Summer in New York City might be relaxing, but there’s never time to be lazy when you’re looking for affordable housing! To make your housing hunt a little easier and to keep you moving on the right track this summer, IMPACCT Brooklyn compiled a number of free resources that first-time applicants and seasoned tenants will find useful.
If you’re just getting started looking for affordable housing and find the process overwhelming, don’t stress! There are several resources available online to make the process understandable and worry-free, starting with those found on the New York City Housing & Preservation Department website.
- Ready, Set, Apply! is an illustrated and detailed walk through the entire process, starting with the basics of affordable housing before covering the application process, requirements for affordable housing, and the entry interview.
- What to Expect is an illustrated infographic that breaks the affordable housing process into six easy steps.
- Income Guide takes applicants through the three kinds of income they need to report on their affordable housing application and explains the differences between types of income.
- Affordable Housing Eligible Income Levels by Household Size is a color-coded table that explains the income categories the NYC HPD uses, so you can see where you and your family fit in.
- After You Apply is a list of ways to prepare for your affordable housing interview, should you be selected.
If you’d rather watch than read, the NYC HPD also organized much of the above information into a handy video.
So you understand how the application process works, but you aren’t sure how to calculate “affordable” income? You heard about changes to the affordable housing application process, but you don’t know how they’ll affect you? IMPACCT Brooklyn’s Affordable Housing page is regularly updated with informative blog posts, affordable housing opportunities, and any FAQs you might have while you’re applying to affordable housing.
Finally, the official Housing Connect handbook covers marketing procedures, applicant selection, income eligibility, and more. Although this handbook is intended for developers who are creating apartments as part of the city’s affordable housing programs, all the information featured is valid, useful for tenants, and regularly updated.
If all this is old news to you, great! Our advice to you: make sure you’re keeping all the information on your HPD profile up-to-date with your most recent income, and stay atop new listings in the HPD Housing Connect.
Still got questions? IMPACCT Brooklyn is an HPD Housing Ambassador and is here to answer those questions for you! Just email us at affordablehousing@impacctbk.org and set up an appointment.
