What we verified in “Affordable-housing lotteries and LIHTC apartments: how to apply”

Statements and where we checked them

The statements with rules, figures or dates, with the exact place in the source and the date we checked them.

1. According to New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), affordable housing is based on a household's percentage of Area Median Income (AMI), set by the federal government every year; housing is considered affordable if it costs about one-third or less of household income and is regulated so the rent can't go up dramatically over time.

   Sources 1 · Do You Qualify?: 'Affordable housing is based on a household's percentage of Area Median Income (AMI), which is set by the federal government on a yearly basis'; 'Housing is considered affordable if it costs about one-third or less of household income, and is regulated so the rent can't go up dramatically over time' · Checked November 6, 2026

2. According to HPD, to be eligible you must be 18 and have household income in the specific range set for each affordable-housing opportunity; you must also meet other guidelines, including asset limits and tenant selection criteria.

   Sources 1 · Do You Qualify?: 'In order to be eligible, you must be 18 years old, and your household income needs to be in a specific range for each affordable housing opportunity'; 'including asset limits, and tenant selection criteria' · Checked November 6, 2026

3. According to HPD, you can apply online through NYC Housing Connect or by mail following the directions in the advertisement; paper applications are returned by regular mail only, applications after the deadline are not considered, and after the deadline applications are selected for review through a lottery.

   Sources 2 · Housing Connect Application Guides, How to Apply: 'either online or by mail'; 'you must follow the directions listed in the advertisement'; 'Completed original paper applications must be returned by regular mail only'; 'Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered'; 'After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process' · Checked November 6, 2026

4. According to HPD, community organizations in the city, called Housing Ambassadors, help people for free to prepare and apply for Housing Connect lotteries.

   Sources 3 · Housing Ambassadors: 'FREE Housing Connect Application Assistance'; 'help people prepare and apply for Housing Connect affordable housing lotteries' · Checked November 6, 2026

5. On its page for finding affordable housing, HPD links NYC Housing Connect to find and apply for rental and homeownership opportunities, the application guides, Housing Ambassadors, Ready to Rent (free one-on-one financial counseling) and affordable re-rentals.

   Sources 4 · Find Affordable Housing: 'NYC Housing Connect Find and apply for affordable rental and homeownership opportunities'; 'Housing Ambassadors Get help applying for NYC Housing Connect from non-profits across the city'; 'Ready to Rent Get free one-on-one financial counseling and assistance with applications'; 'Re-Rentals Find affordable re-rentals' · Checked November 6, 2026

6. Under the federal low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) law, a project qualifies if it meets one of three tests: at least 20 percent of units rent-restricted and occupied by people with incomes up to 50 percent of area median; at least 40 percent up to 60 percent; or at least 40 percent with an income limit designated for each unit (the average income test), in steps of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or 80 percent of area median.

   Sources 5 · 26 U.S.C. §42(g)(1)(A)–(C): '20 percent or more of the residential units in such project are both rent-restricted and occupied by individuals whose income is 50 percent or less of area median gross income'; '40 percent or more'; '60 percent or less of area median gross income'; 'Average income test'; 'shall be 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, or 80 percent of area median gross income' · Checked November 6, 2026

7. Under that law, a unit is rent-restricted if its gross rent does not exceed 30 percent of the unit's income limit; gross rent excludes Section 8 or comparable rental-assistance payments and includes the utility allowance.

   Sources 5 · 26 U.S.C. §42(g)(2)(A)–(B): 'a residential unit is rent-restricted if the gross rent with respect to such unit does not exceed 30 percent of the imputed income limitation applicable to such unit'; 'does not include any payment under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 or any comparable rental assistance program'; 'includes any utility allowance' · Checked November 6, 2026

8. Under that law, a LIHTC building's use commitment prohibits refusing to lease to a Section 8 voucher holder because they hold one, and lets people who meet the building's income limit enforce that commitment in state court.

   Sources 5 · 26 U.S.C. §42(h)(6)(B)(ii) and (iv): 'the right to enforce in any State court the requirement and prohibitions of clause (i)'; 'which prohibits the refusal to lease to a holder of a voucher or certificate of eligibility under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 because of the status of the prospective tenant as such a holder' · Checked November 6, 2026

9. According to HUD, voucher holders can check LIHTC properties in their area with HUD's resource locator, and those properties are required to accept vouchers as a source of payment.

   Sources 6 · Housing Choice Voucher Tenants, Searching for a rental unit: 'Review HUD's Resource Locator for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Properties in your area. (These properties are required to accept housing vouchers as a source of payment.)' · Checked November 6, 2026

10. According to HUD, some landlords charge application fees, and some housing agencies require voucher holders to pay the security deposit on their own.

    Sources 6 · Housing Choice Voucher Tenants: 'Budget for Application Fees and Security Deposit: Some landlords may require application fees, and some Public Housing Agency require voucher holders to pay for a unit's security deposit on their own' · Checked November 6, 2026