How housing lotteries and waitlists work

Cities give out affordable apartments by lottery, by waitlist or first come, first served.

Here is how each one works, so you can enter every one that fits you.

Why Rentmaxxer?

The squeeze

22.7 million US renter households paid over 30% of their income for housing in 2024. That is a record (Harvard JCHS).

Since January 2020, typical asking rent is up 39%. Pay is up 29% (Zillow, BLS).

In 80 yearly checks since 1941, the government's rent index never fell (BLS).

Economists call this a K-shaped economy. Homeowners hold a median $458,900 in net worth. Renters hold $10,600 (Federal Reserve).

Rent only goes one way. A housing lottery is how a renter locks theirs.

Lock in your rent

A lottery rent is set by rule, not by the market.

New York. Rent-stabilized units rise only by the Rent Guidelines Board percent: 3% for a one-year lease in 2025-26, 0% for leases starting October 2026 to September 2027. Income is checked only at move-in (tax-credit units differ). For life? Yes, if the building is stabilized and you keep the lease. Check the listing.
San Francisco (below-market homes). You recertify income every year. Rent can rise up to about 4% a year, never faster than AMI. For life? Yes, until your income passes 200% of AMI.
Los Angeles. The building's covenant caps rent by AMI. The city checks yearly. For life? For the covenant's term. Ask the property how long.
Chicago. CHA rent is about 30% of your income, so it rises when you earn more. For life? Not if you stay above 120% of AMI for two years.

What you'd be winning

A 5% bond on $1,000,000 pays $50,000 a year, about $4,167 a month. A lease that saves you money pays the same way.

Formula: monthly saving x 12 / 0.05.

Monthly saving and the 5% bond that pays the same
You save each month	Same as a 5% bond of
$1,000	$240,000
$2,000	$480,000
$3,000	$720,000
$4,000	$960,000

Better than a bond: most bond interest is taxed. Rent you do not spend is not income. Worse: you keep it only while you hold the lease. You cannot sell it, and it passes to family only under strict rules.

October 2026, one bedroom, market (Zumper) against our listings:

New York: $4,700 against $1,632. About $3,070 a month.
San Francisco: $4,413 against $1,587. About $2,830.
Los Angeles: $2,050 against $762 at 30% AMI. About $1,290. At 80% AMI the rent is $2,247: no saving.
Chicago: CHA charges 30% of income. At $40,000, that is about $1,000 against $2,300.

How long it takes, and is it worth $9.99 a month?

How long does it take?

Plan on months, sometimes a year or two, and on applying to every lottery that fits.

New York: HPD says "a year or longer" to hear, and sometimes you do not. One Bronx building drew about 70,000 applications for 180 homes and took 27 months to fill (NY Housing Conference).
San Francisco: results post about two weeks after the deadline. Calls start 3 weeks to a year later.
Los Angeles: first-come homes go to whoever applies first. No citywide timeline is posted.
Chicago: CHA lists run years, often 10 or more. 202 of 344 properties say "over 25 years" for studios and 1-bedrooms.

Once picked, New York gives you at least 10 weekdays to send papers. San Francisco gives about 5 business days.

What you would watch yourself

To do this alone you would track five sites: NYC Housing Connect, New York State's HCR Housing Search (with Mitchell-Lama), San Francisco's DAHLIA, Los Angeles's Access Housing LA and Chicago's CHA property list. Add each city's PDFs and email lists.

Each has its own sign-in, income tables and deadlines. In most months of 2026 a typical New York lottery stayed open about three weeks, so a monthly check misses some.

Every lottery is a separate draw. Entering 12 instead of 2 gives you about six times the chance of winning at least one. Each chance stays small. Nothing is guaranteed.

Is it worth $9.99 a month?

$9.99 a month is $120 a year. One month of a $1,000 saving covers over eight years of that. The saving repeats every year you keep the lease.

Applying is free on the official sites, and Rentmaxxer never charges you to apply. We charge for finding, matching, alerts and plain explanations across four cities: one list, checked several times a day, an email when a new one fits you, and the units table decoded, so you can apply the same day.

We do not apply for you. We never ask for your SSN or documents.

If it gets you one apartment one year sooner, it has paid for itself many times over.

New programs, far more applicants

Supply is growing. New York's 485-x program and City of Yes (December 2024) allow more regulated homes. New York advertised 13,141 rental units in 2025. Measure ULA has funded Los Angeles housing since 2023. Chicago's ARO rule has produced over 2,000 units.

Demand is larger. In 2024, New York got about 6 million applications for about 10,000 units: 600 for each.

This year is slower: 5,627 New York units advertised by October 21, against 10,365 by the same date in 2025.

The arithmetic: a closed lottery never reopens. A month without entries is a month of draws you can never win later. Start now and enter everything that fits.

