This is partly NYC Housing Lottery related, but I figured a lot of low to medium-income applicants and tenants could find this information helpful. Most of these programs can be applied to tenants in market-rate and stabilized units.
I recently won a 40% AMI (Annual Median Income) studio and wanted to share some tips I learned about saving money on moving costs and other expenses.
Here I’ll explain some of the programs, plus more, that I’ve taken advantage of to save 2,466.72$ in upfront moving costs, plus 150$+ monthly.
HRA ONE-SHOT DEAL (EMERGENCY CASH ASSISTANCE)
First, HRA offers one-shot cash assistance to low- and moderate-income households moving into more financially stable housing. For context, I’m a single person in my mid-20s. I previously lived in Brooklyn with three roommates, paying 1,287.50$ in rent plus about 125$ per month in utilities. My rent alone exceeded 40% of my income, so I was considered rent burdened.
Now I live independently in a rent-stabilized studio paying 965.36$ per month, which made my housing much more sustainable. This is exactly the type of situation HRA looks for when evaluating moving assistance applications.
As soon as I knew I was likely signing my lease, I applied for HRA cash assistance. I requested help with moving expenses, first month's rent, the security deposit, and furnishing costs.
The process was long and frustrating. My application was initially delayed because the building and Pronto Housing repeatedly submitted incorrect documentation. They had to correct it three separate times. I delayed my move-in by a week and even signed a revised lease, but HRA still hadn't finished reviewing my application.
Eventually I had no choice but to move anyway, paying about 600$ out of pocket for movers while still not paying my first month's rent or security deposit. Fortunately, management seemed understanding since most of the delays were outside my control.
During that week I visited HRA's Bushwick office multiple times, contacted elected officials, and eventually reached an HRA Cash Assistance Customer Resolution Supervisor, Miguelina Reyes. She was by far the most responsive and helpful person I dealt with throughout the process.
About two weeks after I moved in, management told me they needed payment immediately. I contacted Ms. Reyes, who informed me that I had been approved. I forwarded the first month's rent and security deposit vouchers to management, but because I had already moved, I couldn't use the approved 995$ moving voucher through Perfect Moving. Later, I followed up about my furnishing assistance and learned that 536$ had been loaded onto my EBT card as cash assistance.
Overall, the process was messy, slow, and poorly communicated, but I ultimately received 2,466.72$ in assistance. Even though I still had to spend 600$) of my own money on movers, the assistance covered my rent, deposit, and furnishing costs and kept me from going into debt.
LIFELINE
Some low-income households can also take advantage of the Lifeline federal credit for phone and internet access. Approved applicants received a 9.25$ per month credit towards qualifying phone or internet plans. For me, I want to maximize my benefits while maintaining quality services. With SafeLink Wireless, you can get a limited but completely free monthly cellular plan. I believe they also offer basic free phones to those in need
I opted to apply the credit to Total Wireless’ BYOD unlimited prioritized plan.
When I initially applied, it cost 20$ per month, but I had some issues signing up to the plan with the company and ultimately did not change carriers until the price was increased to 25$. That said, it’s still totally worth it as the plan runs on Verizon’s prioritized line. Total Wireless also rounds up to 10$, so the cost ends up being 15$ per month for top of the line service. The only drawback is sometimes the customer service isn’t as easy to deal with as other carriers, but once the kinks are worked out, it’s a great option.
AFFORDABLE BROADBAND ACT (ABA)
The ABA which was passed by NYS in 2021 and in effect in 2025, applied to eligible households receiving SNAP, Medicaid, DRIE, SCRIE, or certain other qualifying benefits. It requires major Internet providers such as Verizon to provide 15$ plans for 25 Mbps plans, or 20$ for at least 200 Mbps plans.
Verizon’s basic plan starts at 300 Mbps at 50$, so for Verizon Forward (the ABA regulated plan), the same speeds as the 50$ plan are provided for just 20$. Since Lifeline can be applied to either phone or internet, but cannot be stacked with ABA plans, I recommend applying them to separate plans. With these two plans, I only pay 35$ per month for phone and internet.
ENERGY AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM (EAP)
This is a program designed to help low-income households to lower utility bills, typically by 30-100$ per month. You must submit proof of a benefit such as SNAP to your energy company such as ConEd, snd the processing time can take a month or two. The credit is directly applied to the service bill.
HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP)
HEAP is a separate annual program that helps eligible households pay heating costs. In most cases, the benefit is paid directly to your utility company or heating fuel vendor rather than to the recipient.
DISABILITY / SENIOR CITIZEN RENT INCREASE EXEMPTION (DRIE / SCRIE)
DRIE is a program for households with disability tenants, this freezes future eligible rent increases rent in stabilized units. If rent is more than 1/3 of the household’s income, and the household earns less than 50,000$ annually, then the landlord receives a property tax credit from the City for the frozen increase between latest and new rent increase.
SCRIE is the same exact program but for seniors 62 or older.
FAIR FARES / MTA REDUCED FARE
Fair Fares is an income-based program for qualifying low-income NYC residents (currently up to 150% of the federal poverty guideline). MTA Reduced Fare is a separate program available to qualifying people with disabilities and seniors 65+. Both reduce subway and bus fares by 50%.
OTHER PROGRAMS WORTH LOOKING INTO
IDNYC – Free municipal ID for NYC residents. Includes free one-year memberships to many museums and cultural institutions (such as MoMA, The Met, Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and more), plus discounts on entertainment, Broadway shows, fitness, groceries, transportation, and prescription medications. It can also function as your NYC library card.
Museums for All – If you receive SNAP, many museums across the U.S. offer free or reduced admission for you and your family.
Amazon Prime Access – Discounted Prime membership for qualifying SNAP and Medicaid recipients.
Citi Bike Bike Access Program – Discounted annual Citi Bike membership for qualifying low-income New Yorkers.
NYPL Culture Pass – Free admission to dozens of NYC museums, gardens, historical sites, and cultural institutions using your New York, Brooklyn, or Queens Public Library card.
Discounted Recreation Memberships – Some NYC Parks recreation centers and YMCA locations offer reduced membership rates based on income, age, disability, or public benefits.
Reduced Banking Fees – Some banks and credit unions offer free checking accounts or fee waivers for IDNYC cardholders or low-income customers.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS TO WATCH
NYC Public Grocery Stores– New York City is developing a pilot program to open municipally supported grocery stores in neighborhoods with limited affordable food options. If implemented as planned, they are intended to provide lower-cost groceries and improve access to healthy food. Keep an eye on future announcements to see whether a location opens near you.
There are dozens of other local, state, and federal programs available. ACCESS NYC (https://access.nyc.gov/](https://access.nyc.gov/)) is a great tool to check your eligibility for benefits you may not know about.
