How to Port a Section 8 Voucher into NYC: NYCHA, HPD or HCR
Quick answerYes. As of October 2026 a Housing Choice Voucher from any U.S. housing agency can be used in New York City, and a NYC agency cannot turn a port-in away for lack of space or funding. Your home agency approves the move and sends your file. You pick the NYC agency: NYCHA, HPD or New York State HCR. It resets your bedroom size and rent limit. NYCHA has billed home agencies for every port-in since August 1, 2025.
Last checked: October 4, 2026, against 24 CFR 982.303, 982.353 and 982.355, HUD Notice PIH 2016-09, NYCHA's portability and payment standards pages and its May 2026 Administrative Plan, HPD's Port In FAQ, Port In Request Form and April 2025 Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan, and NYS HCR's Administrative Plan version 2026-2 (read from a copy saved October 3, 2026, because hcr.ny.gov blocked access on the day of the check).
- 3 agenciesNYCHA, HPD and HCR all take port-ins; you choose
- August 1, 2025NYCHA stopped absorbing port-ins and began billing
- 30 daysminimum added to your home voucher's expiration date
- Two weeksHUD's expectation for the NYC voucher after a complete file
- $2,997NYCHA's two-bedroom payment standard for new rentals
- 12 monthsfederal wait that applies only to non-resident applicants
How Portability Works, in Plain Terms
Portability moves your existing voucher to a new agency; you do not apply again or join a waiting list. Federal rules call your current agency the initial PHA and the NYC agency the receiving PHA. The rules are in 24 CFR 982.353 and 24 CFR 982.355, with HUD's instructions in Notice PIH 2016-09.
- NYC cannot turn you away for being full. "A receiving PHA cannot refuse to assist incoming portable families or direct them to another neighboring PHA." Refusing needs HUD's written approval, apart from a denial after screening (Step 2)
- No new income test if you are already housed with the voucher. for a current participant, "income eligibility is not redetermined"
- An income test if you have never leased with the voucher. you must be under the NYC agency's income limits (HPD posts its limits on its eligibility page)
- NYC rules replace your old ones. bedroom size, payment standard, extensions and screening follow the NYC agency's policies
- No waiting list. the NYC agency's list and preferences "do not apply to the family"
Your home agency can still say no in two situations. Neither is decided in New York.
- The 12-month ruleIf you did not live in your home agency's area when you applied there, you have no right to port for 12 months after admission, though the agency "may choose to allow" it. The rule does not apply to a move needed for safety from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.
- Not enough fundingIf the NYC agency will bill and your subsidy will cost more in New York, the home agency "may deny the move if it does not have sufficient funding." It may not cap the subsidy it pays instead.
Watch outNYCHA bills for every port-in, so the funding test can come up on any move into NYCHA's program from a cheaper area. Ask your home agency about it before you plan around a date.
Choose Your NYC Agency: NYCHA, HPD or HCR
You choose which NYC agency receives your voucher. Where more than one agency serves an area, the home agency must give you the contact information for each, "and the family selects the receiving PHA" (24 CFR 982.355(b)). It picks for you only if you ask. NYCHA confirms that HPD and HCR "also operate Section 8 programs in New York City" (NYCHA, About Section 8).
| NYCHA | HPD | NYS HCR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill or absorb | Bills your home agency (since August 1, 2025) | May bill or absorb | Tells your home agency case by case |
| First contact | Portability Unit, S8Portability@nycha.nyc.gov | Portability@hpd.nyc.gov, (917) 286-4300; optional Port In Request Form | Subsidy Services Bureau, 25 Beaver Street, (212) 480-6672 |
| Briefing | An appointment where you are briefed and given the voucher | A mandatory briefing, scheduled by letter and phone | Attendance not required; packet and individual briefing |
| Income review for current participants | Not published | Income limits apply to applicants | Reexamines every incoming family, without delaying the voucher |
| Background check | Criminal background and sex offender checks, household members 16 and older | Not stated in port-in materials | Its own denial and termination policies |
| Rent limits vary by ZIP code | No, one citywide schedule | Yes, higher in exception ZIP codes | Not published |
What it means: the agencies differ most on bedroom size and rent limits, covered below, so compare those before you name one.
