Income based apartments in Rochester, New York: how to apply

Income based apartments in Rochester, New York have rents set from your income, or lower rents for households under an income limit, the most a household can earn and still qualify. Apply to the Rochester Housing Authority (the local housing office) when its list for your size of apartment opens. Also join waitlists, lines for the next free apartment, at buildings on the state's housing search site.

What kinds of income-based apartments does Rochester have?

Rochester has four kinds, and you apply to each in a different place.

A tax-credit building is a private building whose owner gets a federal tax break for keeping rents low for households under an income limit. Mitchell-Lama buildings are privately owned buildings for middle-income households that the state oversees.

How do you apply for Rochester public housing?

You apply online on the housing office's apply page, but only for a bedroom size whose waitlist is open. The housing office opens and closes its public housing lists one bedroom size at a time. It posts each change on that page, often weeks ahead, with the date and time. To see which New York lists are taking names today, check our New York waitlists page.

1. Check the apply page for the bedroom sizes that are open. The Section 8 voucher list is separate.
2. Apply online. If you can't, call (585) 697-7180, extension 105, and ask for a paper application by mail.
3. Keep your confirmation number, but don't count on it. It only shows that you applied. If the housing office adds you to a list, it sends you a letter within 10 days.
4. Check your place by calling the Waiting List Status Inquiry Line at (585) 697-7574.

What about Section 8 and project-based vouchers in Rochester?

The Rochester Housing Authority also runs the Housing Choice Voucher program, also called Section 8. A voucher pays part of your rent at a private landlord you choose in its area. You can join its voucher list only when the list opens. Watch the housing office's voucher page, or check our New York waitlists page for lists taking names today. Your household's income must be at or under the very low income limit in the table below. You pay about 30% of your income toward rent and utilities, and the housing office pays the landlord the rest.

The housing office sets a voucher limit, officially the payment standard, for each home size. It is the highest rent plus utilities a home can have while you pay only about 30% of your income. If a home costs more, you pay the extra too. When you first rent a home with the voucher, your share can't be more than 40% of your monthly income after deductions.

A project-based voucher lowers the rent on one apartment in a particular building while you live there. Each building keeps its own list, so you get an application from the building itself. The housing office posts lists of these buildings, including some for people 55 or older or with disabilities. After a year in one, you may be able to get a regular voucher that you can take to a home you choose.

What are the 2026 income limits in the Rochester area?

In 2026, one person can earn up to $22,500 at the extremely low level, $37,450 at the very low level and $59,950 at the low level, and the limits rise with household size. Most buildings set their income limits as a share of the area median income, the middle income in the area: half of households earn more, and half earn less. HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, set the 2026 median family income at $107,000 for the Rochester area: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans and Wayne counties. These are HUD's 2026 limits, which took effect May 1, 2026:

HUD sets the extremely low limit at 60% of the very low limit, or the federal poverty guideline if that is higher. For four people, 60% of $53,500 is $32,100, but the poverty guideline is higher, so the limit is $33,000. Federal rules say at least 75% of the households a housing office newly gives vouchers to each year must be at or under that limit. So if your income is above it, expect a longer wait for a voucher.

For public housing, the housing office's own page lists general maximums of $58,200 for one person and $83,100 for four, a little under HUD's 2026 low income limits. It says limits vary by building. Ask which limit applies to the building you want.

An example. A household of three earns $45,000 a year. That is under the very low limit of $48,150, so it can apply for a voucher when the list opens. It also fits buildings set at 50% of the median or higher. It is above the extremely low limit of $28,900, so it may wait longer for a voucher.

How do you find other income-based buildings in Rochester?

Use New York State's housing search site, NYS Housing Search, which lists lotteries, random drawings for apartments, and waitlists for buildings the state helped pay for. The state says you create one account there and reuse your profile for several applications. Each listing names its income range, who the homes are for and how to apply. Mitchell-Lama applicants also use it to check their place on a list.

Join the lists at several buildings that fit your household, because each list moves on its own.

What does it cost to apply?

A housing office can't charge you to apply for public housing, a Section 8 voucher or a project-based voucher. For other rentals, New York law lets a landlord charge only for a background or credit check: no more than $20 or the actual cost, whichever is less. The landlord must give you a copy of the check and the receipt. If you bring a check done in the past 30 days, the landlord can't charge you at all.

• Never pay to join a public list. HUD's inspector general warns that fake waitlist announcements spread on social media to collect money and personal details.
• Use the phone number on the housing office's own website, not one from an ad.
• Walk away from rushed payments. The Federal Trade Commission says fake rental ads ask for wire transfers or gift cards and pressure you to pay fast.

What should you do next?

Check the housing office's apply page for the bedroom size you need, and join the lists of several buildings on the state's site. See open listings in the area on our Upstate New York page, and use our qualify check to see which fit your household's size and income. Gather your papers first, using our list of what to bring, and keep your place on the public housing waitlist by answering every letter.