The application period for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is now open!

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is currently accepting applications for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, reopening a waitlist that has been closed to general applications for nearly 15 years. Section 8 HCV is a federally funded program administered by NYCHA that provides rental subsidies for eligible low-income families to rent housing in the private market. Interested households may apply to the Section 8 HCV waitlist.

NYCHA administers the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, also known as Section 8, which provides rental subsidies for eligible low-income families so they can rent decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Eligible families receive a voucher to search for housing within a neighborhood of their choice and rent a unit from a participating landlord. Families pay a reasonable share of their income toward rent, and the program provides a subsidy to cover the difference.

The fastest and most efficient way to apply for the HCV Program is online. The application is available online at https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/section-8/self-service.page from now until June 9, 2024, at 11:59 PM. All applicants have an equal opportunity to be placed on the waitlist regardless of when their application is received. The online application can be accessed from a computer, smartphone, or tablet with internet access; if you do not have internet access, you may visit a local library.

NYCHA has a priority system that ranks each applicant based on predetermined preference categories using the information provided on the application. Preferences, in order of priority, are: mobility impaired and residing in inaccessible housing, elderly persons (62 years of age and older) and persons with disabilities, and all other applicants.

You may be eligible if your family’s annual gross income does not exceed the following income limits: Family Size: 1, Income Limit: $54,350; Family Size: 2, Income Limit: $62,150; Family Size: 3, Income Limit: $69,900; Family Size: 4, Income Limit: $77,650; Family Size: 5, Income Limit: $83,850; Family Size: 6, Income Limit: $90,050; Family Size: 7, Income Limit: $96,300; Family Size: 8, Income Limit: $102,500.

The waitlist is expected to be established by August 1, 2024. Once the waitlist is established, applicants will be notified and can check the status of their application via NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal (selfserve.nycha.info). NYCHA will begin to call applicants off the waitlist at that time. The waitlist status will not be available before August 1, 2024.

Section 8 is intended for low-income families that fit the following criteria: The head of household is 18 years of age or older (or declared an “emancipated minor”); At least one member of the family is a U.S. citizen or non-citizen with eligible immigration status; and the household’s gross income is 50 percent or below the area median income (AMI).

Once the application period closes, NYCHA will randomly place 200,000 applications on the waitlist. Submitting an application does not guarantee placement on the waitlist. If your application is selected for placement on the waitlist and you are selected from the waitlist, NYCHA will contact you to provide additional information to complete the application process. This involves providing additional information such as vital income, assets, and expense documentation.

NYCHA will also conduct a criminal background check on all family members who are 16 years of age and older. Then, you will be scheduled for an eligibility interview. If you meet the criteria, you will be issued a Housing Choice Voucher and briefed on the program. A voucher is issued if an applicant is found eligible during the Section 8 eligibility interview process. Once issued, you must sign your voucher and begin your search for an apartment.

The voucher is valid for 180 days, including an initial term of 120 days plus a 60-day extension. Additional requests for voucher extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis through reasonable accommodation requests. Generally, HCV participants contribute 30 percent of their monthly gross income toward rent.

“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 New York City Mayor Eric Adams “Addressing our city’s housing crisis means using every tool our city has, and that’s exactly what we are doing. From advancing 24 housing projects on public land this year through our ’24 in 24′ plan, to fighting for our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal to build a little more housing in every neighborhood, we are committed to helping every New Yorker find and stay in their home.”

NYCHA administers the largest Section 8 HCV program in the country, currently providing rental subsidies to 241,117 residents to rent apartments in the private market, while facilitating access to social services through a variety of programs with OpportunityNYCHA.

Apply online here from June 3 through June 9.

Check out the frequently asked questions here.