By Marlyn Montilla
03 Jun 2024, 15:26 PM EDT
NYCHA reopened its waiting list for Section 8 housing applications for the first time in nearly 15 years.
Applications for NYCHA’s Housing Choice Voucher program are open from midnight on June 3 to 11:59 p.m. on June 9.
Founded by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1978, the federal program pays much of the rent to low-income families who typically contribute 30% of their earnings toward the total cost.
Demand for the limited number of housing vouchers is often extremely high, which is why the city closed its waiting list in 2009, ABC NY 7 reported.
The decision to reopen applications is due to the lack of affordable housing and the overflow of shelters in the Big Apple.
“After 15 years, we reopened NYCHA’s doors to hundreds of thousands of new Section 8 applicants and helped more New Yorkers find the housing they need,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“Addressing our city’s housing crisis means using every tool our city has, and that’s exactly what we are doing. From promoting 24 housing projects on public lands this year through our ’24 in 24′ plan, to fighting for our ‘Yes City for With Housing Opportunity’ proposal to build a little more housing in every neighborhood, we are “committed to helping every New Yorker find and stay in their home.”
According to NYCHA, there are nearly 85,000 housing vouchers and more than 25,000 households currently participating in the program.
Eligible households could apply for the program through NYCHA’s website.
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