Candida Carela of the Concourse section of the Bronx said after applying last Monday to be considered for Section 8 Housing she's been getting more and more exciting about the possibility of moving.

"I'm going to be so happy because, you know, rent here is too expensive," Carela said. "You have to pay a lot of money every month.”

What You Need To Know

  • NYCHA has received more than 609,000 applications for its Section 8 housing voucher program

  • The one-week application window marked the first time in 15 years NYCHA accepted applications for the program

  • Eligibility is determined by family size and income

Since enrollment opened on Monday, June 3, NYCHA said more than 609,000 people have applied, in the hopes of being one of the 200,000 applicants who will be randomly selected for placement on a waitlist. NYCHA’s numbers were from Sunday, June 9, around 8 p.m.

The limited one-week window for people to submit an application marked the first time in 15 years that NYCHA has allowed people from low-income and moderate-income households to apply for a voucher to go towards rent in the private market.

Daniel Carrasco lives at the Fulton Houses in Chelsea. He was disheartened to learn that his income, working overnights as a stock person at the Home Depot, placed him just over the threshold of being eligible for the waitlist.

"It's terrible," said Carrasco. "It stinks because I feel like I'm in the close to it, close to getting Section 8. But you got to make a certain amount, and then you don't qualify.”

NYCHA officials said eligibility for a voucher is determined by family size and income, which can range from $54,000 for an individual, to $77,000 for a family of four.

Voucher holders typically pay 30% of their income on rent, while the housing subsidy covers the rest.

NYCHA said the new waitlist is expected to be established by August 1. Once it's established, officials hope to issue around 1,000 vouchers each month.