Is CityFHEPS Section 8? CityFHEPS vs Section 8 Explained
Quick answerNo. In New York City, as of October 2026, Section 8 is the federal Housing Choice Voucher, run by NYCHA, HPD and the state's HCR. CityFHEPS is a city rental supplement run by DSS/HRA for people in shelter or facing eviction. CityFHEPS pays up to the same amounts as a new NYCHA Section 8 lease ($2,997 for two bedrooms), but it has a five-year limit, stops at the state line, and cannot be combined with Section 8.
- $2,997two-bedroom maximum for CityFHEPS and for a new NYCHA Section 8 lease
- 30%share of income a household starts from in both programs
- 5 yearsCityFHEPS limit, with exemptions; Section 8 has none
- August 1, 2025NYCHA paused issuing vouchers from its waitlist
- 120 dayshow long a CityFHEPS shopping letter is valid
Are CityFHEPS and Section 8 the Same Program?
They are two separate programs that pay rent in a similar way. HRA itself describes CityFHEPS as "similar to the federal Section 8 program", not as part of it (DSS-7r).
| Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher) | CityFHEPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | NYCHA, HPD or NYS HCR, with federal money | NYC Department of Social Services (HRA and DHS) |
| Who it is for | Families at or below 50% of area median income | People in shelter, street homeless, or on one of four routes while housed, at or below 200% of the poverty level |
| Can you get it now | NYCHA's list is closed and issuance is paused. HPD takes referrals only | Yes, if DSS finds you eligible and funding continues |
| Two-bedroom maximum | NYCHA $2,997 on a new lease; HPD $3,027, more in its exception ZIP codes | $2,997 with all utilities included |
| Your share | 30% of adjusted income; up to 40% on a new lease above the standard | 30% of gross income, or the Cash Assistance shelter allowance if greater |
| Time limit | None while you stay eligible | Five years, with good-cause extensions and two exemptions |
| Where it works | Anywhere in the United States with a voucher program | Apartments anywhere in New York State; rooms and SROs in the five boroughs only |
| Unit check | Housing Quality Standards inspection | DSS preclearance and a walkthrough |
| Both at once | No | No |
What it means: the dollar ceiling is nearly the same, so the real differences are who can get in, how long it lasts and where it can go.
Sources: NYCHA About Section 8; NYCHA Section 8 Applicants; HPD Section 8 FAQ; DSS-7r; DSS-7n; DSS-8r; 24 CFR 982.352. All read October 4, 2026.
Each row is sourced in its own section below.
Who Runs Each Program
Three agencies run Section 8 in the city and one runs CityFHEPS, so the first question is whose name is on your paperwork.
- NYCHA (Section 8)the largest program, about 107,979 vouchers. Customer Contact Center 718-707-7771 (NYCHA).
- HPD (Section 8)serves over 39,000 households across its rental assistance programs, most of them Section 8 (HPD).
- NYS HCR (Section 8)the state agency also operates a program in the city, as NYCHA and HPD both note. Its site could not be checked on October 4, 2026.
- DSS/HRA (CityFHEPS)DSS includes both HRA and the Department of Homeless Services. "Only DSS can determine your eligibility" (DSS-7r).
NYCHA is an agency and Section 8 is one of the programs it runs, alongside public housing. For how the Section 8 agencies differ from each other, see HPD vs NYCHA Section 8.
Who Qualifies
Section 8 is an income test; CityFHEPS is an income test plus a housing emergency.
Section 8. A family must generally be "very low income", meaning at or below 50% of area median income (24 CFR 982.201). HUD's FY2026 limit for the New York area, effective May 1, 2026, is $59,400 for one person and $84,800 for four (HUD income limits). NYCHA's applicants page still posts the older $56,700 and $81,000. The full table is in the Section 8 income limits guide.
CityFHEPS. Every household needs all three of these, then one route below.
- Income. gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. A single adult working at least 35 hours a week at minimum wage can be above it.
- Cash Assistance. if you are eligible for it you must be receiving it, with no sanction on the case.
