New York City's Section 8 housing application window closes
NEW YORK -- New York City was taking applications for the Section 8 waiting list for the first time in nearly 15 years, but the application window closed at midnight Sunday.
Prior to last week, the Housing Authority's Section 8 waitlist had been closed since December 2009.
NYC Section 8 application process
The application window opened at midnight on Monday, June 3 and lasted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.
It was free to apply, and the online portal was available in English and four other languages.
"We currently have 3,700 people left on our waiting list from 2009. We are working through those families, and so now is a perfect time to open up the waiting list to an additional 200,000 individuals," said NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt.
According to the site, the application process took about 20 minutes. If you didn't finish in one session, your information was not saved, and you were forced to start from the beginning.
The site also says duplicate applications would be rejected, so to submit only one.
"Submitting an application does not guarantee the application will be placed on the waitlist or that you will receive an offer of housing," the site reads. "All applications submitted are subject to NYCHA's review and approval."
City officials were encouraging people to apply online, but two Customer Contact Centers were open on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and on East Fordham Road in the Bronx for anyone who has questions or needed a paper application.
NYCHA expected to receive up to 1 million applications before the deadline. The agency hopes to have the waitlist finalized by Aug. 1, and will then start calling people about their status.
NYC Section 8 eligibility guidelines
Who can apply? Eligibility is based on five key factors:
- Income: Applicants must fall within specific income limits, which can be found here. For a single person, the annual income limit is $54,350. For a family of four, it's $77,650.
- Immigration status: At least one member of the household must have an eligible immigration status.
- Family: Applicants must be members of a family and meet the definition under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which reads, "A single person or group of two or more persons with or without children who maintain an interdependent relationship and whose income and resources are available to meet the household's needs."
- Social Security Number: All members of the household with a SSN must provide them as part of the application process.
- Other standards: All members of the household ages 16 and older must pass a criminal background check and a nationwide sex offender check.
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program offers subsidies to eligible low-income families, so they can rent in the private market.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) runs the largest Section 8 program in the country, with approximately 85,000 current vouchers.
Find out more from NYCHA's Section 8 application guide here.