New York Section 8 2026: Income Limits and Wait Lists

A Section 8 voucher isn't a grant or a cash payment. It's rent help paid straight to your landlord, and applying is free. In New York you apply to a housing agency: NYCHA or HPD in the five boroughs, NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) statewide, or a local housing authority. For how the program works nationally, see the Section 8 housing guide.

New York Section 8 Income Limits for 2026 by Metro Area

New York has 41 separate HUD income limit areas, so the same family can qualify in Manhattan and be over the limit in Buffalo. According to HUD's FY2026 income limits file, the 4-person very low income limit runs from $44,950 in Allegany County to $84,800 in New York City and Westchester County. These are the very low income (50%) limits, the general cutoff to be admitted to the voucher program:

And these are the extremely low income (30%) limits. Under federal rules, at least 75% of the families each agency admits from its voucher list every year must be at or under these numbers:

Source: HUD FY2026 income limits (opens in a new tab), effective May 1, 2026. New York City covers the five boroughs plus Putnam and Rockland counties; Nassau-Suffolk is Long Island. Look up any other county in HUD's FY2026 income limits documentation system (opens in a new tab).

Notice the repeated figures in the upstate columns. The 30% limit can't drop below the HHS poverty guideline, so a Rochester or Buffalo family of four uses $33,000 instead of a lower 30%-of-median number. Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 file found that floor sets the 4-person extremely low income limit in 42 of New York's 62 county and town rows.

Income means gross yearly income for everyone in the household, counted the way HUD counts it. For the national rules and every other state, see the HUD income limits guide.

How a Section 8 Voucher Works in New York: Your 30% Share and the Payment Standard

You'd usually pay 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities, and the agency pays the rest up to its payment standard. HUD's Housing Choice Voucher tenant page (opens in a new tab) says agencies can also set a minimum rent "typically between $25 and $50 per month," with a hardship exemption if you can't pay it.

The payment standard is the most the agency will count toward a unit of your size. Agencies set it between 90% and 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR) without special approval. For New York City:

According to NYCHA's payment standards page (opens in a new tab), its schedule is based on HUD's FMR for each unit size, and its 2026 standards run from $2,604 for a studio to $4,077 for a 4-bedroom on new rentals. Grantsights analysis of those figures puts NYCHA's 2-bedroom new-rental standard at 103.0% of the FY2026 FMR and 100.9% of the FY2027 FMR that took effect on October 1, 2026, according to HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent notice (opens in a new tab).

Three more federal rules shape what New Yorkers pay:

• The 40% cap at move-in. If you pick a unit that rents above the payment standard, your share can't go over 40% of adjusted monthly income when you first lease it.
• 75% to the lowest incomes. At least three of every four new admissions must be extremely low income, which is why a family near the 50% line can wait much longer.
• Local preferences. Agencies rank their lists by preferences in their administrative plans. HPD, for example, takes applications only in categories such as homeless households and families displaced by HPD-funded renovation work.

New York Section 8 Waiting Lists: What's Open on November 12, 2026

None of the four New York general voucher lists this guide checked was open to the public on November 12, 2026. Here's what each agency's own page said that day:

NYCHA's page says applicants who weren't issued vouchers went back to their original waitlist positions and that it "has not removed applicants from the waitlist." It still processes referrals for VASH (veterans) and Stability Vouchers. At HPD, vouchers make up 80% of the agency's rental assistance, and it serves more than 39,000 households across the five boroughs. HPD's Stability Vouchers also come only through referrals from the NYC Continuum of Care and its providers, according to HPD's Section 8 overview (opens in a new tab).

How to Apply for Section 8 in New York

Applications in New York go to one of about four kinds of agencies, and each runs its own list. Being on NYCHA's list doesn't put you on HCR's.

1. Find who serves your address. In the five boroughs that's NYCHA, HPD (referral only) and HCR's Subsidy Services Bureau. Outside the city, HCR's page lists a local administrator for each county, and many cities and towns run their own authority. HUD's public housing agency contact list (opens in a new tab) names them all.
2. Watch for an opening. HCR posts open lists in its MyHousing Portal at section8.hcr.ny.gov. Rochester Housing Authority posts openings on its apply page. Openings are often short, sometimes a week or two.
3. Submit one pre-application per list. It costs $0 at every New York agency named here and is usually online. Write down your confirmation number.
4. Claim every preference that fits you, such as homelessness, a disability, veteran status or local residency, if the agency offers them. Preferences decide order more than date does at many agencies.
5. Keep your address, phone and email current. NYCHA asks applicants to update the Self-Service Portal, and HCR applicants use MyHousing. A returned letter can cost you your place.
6. When you're selected, you'll be screened for income and eligibility, then briefed and issued a voucher with a deadline to find a unit.

The Grantsights eligibility checker points to official programs you might look into while you wait. It doesn't decide eligibility or put anyone on a list.

Worked Examples: What You'd Pay in New York City, Rochester and Buffalo

The 30% math is the same everywhere in New York; the payment standard and the rent are what change. These examples are hypothetical and leave out deductions for dependents, medical costs and child care, which would lower each share a bit.

For example, one applicant in Brooklyn, a parent of two with $2,400 a month in adjusted income, would pay about $720 (30% of $2,400). In a 2-bedroom renting for $2,950 including utilities, under NYCHA's $2,997 new-rental standard, NYCHA would pay about $2,230 and the family $720. If the family chose a $3,200 unit instead, they'd owe $720 plus the $203 above the standard, or $923. That's 38.5% of income, under the 40% move-in cap of $960, so it could be approved.

