With rental prices going higher and higher every year and with an increasing number of luxurious condos, it seems impossible to find an affordable house in New York City. However, don’t lose hope, there are ways you can find a low-income place to live in NYC. New York government has some vital policiesto help those who can’t afford rentals in the city.

Public Housing

The best way to qualify for a low rental is NYCHA housing. And you don’t need to fall below the poverty line to be eligible for this scheme. If you are earning 51k or less per year, you are entitled to The New York City Housing Authority. With access to over 200,000 housing apartments, NYCHA offers a global deal for NYC residents. However, due to an extremely long waiting list, you have to wait as long as 9 years to get benefit from this program.

You can find more detail about NYCHA here.

Federal Programs

If you are earning 20k or less per year, you can use Section 8 vouchers to find an affordable rental. Section 8 works the same as public housing however, it also allows tenants to live in the rental by paying 30% of their annual income. And the additional amount is paid by section 8 voucher. You can learn more about Section 8 here.

80/20 Program

In the 80/20 program, tax relief is granted to the developers and in return, they dedicate 20% of the units for families with low income. You can learn more about 80/20 program here.

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