How to Apply for a One-Shot Deal in NYC (Emergency Rent Assistance)

If you're behind on rent, facing a utility shutoff, or dealing with an emergency that threatens your housing, New York City's Human Resources Administration (HRA) offers a one-time grant officially called Emergency Assistance and almost universally known as the One-Shot Deal. It can pay off months of rent arrears directly to your landlord and stop an eviction before it happens.

The One-Shot Deal is often confused with SOTA, the program that pays a year of rent upfront for shelter residents with income. They're different programs. SOTA moves people out of shelter into new apartments. The One-Shot Deal keeps people in the homes they already have. This guide covers the One-Shot Deal: what it pays for, who qualifies, what documents you need, and how to get it approved.

What a One-Shot Deal Can Cover

• Rent arrears. The most common use. HRA pays the back rent directly to your landlord.
• Utility arrears. Overdue Con Edison or National Grid bills, especially when you've received a shutoff notice.
• Moving expenses. When you have to relocate because of eviction, unsafe conditions, or overcrowding. In some cases this includes a security deposit (usually issued as a written guarantee to the landlord rather than cash) and moving costs.
• Furniture and clothing. After a fire, flood, or when leaving a domestic violence situation.
• Storage fees. To keep your belongings while you're between apartments.

The grant is paid to the vendor, not to you. Rent money goes to the landlord, utility money goes to the utility company.

Who Qualifies

You need three things: an emergency, a reason you can't cover it yourself, and a plan for staying current afterward. You do not need to be receiving Cash Assistance or have a housing voucher to apply.

Legally, One-Shot Deals come out of three programs, and which one you fall under affects the details:

• Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF): households with a child under 18, or a pregnant member
• Emergency Safety Net Assistance (ESNA): single adults and couples without children
• Emergency Assistance for Adults (EAA): people receiving SSI

You don't have to figure out which category applies to you. HRA sorts that out from your application. It mostly matters for repayment, which we'll get to below.

The Golden Rule: Show How You'll Pay Next Month's Rent

The single most common reason One-Shot Deals get denied is failure to show "future ability to pay." HRA doesn't want to clear your arrears in March and see new arrears in April. Before you apply, put together evidence that the rent is sustainable going forward:

• Recent pay stubs from a job, especially a new job that explains why the arrears built up before
• An offer letter with your start date and wage
• Benefit award letters (SSI, SSD, unemployment, Cash Assistance budget)
• A signed contribution letter from a family member or friend who will help with rent each month, along with proof of their income
• Approval for an ongoing subsidy like CityFHEPS or FHEPS that will cover rent going forward

If your income minus the rent doesn't add up to a sustainable month, the application will struggle. A contribution letter is often the piece that closes the gap.

How to Apply

• Gather your documents first. A complete application moves much faster than one HRA has to chase paperwork for. The full list is in the next section.

• Submit the application. The fastest route is online through ACCESS HRA. You'll apply for Cash Assistance and select the option for one-time emergency assistance, which tells HRA you're seeking a One-Shot Deal rather than ongoing benefits. The underlying form is the statewide application called LDSS-2921. You can also apply in person at an HRA Benefits Access Center (call 311 for locations). If you already receive Cash Assistance, you request an emergency grant instead, using Form W-137A through your center or ACCESS HRA.

• Complete the interview. HRA will schedule an eligibility interview, usually by phone. Answer the call. Missed interviews are a leading cause of applications dying quietly.

• Track the application. The ACCESS HRA website and mobile app show your case status and let you upload any documents HRA requests. Respond the same day if you can.

• Get the decision. HRA sends a written notice. If approved, payment goes directly to your landlord or utility company.

Documents You'll Need

Identity and household:

Photo ID for adults in the household

Your lease or proof of address

Social Security numbers for household members

Proof of the emergency:

A rent demand, Notice of Petition, or other eviction court papers if your landlord has started a case

An itemized arrears breakdown from your landlord showing each month owed, signed by the landlord or management company

A utility shutoff notice, if that's the emergency

Income:

Pay stubs from the last four weeks

Benefit letters (SSI, SSD, unemployment, child support)

Future ability to pay:

Everything from the Golden Rule section above

For payment:

Your landlord's W-9 so HRA can issue the check. Ask the landlord for this early. A missing W-9 is a classic late-stage delay.

If You're Already in Housing Court

A One-Shot Deal and an eviction case usually run in parallel, and the court system knows it.

