All topics / Promoting Viable Communities and Neighborhoods / Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Section 8 — Housing choice voucher utilization rate
Efficiently offer New Yorkers housing-related subsidies and support. — Optimize rental subsidies for low-income New Yorkers.
* 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 | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 99% | 98% |
| FY23 | 98% | 98% |
| FY24 | 89% | 98% |
| FY25 | 86% | 98% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 98% |
86% in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (12% below the 98% target), 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 Tenant and Owner Resources (DTOR) — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported quarterly.
Definition: The percent of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) allotted to HPD by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that are used by families to rent housing in the private market.