginning. So what does it mean for residents?
NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams has announced the reopening of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program waitlist for the first time in nearly 15 years.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will start accepting applications from midnight on June 3 until 11:59 PM on June 9, 2024.
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"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."
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.
NYCHA currently administers the largest Section 8 program in the country, providing subsidies to 241,117 residents.
The reopening of the waitlist aligns with Mayor Adams' goal of creating 500,000 new homes by 2032.
"Reopening the Section 8 waitlist is a milestone in our ongoing efforts to address our housing crisis," said Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. "Making this critical subsidy available to more New Yorkers exemplifies NYCHA’s commitment to improving the lives of tenants."
Households that receive a voucher will be able to search for housing in their preferred neighborhoods. 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.
The program will randomly select 200,000 applications by lottery to join the new waitlist, which is expected to be established by August 1, 2024.
New Yorkers can learn more about Section 8 eligibility at NYCHA’s website and can apply to join the waitlist online on June 3rd at on.nyc.gov/section8-application.