• New York City's right to counsel law gives income-qualified tenants a free lawyer in eviction cases. If you don't have one, ask the court or call 311 about it before your next appearance.
• Tell the judge and your lawyer that a One-Shot Deal application is pending. Judges routinely adjourn cases to let HRA finish processing.
• Homebase offices specialize in eviction prevention and can push a One-Shot application along while working the court side.
• If you've received a marshal's notice, you are days from eviction. Go to Homebase or housing court immediately, the same day. A pending application can still stop the eviction, but only if the right people know about it.

Never skip a court date because you're waiting on HRA.

Will You Have to Pay It Back?

Sometimes. Depending on your category and income, HRA may require you to sign an agreement to repay some or all of the grant in monthly installments before approving it. Grants to SSI recipients under EAA generally don't require repayment, while working households often repay at least part.

Read the agreement before you sign and make sure the monthly amount is realistic. An unpaid repayment agreement makes it much harder to get emergency help the next time.

How Long It Takes

Most decisions come back within a few days to a few weeks. Genuine emergencies get flagged: a scheduled shutoff or an eviction date moves faster than a plain arrears application. Speed it up by submitting complete paperwork, answering the interview call, and checking ACCESS HRA for document requests every day or two. If nothing moves for two weeks, call the DSS OneNumber at 718-557-1399 and ask what's holding it.

If You're Denied

You'll get a written notice with the reason. Two moves from there:

• Fix and reapply. Many denials come down to missing proof of future ability to pay. If your situation improves (new job, contribution letter, subsidy approval), a fresh application with better documentation can succeed where the first failed.
• Request a fair hearing. You have the right to challenge the denial before a New York State hearing officer. Request one within 60 days at otda.ny.gov/hearings or by calling 800-342-3334. Legal Aid or another legal services group can represent you, often for free.

What Landlords Should Know

If your tenant is applying for a One-Shot Deal to cover arrears:

• You'll be paid directly by HRA, typically by check, for the full approved arrears amount.
• Move fast on your part of the paperwork. The itemized arrears breakdown and your W-9 are usually the only things HRA needs from you, and delays on either stall the whole grant.
• It costs you nothing and settles the debt without the expense and vacancy risk of finishing an eviction case.
• Tenants who clear arrears this way often pair the grant with an ongoing subsidy, which means guaranteed rent going forward. Our guide to how landlords get paid with Section 8 covers what that looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be on public assistance or have a voucher to get a One-Shot Deal?

No. Anyone facing a qualifying emergency can apply. Plenty of working households who've never touched a benefits program get One-Shot Deals after a job loss, medical event, or family crisis.

Can I get a One-Shot Deal more than once?

The name overstates it. There's no absolute once-per-lifetime rule, but repeat requests get harder. You'll need to show a new emergency and changed circumstances, and an unpaid repayment agreement from a previous grant counts against you.

How much will it cover?

There's no single published cap for rent arrears. HRA weighs the size of the debt against your ability to stay current afterward. Grants covering many months of back rent are common when the going-forward math works.

Can it pay a security deposit and broker fee for a new apartment?

When a move is necessary, moving-related costs can be covered. Deposits are usually handled as a written HRA guarantee to the landlord rather than cash.

What if I can't afford this apartment even after the arrears are cleared?

Then the One-Shot Deal alone won't fix the problem, and HRA may deny it on future-ability grounds. Look at ongoing subsidies like CityFHEPS, and consider whether a cheaper apartment is the real solution. You can browse apartments that accept vouchers across all five boroughs.

Will applying affect my other benefits?

A One-Shot Deal is a one-time grant for a specific emergency. It doesn't enroll you in ongoing Cash Assistance.

Contact Information

• ACCESS HRA: a069-access.nyc.gov/accesshra (also available as a mobile app)
• DSS OneNumber: 718-557-1399
• Benefits Access Center locations: call 311
• Fair hearings (NYS OTDA): otda.ny.gov/hearings or 800-342-3334

Resources

• One Shot Deal / Emergency Assistance (ACCESS NYC overview)
• Homebase locations (eviction prevention help)
• SOTA (One-Shot Deal) for Rent in NYC (the shelter move-out program, a different thing)
• FHEPS vs CityFHEPS (ongoing subsidies that pair with a One-Shot Deal)
• Legal Aid Society (free legal help for housing issues)

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Looking for an apartment you can actually afford long term? Browse voucher-friendly listings from landlords who accept CityFHEPS, FHEPS, Section 8, and other programs.

Landlord with a tenant behind on rent? A One-Shot Deal can clear the arrears without an eviction case. And when you have a vacancy, list your property on VoucherMatch to reach tenants with rent subsidies behind them.