- No other program. you must not qualify for another rental assistance program, including FHEPS, and you must accept other benefits you are offered.
- In a DHS or HRA shelterplus one of seven factors, such as an adult working 10 hours a week for the last 30 days, a disability, a member aged 60 or older, or military service.
- Street homelessyou must be receiving services from a DHS contracted provider.
- Housed but at riska veteran at risk of homelessness, a Pathway Home household, a program referral, or an eviction case (or eviction in the past year) plus a prior DHS shelter stay, an Adult Protective Services case, or a rent-controlled apartment you will stay in.
What it means: a low income alone does not open CityFHEPS, and an eviction case alone does not either.
Source: DSS-7n (shelter and street, January 13, 2026) and DSS-7r (in the community, January 23, 2026).
Families with children on Cash Assistance are usually checked for the state program first; see FHEPS vs CityFHEPS.
How Much They Pay
CityFHEPS pays up to exactly what NYCHA allows on a new Section 8 lease, because HRA bases its amounts on "the Section 8 standard adopted by" NYCHA. HPD's Section 8 schedule is different.
View the data table
| Bedrooms | CityFHEPS | NYCHA Section 8, new rental | HPD Section 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,604 | $2,604 | $2,624 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,734 | $2,734 | $2,696 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,997 | $2,997 | $3,027 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,753 | $3,753 | $3,777 |
| 4 bedrooms | $4,077 | $4,077 | $4,070 |
What it means: against NYCHA the ceilings are identical, and against HPD they differ by $7 to $38 a month.
Source: DSS-8r; NYCHA Voucher Payment Standards; HPD Subsidy and Payment Standards, outside exception ZIP codes.
Three details change the comparison:
- Exception ZIP codes. NYCHA stopped using higher ZIP code amounts for new rentals and transfers on July 1, 2026. HPD still uses them, so an HPD voucher can pay more in some neighborhoods.
- Existing NYCHA tenants. NYCHA applies a higher schedule at annual recertification ($3,058 for two bedrooms).
- Other CityFHEPS units. An SRO is capped at $1,953 and a single room at $1,100. CityFHEPS packages submitted on or after March 1, 2026 must use the 2026 amounts.
HCR has not posted a New York City schedule. The full tables are in Section 8 payment standards in NYC and CityFHEPS payment standards.
What you pay
Both programs start from 30% of income, measured differently.
| Section 8 | CityFHEPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting share | Highest of 30% of adjusted monthly income, 10% of monthly income, the welfare rent or the minimum rent | 30% of total monthly gross income; for Cash Assistance households, that or the maximum shelter allowance, whichever is greater |
| Ceiling | On a new lease with rent above the standard, your share cannot pass 40% of adjusted monthly income | For households not on Cash Assistance, 40% of income if the rent is above the maximum and you can show you can pay it |
What it means: the percentage is the same, but Section 8 counts income after deductions and CityFHEPS counts gross income.
Sources: 24 CFR 5.628; 24 CFR 982.508; 68 RCNY 10-06 as printed in HRA's 2025 rule notice.
ExampleThese are made-up incomes. A Section 8 family with $2,000 in adjusted monthly income starts at $600 and could agree to at most $800 on a new lease. A CityFHEPS household with $2,000 in gross monthly income has a base contribution of $600.
One CityFHEPS rule is unsettled. HRA's 2025 rule raised the contribution to 40% for households with earned income who renew past their fifth year. Local Law 176 of 2025, enacted December 4, 2025, says the contribution "shall not exceed 30 percent". No HRA notice showing which applies today was found.
The Application Process
Neither program has an open public application in October 2026: Section 8 lists are closed or referral-only, and CityFHEPS starts with a caseworker.
- 1Already on NYCHA's Section 8 listkeep your contact details current on the Self-Service Portal. NYCHA says your position is unchanged and it will contact you when issuance resumes.
- 2In a DHS or HRA shelterask your housing specialist or case manager about CityFHEPS.
- 3Street homeless or in a drop-in centerwork with a DHS contracted provider.