A single parent with one child in Rochester earning $1,800 a month would pay about $540. HUD's FY2027 2-bedroom FMR for the Rochester metro is $1,416, so if the local payment standard sat at 100% of FMR, the voucher would cover up to about $876 of a unit renting at that level. The family's income of $21,600 a year is under the Rochester 30% limit of $25,700 for two, so they'd count toward the 75% group.

A family of four in Buffalo earning $52,000 a year is $1,250 over the Buffalo very low income limit of $50,750 and wouldn't be eligible for a new voucher. In Nassau County, the same family would be under the $82,150 limit.

What HUD Doesn't Tell You About Section 8 in New York

Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 and FY2027 Fair Market Rent files and the New York agency pages found 5 things you won't see on a federal summary:

1. "Waiting list" can mean frozen. NYCHA's list hasn't just been closed to new names. Issuance from it has been paused since August 1, 2025. Being on a closed list isn't the same as moving up it.
2. Rochester's FMR dropped. The 2-bedroom FMR for the Rochester metro fell from $1,573 in FY2026 to $1,416 in FY2027, a 10.0% cut, while Buffalo's rose 6.0% (from $1,343 to $1,423) and New York City's rose 2.1%. When an agency lowers its payment standard, current tenants usually keep the old one until their second regular reexamination, but new voucher holders search under the lower number.
3. New York City's FMR rests on a local survey. HUD's FY2027 notice says it used 2024 survey data to set FMRs for the New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area, one of a handful of places nationwide it treats that way.
4. Moving with your voucher has a catch. If you didn't live in an agency's area when you applied, you'll usually have to lease there for 12 months before you can port your voucher elsewhere, according to HUD's voucher rules. A NYCHA voucher can move to Long Island or out of state later, but the receiving agency's payment standard applies.
5. The payment standard isn't a rent ceiling. HUD's tenant page says plainly that "the payment standard is not a rent limit." You can rent above it if you'll pay the difference and stay within the 40% move-in cap, but in a tight market a unit priced well above the standard usually won't pass.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake is applying once and then moving or changing phone numbers without telling the agency. NYCHA and HCR both put the burden on you to keep contact details current, and a list purge letter sent to an old address can end years of waiting.

Other mistakes New York applicants make:

• Assuming one list covers New York State. NYCHA, HPD, HCR and each local authority keep separate lists.
• Using take-home pay. Limits use gross household income before taxes.
• Using the New York City limit upstate. A family of four is capped at $50,750 in Buffalo, not $84,800.
• Signing a lease before inspection. The agency must approve the unit and the rent first.
• Underestimating the wait. Plan other housing help for years, not months.

Red flags for scams: real Section 8 applications in New York are free, so avoid anyone who asks for money. HCR's page says it and its local administrators "will NEVER request" that a family send payments directly to them. Watch for:

• Websites that sell "Section 8 lottery" sign-ups, guaranteed placement or a faster spot.
• Facebook posts, texts or calls saying you've been "selected" and must pay a fee or give your Social Security number by message.
• Sites that look official but don't end in nyc.gov, ny.gov or the housing authority's own address.

The FTC's Section 8 scam alert (opens in a new tab) explains how fake waitlist sites work. To check that a list is real, find the agency in HUD's contact list and go to its site yourself.

Other Help for New Yorkers While You Wait

If your income is under the 30% lines above ($45,850 for a family of three in New York City), look at other help while a voucher list is closed. For back rent or a deposit, see the rental assistance programs guide and the emergency cash assistance guide. Food help through SNAP is covered in the New York food stamps guide, and health coverage in the New York Medicaid income limits guide. If you've lost a job, the New York unemployment benefits guide covers weekly amounts and how to file.

Living near a state line? The New Jersey Section 8 guide covers Newark, Jersey City and the state DCA list, and the Florida Section 8 guide covers Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

FAQ: New York Section 8

What is the Section 8 income limit for a family of four in New York? It depends on the county. HUD's FY2026 very low income limit is $84,800 in New York City, $82,150 on Long Island, $61,550 in the Albany area, $53,500 in Rochester and $50,750 in Buffalo.

Is any Section 8 list open in New York right now? None of the general voucher lists checked for this guide was open on November 12, 2026. Check HCR's MyHousing Portal and your local authority's site for new openings.

Can I be on more than one list? Yes. You can apply to every list that's open and serves where you'd live, and you should keep each one updated.

What happens if I'm selected but my income went up? NYCHA's page says applicants must be income-eligible at the time a voucher is issued, so your income is checked again then.

Sources

• HUD USER, FY2026 income limits (opens in a new tab) and FY2026 documentation system (opens in a new tab), effective May 1, 2026
• HUD USER, Fair Market Rents (opens in a new tab), FY2026 and FY2027 files
• HUD, FY2027 Fair Market Rent notice (opens in a new tab) (effective October 1, 2026)
• HUD, Housing Choice Voucher tenant page (opens in a new tab)
• HUD, public housing agency contacts (opens in a new tab)
• NYCHA, Section 8 applicants (opens in a new tab) and payment standards (opens in a new tab)
• NYC HPD, Section 8 eligibility (opens in a new tab) and about Section 8 (opens in a new tab)
• NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Section 8 HCV program (opens in a new tab)
• Rochester Housing Authority, apply page (opens in a new tab)
• FTC, Section 8 scam alert (opens in a new tab)

All figures checked November 12, 2026.