Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History: Mayor Adams Continues “Housing Week” by Announcing New Effort to Double Percentage of Homes in Housing Lottery With Preference for City Employees, Veterans

August 1, 2025

Longstanding Affordable Housing Preference Gives Priority to Specific Groups in Housing Lottery 

Adams Administration Will Increase Affordable Housing Preference for City Employees From 5 Percent of Homes to 10 Percent, Expand Eligibility to Also Include Military Veterans

Expanded Preference Will Help More City Employees and Military Veterans Find Affordable Homes, Strengthen City’s Ability to Recruit and Retain Top-Tier Talent

Announcement Part of Mayor Adams’ “Housing Week,” Highlighting City’s Efforts to Create More Homes, Connect More People to Homes, and Keep More People in Homes They Have

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued “Housing Week” by announcing the Adams administration will double the percentage of homes in the city’s affordable housing lottery that have a preference for city employees, and expand eligibility for this preference to include military veterans as well. Historically, city employees have been given priority on 5 percent of newly-constructed affordable homes financed by either the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) or the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and listed on the city’s Housing Connect lottery. With this new policy, the Adams administration will increase that preference to 10 percent of homes and allow military veterans to qualify for this preference as well. The expanded preference will help connect more city employees, who are largely required to live in New York City, as well as military veterans, who face a range of challenges often associated with housing insecurity, to affordable housing. During Housing Week, Mayor Adams is making a series of announcements focused on creating more homes, connecting more New Yorkers to homes, and keeping more New Yorkers in the homes they already have.

“As a lifelong public servant, I know first-hand the sacrifices that our city employees make every day to keep our streets safe, teach our children, help families save money, and deliver every day for 8.5 million of their fellow New Yorkers. We want to make sure the public servants who power our city can afford to live in our city, which is why we are going to double the city’s affordable housing preference for our extraordinary city employees,” said Mayor Adams. “But we’re not stopping there. Too many military veterans still struggle with housing insecurity. If you served our country abroad or on a military base, you should be able to find an affordable place to live back home; that is why we are going to make military veterans eligible for these homes as well. We are not only proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history but to be able to give back to the public servants who give their all every day for their city and their country.”

“New York City runs on the dedication of over 300,000 municipal workers — the people who keep us safe, clean our streets, deliver clean water, and keep this city moving forward every single day. Today’s investment is a commitment to the workforce that keeps this city alive — not just recognizing their essential work, but strengthening it for the future,” said HPD Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “We are also expanding the preference to those who have put their lives on the line in service of our nation. As we celebrate ‘Housing Week,’ this announcement reflects our continued commitment to removing barriers, expanding access, and getting more New Yorkers housed.”

“This expansion of the preference is the result of thoughtful collaboration — and a shared belief that those who serve our city and nation should have a fair shot at building a life right here in the five boroughs,” said New York City Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner James Hendon. “By including veterans, this policy takes an important step toward ensuring that service is met with opportunity — and that no one who’s answered the call to serve is left behind.”

Increasing the preference percentage will help ensure the city can continue to attract and retain a strong public workforce that is generally required to live in the five boroughs. Additionally, by expanding eligibility for this preference to include military veterans as well, the Adams administration will help further address the relationship between housing instability and mental health challenges among veterans. Today’s announcement will help connect more veterans to affordable housing and support veteran well-being.

Once launched, the new 10 percent preference will apply to all HPD- and HDC-financed new construction listed on the Housing Connect lottery. Applicants must meet one of the following eligibility criteria to qualify:

• Municipal Employees: Applicants currently employed by the City of New York can qualify by answering “yes” to the Housing Connect question about city employment and submitting proof, such as a recent paystub or tax document.
• Military Veterans: Applicants who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, or Reserves can qualify by answering “yes” to the Housing Connect question about military service and providing supporting documents, such as a military ID or U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) benefits statement.

“Anything we can do to help our veterans who served this country is welcome,” said New York City Councilmember Robert Holden. “I thank the city for taking this seriously.”

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