- 4Housed but facing evictioncontact Homebase, the only way to apply from the community. Call 311 for the nearest office.
- 5None of theseno route into either program is open. See the options under "Which One Should You Try to Get?"
What it means: no case manager is not a dead end, because outside shelter the Homebase caseworker fills that role.
Source: NYCHA Section 8 Program Updates; DSS-7n; DSS-7r.
- December 10, 2009the last time the list was open to general applications before 2024.
- June 3 to 9, 2024NYCHA takes 633,808 online applications.
- August 1, 2024200,000 households are chosen by lottery for the new waitlist.
- August 1, 2025NYCHA pauses outreach and voucher issuance for the general waitlist. Nobody is removed.
- October 4, 2026the list is closed to new applicants and the pause "remains in effect".
What it means: being among the 200,000 does not produce a voucher until NYCHA restarts.
Source: NYCHA press release, August 1, 2024; NYCHA Section 8 Applicants; Program Updates.
NYCHA still takes referrals for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing and Stability Vouchers. HPD accepts applications only from people in certain HPD-assisted buildings and from homeless households referred by a city agency (HPD FAQ). HCR's current list status could not be confirmed.
Once approved for CityFHEPS you receive a shopping letter that is valid for 120 days. Each route is covered in how to apply for CityFHEPS, and other cities' lists are at open Section 8 waiting lists.
How Long They Last
Section 8 has no end date while you stay eligible; CityFHEPS runs up to five years.
- Section 8the voucher "stays with your household as long as you remain eligible", in HCR's words. You complete an annual certification.
- CityFHEPSup to four annual renewals, five years in total, with extensions for good cause. Time on the older LINC, SEPS, CITYFEPS and Pathway Home programs counts.
- CityFHEPS exemptionsthe five-year maximum does not apply if the household includes someone 60 or older or an adult receiving federal disability benefits.
What it means: CityFHEPS renewals also depend on funding, and no rule ends the subsidy because your rent equals 30% of your income.
Source: HCR Section 8 page, read October 3, 2026 through a text proxy because the site blocks scripts; DSS-7r; DSS-7z.
At renewal a CityFHEPS household may earn up to 80% of area median income (DSS-7z, a 2023 form HRA still links). The steps are in the CityFHEPS renewal guide.
Portability
Section 8 can leave New York; CityFHEPS cannot.
- Section 8a family may lease "anywhere in the United States" where an agency runs a voucher program (24 CFR 982.353). NYCHA takes requests on its Self-Service Portal or at 718-707-7771.
- CityFHEPS in New York Statea whole apartment anywhere in the state, at the local rent standard rather than the city schedule. Rooms and SROs must be in the five boroughs.
- CityFHEPS in another state"No, CityFHEPS can only be used within NYS" (DSS-9n).
For the Section 8 process and its limits, see transferring Section 8 to another state. For CityFHEPS moves, see moving to a new apartment with CityFHEPS.
From a Landlord's Perspective
The rent ceiling is close under either program; the paperwork, inspection and payer are different.
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| Section 8 | CityFHEPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays you | NYCHA, HPD or HCR, under a Housing Assistance Payment contract | DSS issues a check each month |
| Before move-in | Housing Quality Standards inspection, then the contract | Preclearance for violations, then a physical walkthrough |
| Rent test | Rent reasonableness | Rent reasonableness, "similar to Section 8" |
| Up front | Not stated in the pages reviewed | Option of the first month in full plus the next three months' supplement; a security voucher |
| Refusing it | Unlawful | Unlawful |
What it means: a landlord cannot pick between the two, because refusing either is source-of-income discrimination.
Sources: HPD FAQ; DSS-8j; DSS-7r; NYC Commission on Human Rights.
Watch outOnly narrow exemptions let an owner refuse a voucher.The law has narrow exceptions. The Commission says they apply to "small owner-occupied buildings and units that are not publicly advertised".
Neither agency publishes figures comparing how promptly NYCHA and HRA pay, so no claim is made here about which is faster. HRA does say a CityFHEPS payment made within the month the rent is due is not late. The landlord package for CityFHEPS apartments is form DSS-8f, on HRA's CityFHEPS documents page.
