The NYCHA housing program offers low-cost, subsidized apartments for working families. In order to qualify for public housing, you must meet certain income limits and submit required documents. You can apply online or in person at a NYCHA Walk-in Center. You must reapply every year to continue receiving benefits. To avoid delays, you should submit all necessary documents before your deadline. You may be ineligible for public housing if you have a criminal record or have evictions from a previous NYCHA or Section 8 apartment. Additionally, you may be denied admission if your behavior could adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of other residents or staff members.
NYCHA Recertification Eligibility
NYCHA requires families living in public housing to use Section 8 vouchers to complete annual recertification. This is a process that verifies household income and composition, determines continued eligibility, and calculates the resident’s rent. It is also necessary to report any changes in circumstances such as employment, education, and disabilities.
If you are currently living in NYCHA and want to move to another apartment, you need to submit a briefing package with your current landlord. Then, NYCHA will schedule an inspection of your new apartment and approve you to move in if it passes inspection.
The amount of time it takes to get approved for NYCHA has climbed in recent years, exacerbating the city’s affordable housing crisis. Alexandra Dougherty, a senior staff attorney with Brooklyn Defender Services, said the average wait for an apartment in NYCHA is over 30 days.
NYCHA Self-Service Portal and Customer Contact Centers
Families that receive public housing or Section 8 vouchers must complete annual recertification to determine their rent amount based on income. To simplify the process, NYCHA has launched a new self-service portal for residents. The revamped online application will offer a more user-friendly experience and reduce the time required to submit the form.
In addition to the Self-Service Portal, NYCHA has a number of Customer Contact Center walk-in locations that provide in-person assistance to public housing tenants, Section 8 voucher holders, and applicants. The website allows applicants to find the nearest location and schedule an appointment.
Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT)
NYCHA is North America’s largest public housing authority, providing decent, safe, and affordable housing to more than 528,105 authorized residents across conventional public housing and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) developments. It also operates the largest Section 8 rental voucher program in the country, serving over 25,000 families.
If you are a current or prospective public housing or PACT resident, you can manage your information on file anytime, anywhere — just log in to MyNYCHA and click the “Manage Tenant Info” link. You can also make your monthly rent payments online, and the system allows you to store multiple payment methods. You can even set up automatic payments for the month if you prefer.
If you are a resident and wish to add a new member of your household, you must report that change to NYCHA and submit all required documents to confirm eligibility. If you have been permanently excluded because of a criminal conviction, you may be eligible for the Family Reentry Program (FRP), which allows individuals who have completed two years of crime-free time to live with their family at NYCHA.