Income level question (apartment, landlord, calculated)

[housinglottoquestions]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking in these threads for months and I appreciate all of the insight I've gained--immensely helpful in going forward with housing lotteries!

Apologies if this (or something similar) has been posted before. But for a few recent lotteries I found myself right off the lower end of some of the AMI limits for one bedrooms. While considering this and the fact that I am applying for myself, to "proactively qualify" I put a salary I know I will be making in a few months time, which would qualify for both studios or 1 BRs. I did not think I'd get contacted so soon for these places as my number was relatively high (4xxx), and thought by the time I'd get contacted (if at all) I'd be at that income level, but lo and behold, I was recently contacted for document review.

While I still qualify for a studio in this lottery, I have read through some threads to find that there may be none left. So my question is (and I think I already know the answer), would I be completely disqualified from 1 BRs because of this current income disparity? (Not even exaggerating, my salary is less than $100 from the bottom of the bracket, and I will be getting a raise to more than cover it SO soon...just not yet )

Appreciate all and any insight in advance!

[macnyc2003]

You should submit your documents when asked. It’s hard to anticipate what income number they’re going to come up with for you. Plus also the brackets change, and you might make it in. You can’t overthink the process. Are you familiar with the Marketing Handbook?

[LakeLifePA]

So you lied on your application?

[housinglottoquestions]

Originally Posted by macnyc2003

You should submit your documents when asked. It’s hard to anticipate what income number they’re going to come up with for you. Plus also the brackets change, and you might make it in. You can’t overthink the process. Are you familiar with the Marketing Handbook?

I am familiar with the process but the handbook, not as much. I definitely overthink it to a degree. I suppose this was me trying to predict when and if there would be a drawing since most of the lotteries I've signed up for usually have an extremely slow roll out.

[housinglottoquestions]

Originally Posted by Robert20170

So you lied on your application?

If you wanted to see it that way, I suppose, but I have a job with fixed raises and I know exactly when I'll be getting them. I saw a lottery I knew I'd qualify for if contacted a few months from now that I was extremely interested in, but just got a bit of bad (or good in other ways) luck that I got contacted earlier than expected. Just trying to exhaust all my options in a city where that can be difficult.

[lm01]

Could you maybe get some kind of official letter from your employer stating your future income to submit with the documents? I think they're supposed to take stuff like that into account

[macnyc2003]

So basically, when going through this process, it's good to be informed. So I linked to the Marketing Handbook below.

BUT, you also have to accept that there are mysteries in this process, and even the most informed people on this forum have no way to know what exactly is happening in any particular lottery.

As is often said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”

So the best strategy is to submit documents when asked, and if you are denied, then appeal if you believe a mistake was made. That's when knowing the contents of the handbook works to your advantage.

My friend who was going through this process six years ago had a log number of over 12,000 for a particular building. When she was asked for documents, she wasn't going to do it, taking note of her high number and reasoning that she would never get the apartment anyway. It turned out that she had community preference, which we had never heard of, and she was one of the first people called, along with the other preference groups.

Another aspect of my friend's case is relevant to yours: After she was approved, her official income was about $200 below the bottom of the bracket. We could not figure out how in the world she was approved. It turns out the landlord had lowered the bracket. We didn't even know that was a possibility.

She's been in a beautiful, affordable studio in a doorman building since then and counts her lucky stars every day that she took a leap of faith. Best of luck!

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/down...dbook-8-21.pdf

[tlane11]

When reviewing your application for a lottery apartment they project what they believe your income will be over the 12-month period.

I was told if you can provide proof (ex: letter from employer) that your salary will increase within the 12 month period then they will annualize your salary at your current rate for X number of months and then the remaining months (whenever your employer says the increase will happen) at the higher rate.

For example: You make $2,000 per month now but in 6 months (with proof) you will make $2,500 per month. They will calculate your annual income as: 6 months at $2000 and 6 months at $2500.

Also - note that they count MANY things as income beyond just your paycheck. Babysitting, gifts, interest from any assets you have, etc.

[LakeLifePA]

Originally Posted by housinglottoquestions

If you wanted to see it that way, I suppose, but I have a job with fixed raises and I know exactly when I'll be getting them. I saw a lottery I knew I'd qualify for if contacted a few months from now that I was extremely interested in, but just got a bit of bad (or good in other ways) luck that I got contacted earlier than expected. Just trying to exhaust all my options in a city where that can be difficult.

It's not "how I see it" it's what you did. You lied. No raises are ever guaranteed until they are in your paycheck. Not sure where your confusion comes from.

[macnyc2003]

Originally Posted by Robert20170

It's not "how I see it" it's what you did. You lied. No raises are ever guaranteed until they are in your paycheck. Not sure where your confusion comes from.

That's being unrealistic. Some raises are guaranteed. Besides, the average layperson doesn't know how income is calculated in a lottery situation. Some people think it's based on your last year's tax return.

After going through the process, a person's income sometimes ends up being pretty different from what they thought. After all, income is calculated four ways, and then the highest one is counted.

Personally, I would apply to anything that looked good to me as long as I was reasonably close.

It's not cheating because you don't get an apartment based on your application; you get an apartment based on your documentation.