How lotteries and waitlists work

The three kinds: lottery, waitlist, first come

Lottery. You apply before a deadline. A computer then puts everyone in random order. The day you apply does not change your place. People with a preference go first. New York and San Francisco work this way.
Waitlist. You join a line. At CHA in Chicago the line runs by preference, then by the date you applied. Waits can be years.
First come, first served. The property reviews complete applications in the order it gets them. Los Angeles lists 16 of these today.

Do this: read the type on the listing. For a lottery, apply before the deadline. For first come, apply today.

What AMI means

AMI is Area Median Income: the middle income in a metro area, set each year by HUD for a family of four. One person gets 70% of that. Two get 80%.

An "N% AMI" home is for incomes up to N% of AMI for your household size.

Example, one person, New York, 2026. 100% AMI is $118,800. So 60% AMI is $71,280. A real listing agrees: its 60% studio allows one person up to $71,280, and its 40% studio up to $47,520.

Income limit at 80% of AMI for one person, 2026
80% AMI, one person, 2026	Income limit
New York	$95,040
San Francisco	$90,750
Los Angeles	$93,300
Chicago	$68,050

Do this: use the dollar limits on the listing. They differ by city.

Reading a listing's units table

Housing Connect's Available Units & Requirements table has a row for each unit type and AMI tier:

Unit size, AMI tier, monthly rent, units available.
Asset limit: the most savings you can hold. It equals the four-person income limit at that tier.
Household size and income, minimum to maximum.

The minimum comes from the rent. The HPD Handbook sets it at 35% of the gross annual rent: roughly (rent + utilities) x 12, divided by 0.35. A $950 studio lists a $39,018 minimum. People with a voucher skip the minimum. The maximum depends on household size.

Do this: check your income and savings against every row, not only the first.

Preferences and set-asides

A preference moves you ahead of the draw. A set-aside holds homes for a group.

New York: people with disabilities 5% (mobility) and 2% (sight or hearing). Community board residents 20%. City workers and veterans 10%. City residents go before non-residents.
San Francisco: Certificate of Preference holders first. Then displaced tenants (up to 20% of units), neighbors (up to 40%), and anyone who lives or works in the city. Veterans move up inside a group. No preference ranks last.
Los Angeles: no citywide preference. Some buildings are for seniors or people with disabilities.
Chicago: CHA ranks disaster and domestic-violence victims, veterans, then homeless households.

Do this: claim every preference you hold. In San Francisco, one person is enough.

Your odds, honestly

In 2024, Housing Connect got about 6 million applications for about 10,000 units: 600 for each. HPD has said a new building averages about 16,000. One Bronx building drew about 70,000 for 180 homes.

Each lottery is its own draw, and one chance is small. Entering 12 instead of 2 gives about six times the chance of winning at least one. Nothing is guaranteed.

Being picked is not winning. In that Bronx building, 135 households moved in from 5,115 processed.

Do this: enter every lottery that fits your income and household size.

What happens if you're picked

Being picked means you must prove what you wrote.

Papers. New York gives at least 10 weekdays, then 5 more to fix gaps. San Francisco gives about 5 business days. Expect ID, pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, proof of address and preference papers.
Checks. Credit and background checks come next. New York caps the fee at $20.
Approval. The agency reviews your file before you sign. New York gives you 5 weekdays to answer an offer.
Chicago. CHA asks for papers only when you reach the top and a home is free.

Do this: keep one folder of these papers ready before you apply.

Mistakes that get people disqualified

Applying twice to one lottery. New York and San Francisco allow one application per household.
Sending one online form and one paper form for the same lottery.
Leaving your Housing Connect profile unfinished: no profile, no log number.
Missing a paper deadline, or not answering the agency.
Changing your household after your number comes up, with no proof.
Giving wrong income or savings. A false statement can end your application.
In San Francisco, using preference papers over 45 days old.
Owning a home within 100 miles of New York City.

Do this: one clean application per household, papers ready, phone and email watched.

City by city

New York City

HPD and HDC run Housing Connect. Open lotteries last about three weeks. Applying is free: one application per household. Random log numbers come a few weeks after the deadline. The income minimum comes from the rent, the maximum from AMI. Expect a year or longer to hear.

San Francisco

MOHCD runs DAHLIA. Applying is free and takes about 15 minutes. A random draw ranks everyone, then preference groups move up. Results post about two weeks after the deadline. The minimum income is about 2 times the rent. There is no minimum credit score.

Los Angeles

LAHD's Access Housing LA lists lotteries, waitlists and 16 first-come buildings among 261 listings. For first-come homes you apply with the property. Some post fees of $45 to $60. Rents at 80% to 120% AMI can sit near the market, so compare before you apply.

Chicago

CHA runs waitlists for public housing and project-based vouchers. Joining is free, any time. The line runs by preference, then date applied. Rent is about 30% of income. Waits are years. The voucher list is closed.

Questions people ask

Can I apply if I don't live in the city?

