Finding affordable housing in New York City
From growing families to new college graduates, finding affordable housing is a concern for all New Yorkers. As of the end of last year, the vacancy rate for City rental apartments fell to 1.4%, PIX11 News reported in January 2026.
HousingPlus focuses on housing for women and families in NYC who have faced chronic or repeated instances of homelessness. But if a person has not experienced homelessness, been evicted, or needed to borrow money to cover a month’s rent, almost every resident knows the sinking feeling of receiving the notice of a big rent increase, or seeing a brutal ConEd bill that has eaten into next month’s money.
New Yorkers understand the pain. The reality is that 41% of Americans say they could not cover an unexpected expense of up to $ 1,000, and 18% say they couldn’t afford an expected expense of under $100. Learn more about Americans’ emergency expense plans here. (Source: Federal Reserve, 2025)
You or someone you know may need to move apartments in the next year or two. When that time comes, finding what’s affordable can be daunting.
Here are some resources that can help New Yorkers find affordable housing:
The Housing Lottery (AKA Housing Connect)
It’s best to revisit the New York City Housing Lottery site frequently. You may not “win” the housing lottery right away, but it doesn’t hurt to apply to a variety of lotteries with units that suit your needs.
Learn more about the way to navigate the housing lottery (also referred to as Housing Connect).
One-Shot Deal (Emergency Cash Assistance)
A program designed for New Yorkers who have had an emergency or temporary income loss (such as needing to take an emergency medical leave of absence). The program provides a one-time emergency grant to help the person stay stably housed. This grant can be used to prevent eviction, but it may also be used for other costs.
One-shot deals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Learn how to apply here. Learn more about the program here.
Tenant Support
If you are facing harassment, disputes, or eviction threats/notifications, understanding your rights as a tenant is incredibly important. Some neighborhoods have local advocacy groups that have compiled useful information to help potential area residents. They often collect data on landlords and have resources available to assist potential renters.
Contact the Tenant Support Unit: call 311 and ask for the “Tenant Helpline.” This is a helpful resource if you believe your living situation is not safe or you are facing rental discrimination. Visit the Tenant Resource Portal to find resources that may be available to you.
To get legal advice on disputes with neighbors or landlords, you may also call the New York Legal Aid Group at 212.613.5000 on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Supportive Housing
Supportive housing in New York City is generally for individuals with a history of experiencing homelessness or who demonstrate a serious risk of homelessness due to personal circumstances.
To find out if you’re eligible, you can work with HRA or another nonprofit in NYC to fill out a 2010E application.
This is a helpful article explaining the process.
FAQ here about the supportive housing application process.
See locations that can assist with filling out a 2010E application.
Facing Evictions
Call the Eviction Prevention Hotline at 212-776-2039 on Wednesday mornings beginning at 9:30 a.m. For more information, see the Coalition for the Homeless website.
You can also call the CAMBA Eviction Prevention Unit at 718-675-3373 (BKLYN).