What you should do after applying for NYCHA’s Section 8 housing waitlist in NYC
The video above originally aired on June 3.
NEW YORK (PIX11) — So you’re one of the over 150,000 applicants for New York City’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program waitlist. What steps should you take after applying?
The New York City Housing Authority offers several resources to ensure you have all the required documentation to prepare for the public housing process.
Here is what you should expect after applying for the NYCHA Section 8 waitlist.
Application status and waitlist
Within 30 days of applying, you will get a letter from NYCHA, according to the city’s website. Your public housing application will remain active for two years, and you must keep your application up to date through NYCHA’s Self-Service Portal every two years.
NYCHA recommends having a phone number or e-mail attached to your profile so they can send you reminders to update your application.
Eligibility verification
An eligibility interview will take place over the phone by NYCHA’s Eligibility Unity, according to the agency. During the interview, the following pieces of information will be verified:
Applicant’s family size
Family composition
Housing priority
Total family income
Social Security numbers
Citizenship/immigration status
If your family is deemed eligible, your application will undergo screening to ensure that “your family’s past behavior will not adversely affect the financial stability or the health, safety, or welfare of other tenants, Authority staff, or an Authority development,” NYCHA states on its website. The screening will include a background check and contacting landlords.
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Required documents
According to NYCHA, you need to have the following original documents for verification:
Marriage Certificate
Birth Certificate for everyone who will live with you
Social security card for everyone who will live with you
Verification of immigration status (if applicable)
Proof of present address for the past three months (utility bills or a postmarked envelope sent to you)
Proof of rent payment/utility payment: Bring your rent receipts showing the amount of rent for the last six months, your rental lease if you have one, and your most recent gas or electric bill.
Landlord/Owner information for the residences you have lived in for the past three years.
Documents showing all other family income received in the last 12 month
Bring the most recent budget/food stamps letter if you receive public assistance or food stamps. If you do not have the budget letter, NYCHA will verify the Public Assistance income directly from the NYC Human Resource Administration.
Other income verification
Documents showing assets for the last 12 months.
Click here for the full list of documents.
Check application status
You can check your application status in the self-service portal. You need to have already applied for access to the portal.
Once applications close on June 9, NYCHA will randomly place 200,000 applications on the waitlist. Applying does not guarantee a spot on the waitlist.
For more information on the program, click here.
Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com.
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