In-Office appointments are available for free immigration services with CUNY Citizenship Now. You can make an appointment for in person or virtually by calling 646-664-9400. Services are available in multiple languages including Spanish and Bangla.
If you need help navigating any of these resources please reach out to my office at 718-792-1140 or district18@council.nyc.gov to speak with a member of my team.
Affordable/Low-Income Housing Resources
Mayors Office of People with Disabilities: Affordable housing has income and credit requirements and it is for various income ranges. Applications are picked through a lottery system. When an applicant is chosen through the lottery, they have made it to the next step of the process and have to go to an interview to submit required documents. Being picked for an interview does not guarantee an apartment. Affordable/Low-Income Housing – MOPD
The NYC Rent Freeze Program: The NYC Rent Freeze Program designed to help those eligible stay in affordable housing by freezing their rent. Comes in two programs for Senior citizens and those who are on Disability. Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption: SCRIE Forms & Disability Rent Increase Exemption: DRIE Forms
NYC Rules and Regulations of Tenant Rights: The ABCs of Housing is HPD’s guide to housing rules and regulations for owners and tenants. Tenant Rights and Responsibilities – HPD & ABCs of Housing 2021
Directory of New York City Housing Programs: Over the years, dozens of government programs have subsidized housing in New York City. The NYU Furman Center’s Directory of New York City Housing Programs catalogs information about many of these programs. Directory of NYC Housing Programs – NYU Furman Center
AffordableHousing.com: Is pioneering the standard for affordable housing by taking the complexity out of the process and expanding options for people searching for affordable housing. AffordableHousing.com, previously GoSection8.com, is accessed by tens of millions of visitors, who perform hundreds of millions of searches each year. AffordableHousing.com – Affordable Houses & Apartments For Rent
New York City Housing Authority: The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYC Housing Authority
HUD Resource Locator: The program works as a rental subsidy that allows families to pay a reasonable amount of their income toward their rent. Eligible families will receive a voucher to begin searching for housing. Generally, families will pay no more than 40 percent of their adjusted monthly income toward their rent share. HUD Resource Locator
UNHP Bronx Housing Resources: For help staying in your Bronx apartment and resources to help you find a new affordable rental unit the university neighborhood housing program, (UNHP) helps with the how to get a new affordable housing rental. With homelessness at record highs in NYC, finding decent affordable housing is very difficult. It is important that low-income families and individuals seek to stabilize their current living conditions and try to make their current apartment more affordable before or while they are seeking another apartment. This advice was also shared by NYC Legal Aid, (in this brief video) an organization that has helped many people fight eviction. They offer this advice “Fight to stay in your apartment and get help to make it more affordable for you”. Bronx_Housing_Resource_PDF.pdf
NYHousingSearch.gov: A free public service provided by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). NYHousingSearch.gov allows people to locate housing that meets their individual and family needs at a rent they can afford. It can be accessed online 24 hours a day and is supported by a toll-free, bilingual call center available Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 8:00 pm EDT. NYHousingSearch.gov | New York Apartments | New York Rental Homes
NYC Housing Connect Online: NYC Housing Connect is a free online lottery system for New Yorkers. It allows you to search for upcoming affordable housing opportunities and apply to those for which you qualify. NYC Housing Connect
I Need Help – HRA: The Human Resources Administration is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality with essential programs that help families and individuals with economic and social service needs. HRA provides New Yorkers with a variety of critical services to make ends meet, including, but not limited to, food and cash assistance, emergency rental assistance, services for individuals with disabilities or those living HIV/AIDS, and emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence. New Yorkers in need can apply for and recertify their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits online and determine if you are eligible for Cash Assistance and other services offered by HRA via the online ACCESS HRA platform. I Need Help – HRA
Legal Resources
The Legal Aid Society: Free legal assistance on housing, immigration, criminal and civil cases. The Legal Aid Society’s Tenants Rights specifically focuses on enforcing required repairs, landlord harassment cases, rent stabilization, and over charge cases, eviction defense, and administrative proceedings. Call 212-577-3300 for information and to see if you qualify. www.legal-aid.org
Bronx Neighborhood Office: 260 E. 161st Street Bronx, New York 10451. (718) 991-4600. Housing Court Office: 1118 Grand Concourse (166th Street) Bronx, NY 10451. (718) 681-8712.
Legal Services NYC: Free legal assistance on many issues including housing, immigration, education, bankruptcy, consumer rights, LGBT issues, and foreclosure prevention. The Legal Assistance Hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm. Call 917-661-4500 to speak to an intake officer in any language. www.Bronx.LegalServicesNYC.org
Legal Services NYC – Bronx – Housing Unit: 349 E. 149th Street 10th Floor, Bronx, NY 10451. (718) 928-3700
Bronx Defenders: They have pioneered a ground-breaking, nationally recognized model of defense called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for our clients. Each year, they defend 27,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, child welfare, and immigration cases, and we reach thousands more through our community intake and outreach programs. https://www.bronxdefenders.org/
NewYork Legal Assistance Group: Founded in 1990, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) is a leading civil legal services organization combating economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Their services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on the Mobile Legal Help Center. https://nylag.org/
Law Help NY: LawHelpNY.org, powered by Pro Bono Net, is an online tool for helping low-income New Yorkers solve their legal problems. Our mission is to provide and promote access to high-quality online information about: Free legal services throughout New York State including– legal rights in a broad range of substantive areas, the New York State court system, advocacy groups, government offices and social service organizations that help low-income New Yorkers. We are committed to helping low-income and other vulnerable New Yorkers achieve equal access to justice by providing information that is user-friendly in English, Spanish and other languages. https://www.lawhelpny.org/