I Pay $1,000 a Month To Live in a Luxury Apartment in NYC — How Housing Lotteries Work
Written by
Emily Fowler
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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According to Zillow’s June 2024 Rental Market Report, U.S. rents now average $2,054, up 3.5% from last year, the fastest increase since last July. Though New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced record-breaking achievements in affordable housing through innovative programs, including the city’s housing lottery program, the report shared that New York is the second least affordable metro area for rent.
Living in a luxury apartment in New York City for just $1,000 a month might sound like a dream, but for Nkenge, it’s a reality thanks to the housing lottery. In a market where rents are skyrocketing and finding an affordable place seems nearly impossible, housing lotteries offer hope.
How Housing Lotteries Work
Eligible individuals or families apply for affordable rental units through a lottery system. After the application period ends, a random drawing selects applicants to be considered for available units, meaning everyone has an equal shot at rentals, regardless of their background.
Eligibility criteria vary, and preference is often given to applicants who meet certain criteria. Still, the lottery system helps make finding affordable rental housing more fair and unbiased. 10,000 households landed homes in NYC’s 2023 Housing Lottery, including Nkenge, though by the time she won, she’d applied to over 120 housing lotteries!
Winning the Housing Lottery
To qualify for the luxury one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, Nkenge had to meet the annual income requirements of between $36,798 and $59,340, and she had to pay the first month’s rent ($997) plus a security deposit ($997).
Market rents for one-bedroom apartments in her building are $5,903 to $8,153, and rent for her previous, one-bedroom but smaller, apartment was $1,910 per month – almost double what she’s paying now. If she renews after the two-year lease, her rent will increase by 5%.
The apartment came unfurnished, but that wasn’t an issue for Nkenge. “My rent being what it is made it very easy to furnish my apartment the way that I wanted to,” she said, “and not have to worry about the extra money that I would have had to pay.”
She believes affordable housing should be more accessible for everyone, particularly in areas with sky-high rents like New York. Programs like housing lotteries create opportunities and change lives, giving people access to a place they can call home and, according to Nkenge, “Have a better quality of life, be able to do the things that you love and accomplish the things that you want to accomplish.”
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