The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has officially closed the online application period for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program as of June 9, at midnight. The highly anticipated reopening of the waitlist drew a staggering number of applicants, with NYCHA reporting 633,808 online applications received. This marks the end of a nearly 15-year hiatus since the waitlist was last open to general applications.
In addition to the online submissions, NYCHA informed that there were about 14,300 requests for paper applications. These requests came through the Section 8 Waitlist Hotline and walk-in centers located in Brooklyn and Bronx. While the online application portal is no longer accepting submissions, NYCHA will continue to accept paper applications until July 9. However, all paper applications must be postmarked no later than June 28 to be considered.
The Section 8 HCV program is a federally funded initiative that provides rental assistance to eligible low-income families, allowing them to rent housing in the private market. NYCHA emphasizes that all applications submitted by the deadline will have an equal chance of being placed on the waitlist, irrespective of the time of submission.
To be eligible, a family’s annual gross income must not exceed the set income limits, which vary based on family size. For example, a single-person household’s income limit is set at $54,350.
The waitlist is anticipated to be established by August 1, 2024. Applicants will be notified and can check their application status via NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal after this date. The waitlist status will not be available before August 1, 2024.
Section 8 targets low-income families meeting specific criteria, including having a head of household who is at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor, at least one family member with U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status, and a household gross income at or below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI).
After the application period, NYCHA plans to randomly select 200,000 applications to be placed on the waitlist. Submission of an application does not guarantee placement, and those selected will be contacted for further information to complete the application process.
NYCHA administers the largest Section 8 HCV program in the nation, currently aiding 241,117 residents with rental subsidies and facilitating access to social services through various programs with OpportunityNYCHA.
Check out the frequently asked questions here.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
