All topics / Promoting Viable Communities and Neighborhoods / Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Lottery units — Median time to approve an applicant (days)
Efficiently offer New Yorkers housing-related subsidies and support. — Connect New Yorkers to affordable housing.
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 163 days |
| FY23 | 192 days |
| FY24 | 191 days |
| FY25 | 142 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
142 days in FY25 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
HPD runs the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, which made up about 80 percent of the rental assistance HPD administered as of late 2024, serving over 36,000 households at an average monthly cost per unit of roughly $1,408. It also administers CityFHEPS, a city-funded voucher for families with children on cash assistance who are at risk of eviction or have lost housing due to domestic violence or health and safety issues; unlike the federally funded Section 8 program, CityFHEPS has no waitlist, so eligible applicants receive it without waiting years. Together these programs are a major part of how the city tries to keep low-income households housed rather than in shelter.
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers - Office of the New York State Comptroller, Housing Vouchers 101 - NYC Anti-Violence Project
Source: Division of Housing Opportunity (DHO) — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported annually.
Definition: Median days from the certificate of occupancy issuance to applicant approval for a lottery unit.