Source: NYCHA Portability and NYCHA Administrative Plan, section XXI (May 2026); HPD Port In FAQ, HPD Port In Request Form and HPD Administrative Plan, section 14.3.3 (April 15, 2025); HCR Administrative Plan 2026-2, section 10-II.C, and HCR Subsidy Services Bureau.
Billing or absorbing changes who funds the voucher. It does not change your rules: either way the NYC agency administers the voucher under its own policies.
HCR's plan is statewide. No HCR page that tells a family porting into the five boroughs whom to contact was found as of October 2026, so call the bureau before you name HCR.
For how the three programs differ after you lease, see HPD vs NYCHA Section 8.
Step 1: Tell Your Current Agency You Want to Port
The move starts at home: you "must notify the initial PHA" that you want to relocate and say where (24 CFR 982.355(c)(1)). No NYC agency can open a case until your home agency sends the file.
- 1YouTell your home agency you want to port to New York City and which NYC agency you choose.
- 2Home agencyDecides whether you are eligible to move and asks the NYC agency whether it will bill or absorb.
- 3Home agencyHas you sign a voucher and sends Form HUD-52665, your latest Form HUD-50058 and its verifications to the NYC agency.
- 4YouContact the NYC agency promptly. Failing to follow its procedures "may result in denial or termination" of its voucher.
- 5NYC agencyReviews the file, briefs you and issues its own voucher with its bedroom size.
- 6YouFind an apartment and submit a Request for Tenancy Approval before the voucher expires.
- 7NYC agencyInspects the unit, approves the tenancy and starts paying the owner.
What it means: you act three times, and the second, contacting the NYC agency yourself, is the one families miss.
Source: 24 CFR 982.355(c); NYCHA Portability.
- Was I a non-resident applicant. and if so, have 12 months passed since admission?
- Will you approve a billed port to NYC. if my subsidy costs more there?
- When does my voucher expire. and how do I ask you for an extension?
- Who is your portability contact. HPD's form asks for the name, phone, fax and email
- Can I come back. if I do not find an apartment in New York?
If your home agency stops responding, HUD's portability mailbox is closed. HUD now sends questions to the local HUD PIH field office.
Step 2: What NYCHA Does as the Receiving Agency
NYCHA reviews the package from your home agency and, if it approves the documents, contacts you for an appointment. There you are "briefed on the rental process and receive your NYCHA Housing Choice Voucher authorizing you to begin your search" (NYCHA Portability).
- PublishedYour home agency sends the documents directly to NYCHA's Portability Unit. If NYCHA does not have your contact information, you must email S8Portability@nycha.nyc.gov. NYCHA runs criminal background and sex offender checks on incoming portability applicants, covering household members 16 and older.
- Not publishedHow long the review or the appointment takes, which documents to bring, whether the briefing is in person, and whether NYCHA reviews your income again. Ask the Portability Unit by email.
HUD lets a receiving agency rescreen you under its own policies, but the agency "may not delay issuing the family a voucher" while it does. A family that is refused gets an informal review or hearing (PIH 2016-09, section 10.b). Background on how records are weighed is in Can a Felon Get Section 8?.
HPD's version of this step is in its Port In FAQ: once the package arrives and you are found eligible, you get a letter and a phone call to schedule the briefing, then an HPD voucher and a Landlord Package. HPD's plan says it will notify you of the briefing within two weeks of receiving complete paperwork.