Which One Should You Try to Get?
In practice your situation chooses for you, since CityFHEPS requires you to accept other rental assistance you are offered.
- You are in shelter or in an eviction case: pursue CityFHEPS now. It is the route that is open.
- You are offered Section 8 while on CityFHEPS: Section 8 has no five-year limit and can move out of state.
- You are low-income but not homeless or in court: neither is open to you today. Look at FHEPS if you have children and Cash Assistance, HASA if it applies, and how the NYC Section 8 waitlist works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CityFHEPS the same as Section 8? No. Section 8 is a federal program run in NYC by NYCHA, HPD and HCR. CityFHEPS is a New York City program run by DSS/HRA, with its own eligibility rules, forms and time limit.
Does CityFHEPS pay as much as Section 8? Yes against a new NYCHA lease: $2,734 for one bedroom and $2,997 for two in 2026. Not always otherwise:
- HPD: $2,696 and $3,027, with higher amounts in its exception ZIP codes.
- NYCHA at recertification: $2,762 and $3,058.
Can I have CityFHEPS and Section 8 at the same time? No. Federal rules bar a family from voucher assistance while it receives "any local or State rent subsidy", for the same unit or a different one (24 CFR 982.352). HRA has not published how the switch is handled when a CityFHEPS household is issued a Section 8 voucher, so ask both agencies before signing anything.
Can I take CityFHEPS out of New York City? Yes, but only within New York State.
- Elsewhere in the state: a whole apartment, at the local rent standard. Tenants living outside the city call 718-557-1399.
- Another state: not allowed. Section 8 is the one that can cross state lines.
Can a landlord accept Section 8 but refuse CityFHEPS? No. Both are lawful sources of income under the NYC Human Rights Law. To complain, call the Commission on Human Rights at 212-416-0197, or see how to report a landlord who refuses your voucher.
Which is easier to get right now? CityFHEPS, if you are in shelter or meet one of its four community routes. NYCHA's Section 8 list is closed and has issued no waitlist vouchers since August 1, 2025.
Which Program to Pursue, and Where to Start
The practical gap between the two is access and duration, since the rent ceiling is nearly the same. Your next step depends on where you are: your shelter housing specialist, Homebase through 311, or NYCHA's Self-Service Portal to keep a waitlist application current. With a shopping letter or voucher in hand, browse CityFHEPS apartments, Section 8 apartments or all listings.
How this article was checked
Last checked: October 4, 2026, against HRA's CityFHEPS forms DSS-8r, DSS-7r, DSS-7n, DSS-8j, DSS-7z and DSS-9n, NYCHA's Section 8 Applicants, Program Updates and Voucher Payment Standards pages, HPD's Section 8 FAQ and payment standards page, HUD's FY2026 income limits, and 24 CFR 982.352, 982.353, 982.508 and 5.628.
Sources for this article (25)
- DSS-7r (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA About Section 8 (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA Section 8 Applicants (nyc.gov)
- HPD Section 8 FAQ (nyc.gov)
- DSS-7n (nyc.gov)
- DSS-8r (nyc.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.352 (ecfr.gov)
- HPD (nyc.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.201 (ecfr.gov)
- HUD income limits (huduser.gov)
- NYCHA Voucher Payment Standards (nyc.gov)
- HPD Subsidy and Payment Standards (nyc.gov)
- 24 CFR 5.628 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- HRA's 2025 rule notice (rules.cityofnewyork.us)
- Local Law 176 of 2025 (legistar.council.nyc.gov)
- NYCHA Section 8 Program Updates (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA press release, August 1, 2024 (nyc.gov)
- HCR Section 8 page (hcr.ny.gov)
- DSS-7z (nyc.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.353 (ecfr.gov)
- DSS-9n (nyc.gov)
- DSS-8j (nyc.gov)
- NYC Commission on Human Rights (nyc.gov)
- CityFHEPS documents page (nyc.gov)
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