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I've applied to several of the apartment listing on nyc housing connect and I have received log numbers that are in the 5,000's through 35,000's. I haven't had any responces yet for an interview and I am curious if the log numbers mean anything or if they are simply the order your application was received.
I was recently awarded a middle income lottery and i can tell you my entire experience form A to Z. I am going to be up front that it was a very hard and painful process and i cried many nights. Now that we have the dramatics out of the way, lets get down to your questions.
For my lottery, I applied via regular mail. They still accept paper applications, but recommend online submissions more. Electronic is always better in my opinion. I have only applied to 2 apartment lotteries my entire life.
Log numbers are very important. I can tell you that everyone in my buildings log number was 3,000 and below. I do not know anyone who was awarded an apartment that had log numbers above 3,000.
My building is brand new and had 108 empty units to give away which is 98% of the building. 4 units on the top 2 floors are for sale but now turned rental. Anyways, you are probably asking yourself: If there is only 108 units, howcome the log numbers are not 108 and under. Here is why:
If 3,000 people come in, not all 3,000 necessarily qualify for the apartment.
This can be due to bad credit.
The applicant was employed when they applied, but are now unemployed after getting called in.
Lied on the application.
Was awarded an apartment, but decided to turn it down, so the next in line gets called in.
Some of he applicants listed phone numbers do not work anymore. Somestimes people cancel their cell service and get new numbers. So remember to keep the same number and don't change it.
Sometimes people get called in and the building leaves them a voicemail, but they never respond so they go to the next person in line.
Background check did not go through and so forth.
There are many reasons, but those are some.
So do not let high log numbers detour you from feeling you will not get awarded an apartment. If it is a low income lottery, the chances of people turning it down are pretty slim. Mine was a middle income lottery and for the price of each unit, the awarded applicants felt they were entitled to 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, and a balcony. So many people were awarded units and turned it down. This worked out because i was awarded one.
Also, they don't conduct interviews. Maybe for section 8 housing and low income they might conduct interviews because those applicants do not have a high source of income and they have to be cautious with who they award units to because that person can end up broke and not be able to pay the cheap rent they were awarded, smoke weed, do drugs, etc. Also, there are a few lotteries in super high luxury door man buildings in Manhattan where everyone else is paying 6K in rent, and they'll award a small number of units to people who make 25K and under and for those instances, they really can't just have any nobody in that building. They need reliable lottery winners and not someone who will get awarded a place and then start jamming the studio and having 5 friends live there with them.
OP, is yours a low income lottery? Not to rain on your parade, but 5,000 doesn't seem like a good sign to me. You always want to have low lottery numbers, but stay positive regardless.
Remember, that one person's trash is anothers treasure.
Feel free to ask me more questions. I am a fountain of knowledge and would love to help anyone.
Last edited by q41apartments; 11-12-2014 at 10:34 PM..
I haven't been in NYC for long, and because I'm single, and do not have a sizable income, I have been applying through the affordable housing website. I have not been called for an interview, and what's worse my log numbers for all of them are over 9000. I'm about ready to give up on this city. None of this makes any sense.
@kgeorge19 - None of it makes sense. All of it is a HOT mess. The sad part is, there's people who actually need a place to live/affordable rents and the city awards it to the wrong people who abuse it and illegally rent it out for a 3rd income. People that win these lotteries should really need a roof over their head let alone a 3rd income.
Kaleem, you must not give up. Keep applying because you never know if you'll get called or not. From my experience, and I have only applied to 2 lotteries in my entire life, is that you receive a postcard notifications asking you to come in. If you receive one, chances of you obtaining an apartment are already 95% unless they find out you have an arrest record or bad credit in the application process.
They'd only contact you via phone after you submit your documents. This is a city process so they do everything the old fashion way via regular post office mail. The NYC Housing Connect site and electronic submissions is as high tech as they've gotten in the last 16 years.
Also remember that these lotteries are for people who have time to wait because the process takes a few months. People who need immediate assistance can do so by meeting with a counselor who spealizes in these situations where citizens need immediate housing and they'll work with you based on your situation, but be prepared that you must be in a horrible situation for them to assist you.
Everyone who has won a lottery in my building had lottery numbers of 3000 and below. I don't know anyone awarded a unit with anything above 3000 and there was only 108 apartments to give away.
Last edited by q41apartments; 12-09-2014 at 11:58 PM..
I was recently awarded a middle income lottery and i can tell you my entire experience form A to Z. I am going to be up front that it was a very hard and painful process and i cried many nights. Now that we have the dramatics out of the way, lets get down to your questions.
For my lottery, I applied via regular mail. They still accept paper applications, but recommend online submissions more. Electronic is always better in my opinion. I have only applied to 2 apartment lotteries my entire life.
Log numbers are very important. I can tell you that everyone in my buildings log number was 3,000 and below. I do not know anyone who was awarded an apartment that had log numbers above 3,000.
My building is brand new and had 108 empty units to give away which is 98% of the building. 4 units on the top 2 floors are for sale but now turned rental. Anyways, you are probably asking yourself: If there is only 108 units, howcome the log numbers are not 108 and under. Here is why:
If 3,000 people come in, not all 3,000 necessarily qualify for the apartment.
This can be due to bad credit.
The applicant was employed when they applied, but are now unemployed after getting called in.
Lied on the application.
Was awarded an apartment, but decided to turn it down, so the next in line gets called in.
Some of he applicants listed phone numbers do not work anymore. Somestimes people cancel their cell service and get new numbers. So remember to keep the same number and don't change it.
Sometimes people get called in and the building leaves them a voicemail, but they never respond so they go to the next person in line.
Background check did not go through and so forth.
There are many reasons, but those are some.
So do not let high log numbers detour you from feeling you will not get awarded an apartment. If it is a low income lottery, the chances of people turning it down are pretty slim. Mine was a middle income lottery and for the price of each unit, the awarded applicants felt they were entitled to 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, and a balcony. So many people were awarded units and turned it down. This worked out because i was awarded one.
Also, they don't conduct interviews. Maybe for section 8 housing and low income they might conduct interviews because those applicants do not have a high source of income and they have to be cautious with who they award units to because that person can end up broke and not be able to pay the cheap rent they were awarded, smoke weed, do drugs, etc. Also, there are a few lotteries in super high luxury door man buildings in Manhattan where everyone else is paying 6K in rent, and they'll award a small number of units to people who make 25K and under and for those instances, they really can't just have any nobody in that building. They need reliable lottery winners and not someone who will get awarded a place and then start jamming the studio and having 5 friends live there with them.
OP, is yours a low income lottery? Not to rain on your parade, but 5,000 doesn't seem like a good sign to me. You always want to have low lottery numbers, but stay positive regardless.
Remember, that one person's trash is anothers treasure.
Feel free to ask me more questions. I am a fountain of knowledge and would love to help anyone.
Thanks for this post. Realistically, I am not going to get pick for anything. I had one log number that was below 3,000 and did not get chosen. All my log numbers are way above 3,000. I will continue to apply but I am just trying to get a higher paying job and will most likely, purchase a coop.
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