Your Voucher Size and NYC Payment Standards
Both numbers are reset in New York. The receiving agency "must determine the family unit size" under its own subsidy standards (24 CFR 982.355(c)(12)), and your subsidy "is determined in the same manner as for other families" in its program.
| Household | NYCHA | HPD |
|---|---|---|
| One person | 1 bedroom | 1 bedroom |
| Married or partnered couple | 1 bedroom | 1 bedroom |
| Two people, same sex, not partnered | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms |
| Two people, different sexes, not partnered | 2 bedrooms | 2 bedrooms |
| Couple and two children of the same sex | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
| Couple and two children of different sexes | 3 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
| Four people of the same sex, none partnered | 2 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
| Any five people | 3 bedrooms | 4 if two are partnered, otherwise 5 |
What it means: NYCHA groups people by sex and couple status; HPD gives one bedroom per person, with partners sharing. A request for a larger size because of a disability goes to the NYC agency.
Source: NYCHA Administrative Plan, section XI, Table 2 (May 2026); HPD Administrative Plan, section 7.2.4, and HPD Subsidy and Payment Standards.
View the data table
| Bedroom size | NYCHA | HPD outside exception ZIP codes |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,604 | $2,624 |
| 1 | $2,734 | $2,696 |
| 2 | $2,997 | $3,027 |
| 3 | $3,753 | $3,777 |
| 4 | $4,077 | $4,070 |
What it means: at the same bedroom size the two schedules are within about $40 of each other, so the bedroom size you are assigned moves your limit far more than the choice of schedule.
Source: NYCHA payment standards and HPD payment standard values, both as posted October 4, 2026.
ExampleA mother and three daughters port in. NYCHA's table gives four people of the same sex a 2-bedroom voucher, with a $2,997 standard. HPD gives four unpartnered people 4 bedrooms, with a $4,070 standard outside exception ZIP codes. These are ceilings on rent plus utilities. Your share still depends on your income.
NYCHA ended its ZIP-code exception standards on July 1, 2026 and uses one schedule citywide. HPD still pays more in exception ZIP codes, for example $4,543 for two bedrooms in 10003. HCR publishes no NYC schedule. The rest, including what happens when the rent is above the standard, is in NYC Section 8 payment standards for 2026.
How Long You Have to Find an Apartment
Your NYC voucher runs at least 30 days past the expiration date on your home agency's voucher. It does not restart as a full new term, so most of your search time is set by your home agency.
| Agency | Term of its voucher | More time |
|---|---|---|
| Federal minimum | Not before 30 calendar days after the home voucher expires | Receiving agency's policy |
| NYCHA | Automatically adds 30 calendar days to the home voucher's expiration date | Beyond that, at NYCHA's discretion as a reasonable accommodation |
| HPD | The home voucher's term plus at least 30 days | Case by case, up to 30 days, in consultation with the home agency; ask before it expires |
| HCR | Expires 30 calendar days after the home voucher | Generally none unless HCR absorbs you, or as a reasonable accommodation |
What it means: HUD's own example is a home voucher expiring October 30, which gives a receiving voucher that cannot expire before November 29.
Source: 24 CFR 982.355(c)(13) and (14); NYCHA Administrative Plan, section XXI; HPD Port In FAQ, questions 8 and 9, and HPD Administrative Plan, section 14.3.4; HCR Administrative Plan 2026-2, section 10-II.C.
Two things move the clock. If your home agency extends its voucher, the 30 days run from the new date. And the term is suspended from the day you submit a Request for Tenancy Approval until the agency answers in writing (24 CFR 982.303(c)).
Watch outIf your home voucher expires before HPD issues its own, HPD issues one only if your home agency grants an extension. HUD's handout for families says to arrive before the home voucher expires, "otherwise, you may lose your assistance."
No agency publishes an end-to-end time. The only figures are HUD's expectation of a voucher within two weeks of a complete file, HPD's two-week briefing notice, and the "up to 14 calendar days" HPD's form allows for reviewing a request. NYCHA publishes none. Extension rules for a voucher issued in NYC are in how to get a Section 8 voucher extension in NYC.
Do Not Move Before the NYC Agency Approves a Unit
Stay in your current home, under your current lease, until a NYC agency has approved a specific apartment. Having your file accepted is not approval to move.
