Public Housing Priority Codes- Need Based Preference

You may be considered for priorities N0, N1, or N4 only if you live or work in New York City 

N0 PRIORITY - City Agency Referrals 

• Homeless families with children referred by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) 
• Displaced by fire, vacate order or about to be displaced from a site to be used for a public housing development or other public improvement and referred by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Families displaced must be referred to NYCHA within 270 days from date of displacement. 
• Homeless applicants referred by the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) 
• Applicants who are about to be discharged from Henry J. Carter Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility and who will become homeless or will be at risk of becoming homeless upon discharge and referred by the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) 
• Applicants referred by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) under the Independent Living or Family Unification programs. 

N1 PRIORITY - Victims of Domestic Violence (VDV)

NYCHA provides an upgrade to priority N1 for an applicant who demonstrates he/she is a victim of domestic violence (VDV). In order to qualify for the N1 priority as a VDV, an applicant must submit a VDV Priority Upgrade Request, form 070269, along with documentation. 

To qualify for the priority, the applicant must meet the definition of a VDV and must reasonably believe he/she will suffer further harm in the very near future if he/she remains in his/her current home. The applicant must also submit documentation to show he/she is a VDV.

A VDV is a person who is a victim of felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by:

1. A family member; 
2. A current or former spouse; 
3. An intimate partner; 
4. A person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under New York’s domestic or family violence laws; or 
5. Any other person who committed felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence against an adult or youth victim who is protected under New York’s domestic or family violence laws. 

The applicant may submit any one of the following types of documentation to demonstrate eligibility for the VDV priority upgrade:

1. NYCHA Form 040.683, VAWA: Victim Certification, signed by the VDV; or
2. Documentation signed and attested to by a professional (defined as an employee, agent, or volunteer of a victim service provider; an attorney; a medical professional; or a mental health professional) from whom the victim has sought assistance in addressing domestic violence, or the effect of the abuse. The professional must attest, under penalty of perjury, that the professional believes in the occurrence of the incident that is the ground for protection, and that the incident meets the definition of domestic violence; or
3. A record of a law enforcement agency, court, or administrative agency, such as a police report, a court record, or an administrative agency record, describing the incident(s) in question. 

N1 PRIORITY – Intimidated Witnesses (IW)

Applicants with a family member cooperating in a criminal investigation/prosecution, where a member of the household has been threatened by a defendant or by a person associated with a defendant. Intimidated Applicants will not be offered an apartment near the residence in which they resided at that time of the incident. To qualify for this priority, the applicant must be referred directly to the Housing Authority from the District Attorney’s Office. 

• Certified N0, N1 and W0 Public Housing Applications

This chart displays the number of certified emergency priority (N0, N1 and W0) applications waiting to be reached for an apartment offer and the current certification date that is being reached. 

Applicants are offered apartments based on highest priority and oldest certification date. Therefore, “N0” priority applications will be offered apartments before “N1” priority applications. “W0” priority applications will be offered apartments before “W1” applications. 

• Zip Code Exclusions 

Applicants who are eligible for the N1 priority as a VDV have the option, when certified, to be placed on a NYCHA-wide waiting list 

that includes developments in all five boroughs. Alternatively, an applicant can select a borough-specific waiting list, where they can choose to be placed on the waiting list for a single borough. 

Applicants eligible for VDV priority can also exclude areas in which they would not feel safe by selecting up to two zip codes to exclude from NYCHA’s apartment selection process. 

N4 PRIORITY -- Residing in Sub--Standard Conditions or Rent Hardship

Families who are homeless, involuntarily displaced, living in substandard housing, doubled-up or overcrowded in private housing, paying more than 50% of family gross income for rent, legally doubled-up and overcrowded in NYCHA public housing or victim of a hate or bias crime. 

Verification of these priorities will either be requested or confirmed during the eligibility processing of the application. 

N8 PRIORITY -- No Need--Based Preference

Families, who do not qualify for need-based Preference and are not renting a New York City Housing Authority public housing or Section 8 apartment. 

Families who do not live or work in New York City. 

N9 PRIORITY

Applicant or co-applicant who is the lessee or co-lessee at either a New York City Housing Authority public housing or Section 8 apartment.

WORKING FAMILY PREFERENCES 

You must live or work in NYC to qualify for working family priority.

W0 Priority

Homeless families with children referred by Department of Homeless Services (DHS) that meets definition of working family as described in W1 to W3. 

• Certified N0, N1 and W0 Public Housing Applications

This chart displays the number of certified emergency priority (N0, N1 and W0) applications waiting to be reached for an apartment offer and the current certification date that is being reached. Applicants are offered apartments based on highest priority and oldest certification date. Therefore, “N0” priority applications will be offered apartments before “N1” priority applications. “W0” priority applications will be offered apartments before “W1” applications. 

W1 Priority

Family incomes ranging from 51% to 80% of the area median income 

W2 Priority

Family incomes ranging from 31% to 50% of area median income

W3 Priority

Family incomes ranging from none up to 30% of area median income

W9 Priority

Applicant or co-applicant who is the lessee or co-lessee at either a New York City Housing Authority public housing or Section 8 apartment. 

A “working family” shall mean: Where income is based on actual employment or if the head and spouse, or sole member, are age 62 or older or are receiving social security disability, supplemental security income disability benefits, or any other payments based on an individual’s inability to work. 

NOTE: “Working families” who do not live or work in New York City will not be assigned any working family priority. 

Your working priority will be determined based your family size and your family area median income (AMI), as indicated below: 

Family	W3 Priority	W2 Priority	W1 Priority
Size	0% to 30% of AMI	31% to 50% of AMI	51% to 80% of AMI
1	$0-$32,650	$32,651-$54,350	$54,351-$87,100
2	$0-$37,300	$37,301-$62,150	$62,151-$99,550
3	$0-$41,950	$41,951-$69,900	$69,901-$111,950
4	$0-$46,600	$46,601-$77,650	$77,651-$124,400
5	$0-$50,350	$50,351-$83,850	$83,851-$134,350
6	$0-$54,100	$54,101-$90,050	$90,051-$144,300
7	$0-$57,800	$57,801-$96,300	$96,301-$154,250
8	$0-$61,550	$61,551-$102,500	$102,501-$164,200
9	$0-$65,250	$65,251-$108,700	$108,701-$174,150
10	$0-$69,000	$69,001-$114,950	$114,951-$184,100