Yes in all four. New York ranks residents first and sets aside 20% of units for the local community board and 10% for city workers and veterans. San Francisco ranks people who live or work there first. Los Angeles lists no residency rule. CHA has no citywide residency rule.

Do I need to be a US citizen?

Not for New York lotteries: the city may not ask. San Francisco leasing agents do not ask unless the building is HUD-funded. At CHA, at least one household member must be a citizen or have eligible status. Los Angeles depends on the property.

Can students apply?

Yes. Tax-credit buildings cannot rent to households made up only of full-time students, with exceptions. In New York, student loans are not income. In San Francisco, only $480 of a dependent student's income counts. CHA's voucher-type lists follow a HUD rule that can bar some unmarried students under 24.

I'm a veteran. Does that help?

Yes, in three cities. Since November 2025, New York holds 10% of homes in new lotteries for city workers and veterans. San Francisco moves veterans up inside a preference group, if you hold one. CHA ranks veterans third on family waitlists. Los Angeles has no city preference. At some buildings, HUD-VASH voucher holders skip the minimum income.

Does bad credit or an old eviction disqualify me?

Rarely by itself. New York cannot reject on score alone, only for over $5,000 in open debts (medical and student debt excluded), and bans Housing Court history. San Francisco has no minimum score and looks back two years. Los Angeles buildings post their own rules. CHA denies an eviction for non-payment within two years.

What counts as income?

Count pay before tax, Social Security, SSI, SSDI, VA benefits, pensions, unemployment, child support and regular gifts. If you are self-employed, count what you keep after costs. Skip one-time payments, student loans and SNAP. San Francisco lets you count non-taxed income at 125%. CHA skips VA aid-and-attendance and back pay.

Can I apply to more than one lottery?

Yes, and you should. Each lottery takes one application per household; a second for the same lottery can disqualify you. In New York, accepting a home means you drop your other applications. At CHA you can join several waitlists, but pick one public housing property group.

How long will this take?

Plan on months, sometimes a year or two, and on applying to every lottery that fits. New York says "a year or longer." San Francisco posts results in about two weeks, then calls take 3 weeks to a year. CHA lists run years.

How long until I hear back?

New York: a year or longer, and sometimes never. San Francisco: results in about two weeks. Los Angeles first-come homes go fast. CHA: often 10 or more years. Check your Housing Connect dashboard, your DAHLIA account and your email.

What if my income changes after I apply?

Update your profile. In New York, changes flow to any application whose number has not come up. After that, a change that affects eligibility can end it unless it is outside your control and documented. San Francisco uses your income at lease-up. CHA wants changes reported, or it can remove you.

Is there a fee?

Entering is free on Housing Connect, DAHLIA and CHA. Later steps can cost money: New York caps a credit check at $20, and some Los Angeles first-come buildings post $45 to $60. Anyone who charges to apply or to move you up a list is not an agency.

Do I have to take the apartment if I win?

No. The cost of saying no differs. New York gives you at least 5 weekdays to answer and drops your other applications if you accept. In San Francisco a late answer can lose the unit. At CHA, refusing without good cause removes you from the list.

Can my family size change?

Edit your profile before your number comes up. After that, New York allows documented changes such as a birth, death, separation, custody order or domestic violence. San Francisco does not count unborn children. CHA adds births and adoptions after move-in.

Will there be more lotteries?

Probably, but not every year. New York approved City of Yes (82,000 homes over 15 years) and 485-x. It advertised 13,141 rental units in 2025 but 5,627 by October 21, 2026, against 10,365 a year earlier. Each new building runs its own lottery.

Why should I pay when applying is free?

Applying is free on the official sites, and Rentmaxxer never charges you to apply. We charge for finding, matching, alerts and plain explanations across four cities, so you do not have to watch five sites. We do not apply for you.

Glossary

AMI: Area Median Income: the middle income in a metro area, set by HUD.
Asset limit: The most savings and property you can hold.
First come, first served: Homes go to the earliest complete applications.
Gross income: Pay before taxes.
Household: Everyone who will live in the home.
Log number: Your random place in a New York lottery.
Minimum income: The least income you must show.
Preference: A rule that puts a group ahead in a lottery.
Recertification: A yearly check of income and household.
Rent stabilization: A rule that caps yearly rent increases.
Set-aside: Homes held for a group, such as people with disabilities.
Waitlist: A list you join when no home is open.

Where this comes from

New York: HPD-HDC Marketing Handbook (April 2026), Housing Connect FAQ, HPD AMI page, Rent Guidelines Board Order 58.
San Francisco: MOHCD lottery pages and manuals, SF Planning applicant guide (April 2026).
Los Angeles: Access Housing LA, LAHD 2026 income and rent schedule.
Chicago: CHA "Do I Qualify for Housing?" and CHA's Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy.
National: HUD income-limit method, Harvard JCHS, Zillow, BLS, Federal Reserve.

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