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- Keep paying your share at home. HPD says that until you "move into an assisted apartment in NYC, you must continue to comply with the rules of your initial PHA's assistance program," including your lease
- Do not break your lease. a home agency must not provide portable assistance to a family that "has moved out of the assisted unit in violation of the lease," outside the safety exception for violence survivors
- Wait for written approval. HPD's FAQ ends, "DO NOT MOVE UNLESS HPD GIVES YOU WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION"
- Do not sign and pay first. subsidy on a NYC apartment starts only after the agency approves the tenancy
NYCHA publishes no matching warning for port-ins, but the federal sequence is the same for all three agencies. Notice and lease rules on the leaving side are in how Section 8 portability works.
Finding an Apartment Once You're Ported
You can search as soon as you hold the NYC agency's voucher. When an owner agrees to rent to you, the owner completes a Request for Tenancy Approval (Form HUD-52517) and it goes to the agency before any lease takes effect. The agency then inspects the unit and checks the rent. What inspectors check is in the NYC inspection checklist.
- Refusing your voucher is illegalSource-of-income discrimination has been illegal in New York City since 2008, and most rentals are covered "regardless of number of units." Exceptions apply to small owner-occupied buildings and units that are not publicly advertised (NYC Commission on Human Rights).
- Where to report itCall 311 and ask for "Human Rights," or call 212-416-0197. Steps are in how to report a landlord who refuses your voucher and Can a Landlord Refuse Section 8 in NYC?.
- Moving costsHPD "generally does not pay for moving costs, broker fees or security deposits."
If the search fails or you change your mind, HPD refers you back to your home agency, whose rules decide whether you can resume looking there. NYCHA has not published what it does in that case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move to NYC with my Section 8 voucher from another state? Yes. A voucher can be used anywhere in the United States where an agency runs a tenant-based program, and a receiving agency cannot refuse an incoming family for lack of space. Your home agency must first approve the move.
Which NYC agency will get my voucher? The one you choose. Your home agency must give you the contact information for each and selects for you only if you ask.
- NYCHA: bills your home agency
- HPD: may bill or absorb
- HCR: call (212) 480-6672 first
What happens to my voucher's dollar amount when I port to NYC? It is recalculated under the NYC agency's bedroom rules and payment standard. Your share still depends on your income and the rent. For a new two-bedroom rental:
- NYCHA: $2,997
- HPD: $3,027 outside exception ZIP codes
Do I have to qualify on income again? Not if you already live in a unit assisted by your voucher. A family that holds a voucher but has never leased with it must be under the NYC agency's income limits.
What if I move to NYC before my port is approved? You risk the voucher. You remain under your home agency's rules and lease until you move into a NYC unit the agency has approved, and leaving in violation of the lease can end your right to port.
How long does the port usually take? No agency publishes a total. The published pieces:
- HUD: expects the NYC voucher within two weeks of a complete file
- HPD: two weeks to notify you of the briefing
- NYCHA: no figure
I am leaving New York instead. Is the process the same? It runs the other way, with the NYC agency as the sender. See Section 8 transfer to another state from NYC.
Next step: ask your home agency the five questions above, then check the bedroom size and payment standard you would get at NYCHA and at HPD and browse NYC apartments that accept Section 8 under that figure.
Sources for this article (18)
- 24 CFR 982.353 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.355 (ecfr.gov)
- Notice PIH 2016-09 (hud.gov)
- eligibility page (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA, About Section 8 (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA Portability (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA Administrative Plan (nyc.gov)
- HPD Port In FAQ (nyc.gov)
- HPD Port In Request Form (nyc.gov)
- HPD Administrative Plan (nyc.gov)
- HCR Administrative Plan 2026-2 (hcr.ny.gov)
- HCR Subsidy Services Bureau (hcr.ny.gov)
- local HUD PIH field office (hud.gov)
- HPD Subsidy and Payment Standards (nyc.gov)
- NYCHA payment standards (nyc.gov)
- HPD payment standard values (nyc.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.303(c) (ecfr.gov)
- NYC Commission on Human Rights (nyc.gov)
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