Section-8 Waitlist Assistance Opens Tomorrow at BPJCC

by M.C. Millman 

After a close to 15-year closure, the New York City Housing Authority will reopen the Section 8 waitlist this Monday, June 3. While the application can be filled out on your own, Boro Parkers will be able to receive assistance free of charge at the BPJCC, where expanded, knowledgeable staff will be standing by to assist Boro Parkers in applying to receive one of the nearly 200,000 highly coveted, federally-backed rental vouchers.

The Section-8 application will only be available for one week from Monday, June 3 through Sunday, June 9 at 11:59 p.m. New York City will use a lottery system to select 200,000 households for the Section 8 waitlist. As such, it will not matter what day your application is submitted, as all applicants will have an equal opportunity to qualify, given that the lottery process will not begin until after the application closes on Sunday, June 9. 

"Unfortunately, we have seen misleading opportunists working to scam the public through bogus advertising, claiming to have techniques that can cut the line," Avi Greenstein, BPJCC CEO, tells BoroPark24. "Of course, they charge for their "services". The truth is even if you're the last person on the last day who fills out an application, you have as much of a chance of winning one of the 200,000 slots as the family who applied first on Monday morning. And those who need assistance need only come to the BPJCC where our qualified staff is ready and able to assist at no charge."

Heads of household must be at least 18 years old to qualify. One family member must be a U.S. citizen or a non-citizen with an eligible immigration status. Households must earn at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income. A single individual cannot make more than $54,350 annually, while a family of three's gross income cannot exceed $69,900.

The following information is required to complete the application.

• Email address
• Household information for all family members: Legal first, middle, and last name
• Date of Birth
• Social Security number for each family member
• Family Size
• Total annual gross income for the entire household

Once the application period is over, 200,000 eligible households will be selected through a fair and transparent lottery system. These households will then be added to the waitlist, joining the 3,759 households currently waiting. NYCHA will issue 1,000 vouchers each month until the maximum distribution is reached. This process ensures equal opportunities for all applicants. 

Households that are chosen through the lottery and who receive NYCHA-issued Section 8 vouchers have 180 days to find a Section 8 apartment and submit a rental packet to the authority for approval.

Visit the BPJCC - 1310 46th Street - no appointments necessary.