Fair Shot Housing

Housing lottery guides: how the draw and odds work

A lottery is a random drawing of names, and winning only starts the review. Start with how housing lotteries work.

  • Applying

    How to apply for the NYC housing lottery: a step-by-step guide

    To apply for the NYC housing lottery, make a free profile on NYC Housing Connect, then apply before the deadline to each lottery your income and household size fit. Every on-time application gets a random log number, its place in line. If yours is reached, the building's agent asks for documents to confirm you qualify.

    8 min read

  • Basics

    How do housing lotteries work? Steps, odds and what's open

    A housing lottery is a random drawing that sets the order in which applicants are checked for an affordable home when more people apply than there are homes. Being drawn is not an approval. The building then verifies your income and household with documents before it offers you a unit.

    7 min read