CityFHEPS (City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) is a New York City rental-assistance voucher run by DSS/HRA. It pays part of your rent directly to your landlord. Most households pay about 30% of their income and CityFHEPS pays the rest, up to a city maximum.

Who is eligible for CityFHEPS?

Households with gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level who receive Cash Assistance if eligible and don't qualify for another program such as FHEPS. You must also be in a DHS or HRA shelter and meet one added condition (such as working 10+ hours a week, a disability, age 60+, or military service), or be in the community and fit a set route, such as facing eviction in court plus a prior shelter stay, an APS case or a rent-controlled unit, being a veteran at risk, or receiving Pathway Home. DSS decides eligibility.

How does the CityFHEPS rental assistance program work?

A caseworker applies for you. If approved, you get a Shopping Letter (valid 120 days) showing your maximum rent. You find an apartment, DSS reviews the rent and inspects the unit, the lease is signed, and HRA pays its part of the rent to the landlord each month. You renew every year.

How much does CityFHEPS pay in 2026?

In NYC, up to $2,604 for a studio, $2,734 for a one-bedroom, $2,997 for a two-bedroom, $3,753 for a three-bedroom and $4,077 for a four-bedroom, with all utilities included (HRA form DSS-8r). The maximum is lower if you pay utilities yourself.

Is CityFHEPS the same as Section 8?

No. CityFHEPS is a city program run by DSS/HRA. Section 8 is the federal Housing Choice Voucher, run in NYC by NYCHA and HPD. In NYC, most landlords cannot legally refuse either one.

Can I apply for CityFHEPS online?

No. There is no form you fill out yourself. A shelter housing specialist, a Homebase office (call 311), or another city-contracted provider applies for you, for free.

Did CityFHEPS expand to 50% of area median income?

No. The 2023 City Council laws (Local Laws 99-102) never took effect. A separate new HPD voucher called CHAP (Local Law 126 of 2026) is expected to launch in 2027.

¿Cuáles son los requisitos para CityFHEPS?

Ingresos brutos de hasta el 200% del nivel federal de pobreza, recibir Asistencia en Efectivo si califica, y no calificar para otro programa como FHEPS. Además, debe estar en un refugio de DHS o HRA y cumplir una condición adicional, o estar en la comunidad y cumplir una de las rutas del programa, como enfrentar un desalojo en la corte. Un trabajador social o Homebase (llame al 311) presenta la solicitud por usted.

What Is CityFHEPS? Who Qualifies & What It Pays (2026)

CityFHEPS is a NYC rental-assistance voucher run by DSS/HRA. Here is who qualifies, how payment standards work, and how it differs from Section 8.

CityFHEPS (City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) is New York City's own rental-assistance voucher. It is run by the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS), which includes the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). CityFHEPS pays part of your rent every month, straight to your landlord, so you only pay your share. For most households that share is about 30% of income.

In 2026, CityFHEPS pays up to $2,734 a month for a one-bedroom and $2,997 for a two-bedroom in New York City, with utilities included. You don't apply for it by yourself. A shelter housing specialist, a Homebase office, or another city-contracted provider applies for you. Our step-by-step guide on how to apply for CityFHEPS walks through that process in detail. This page explains what the program is, who it is for, and how it works.

CityFHEPS in one minute

What it is: a city rent subsidy for people in shelter or at risk of losing their home
Who runs it: DSS/HRA (not NYCHA, not HUD)
Who qualifies: households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level who also fit one of the program's shelter or community routes
What you pay: your "household share," usually about 30% of income
What it pays: the rest of the rent, up to a city maximum by apartment size
How long: renewed every year, generally for up to five years, with exceptions
Where you can use it: HRA says CityFHEPS can now be used for housing anywhere in New York State, not only the five boroughs

Who runs CityFHEPS

CityFHEPS is a city program. DSS decides who is eligible, approves apartments, and pays landlords. Your main contact is your caseworker or housing specialist. For questions about payments or your rent amount, HRA's Rental Assistance Call Center (DSS OneNumber) is 718-557-1399. See CityFHEPS phone numbers and contacts for the full list.

Who qualifies for CityFHEPS

HRA's 2026 FAQs (DSS-7n for people in shelter and DSS-7r for people in the community) set out the rules. Every household must first meet three basic tests:

Gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. (A single adult earning minimum wage and working at least 35 hours a week may be over this limit and still qualify.)
If you are eligible for Cash Assistance, you must be receiving it, and any sanction must be cleared at an HRA Benefits Access Center.
You must not qualify for another rental assistance program, such as FHEPS. If you are offered federal or state rental help you are eligible for, you must accept it.

Then you must fit one of two routes.

If you are in shelter

You must be in a DHS shelter, an HRA shelter, or a DHS shelter while eligible for HRA shelter, and at least one of these must be true:

An adult has worked at least 10 hours a week for the last 30 days
Someone in the household has a disability (receives federal disability benefits or is on the WeCARE SSI track)
Someone is 60 or older
An adult is exempt from Cash Assistance work rules to care for a disabled family member
Someone served in the U.S. Armed Forces
Your DHS shelter is about to close
A qualifying program referred you and DSS found CityFHEPS was needed to shorten your shelter stay

You also can't move back into a place you lived in during the past year.

If you are not in shelter (the community)

You apply through Homebase and must fit at least one of these:

You are facing eviction in court, or were evicted in the last year, and someone in your household previously lived in a DHS shelter, has an active Adult Protective Services case or is in a community guardianship program, or you live in a rent-controlled apartment you want to stay in
Someone in your household is a veteran at risk of homelessness
You receive Pathway Home assistance
A qualifying program referred you and DSS found CityFHEPS was needed to keep you out of shelter

DSS alone decides eligibility. A caseworker can tell you which route, if any, fits your situation. Nobody can promise you a voucher. More detail is in CityFHEPS eligibility.

How much CityFHEPS pays (2026)

CityFHEPS pays up to a maximum rent, called the payment standard, based on apartment size. These are HRA's 2026 NYC payment standards (form DSS-8r). They apply to landlord packages submitted on or after March 1, 2026, or leases starting April 1, 2026 or later:

Household size	Unit	2026 maximum rent (all utilities included)
1	Single room (SRO)	$1,953
1	Studio	$2,604
1–2	1 bedroom	$2,734
3–4	2 bedroom	$2,997
5–6	3 bedroom	$3,753
7–8	4 bedroom	$4,077
9–10	5 bedroom	$4,689

If you pay for gas or electric yourself, the maximum is lower because HRA accounts for a utility allowance. Outside the five boroughs, different maximums apply. See CityFHEPS payment standards 2026 for the utility allowances and larger units, and NYC Section 8 payment standards to compare.

What you pay

Your share is based on your household size and everyone's income. You first get a Household Share Letter with an estimate. Your final amount is in the Approval Letter after your apartment is approved. For most households it is about 30% of gross monthly income. Your landlord cannot charge you more than your share, and side deals are not allowed.

CityFHEPS vs. Section 8 vs. FHEPS

	CityFHEPS	Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher)	FHEPS
Level	City	Federal	Created by New York State; HRA says administration is moving to the City
Run in NYC by	DSS/HRA	NYCHA and HPD	HRA
Main group served	People in shelter or at risk, who meet program routes	Low-income households on a waitlist	Families with children on Cash Assistance facing eviction or who lost housing
How you get it	Through a caseworker or Homebase	Through a housing authority waitlist	Through HRA

HRA describes FHEPS as a supplement for families with children who receive Cash Assistance and who face eviction, were evicted, or lost housing due to domestic violence or health and safety problems. If you qualify for FHEPS, you are generally steered to FHEPS instead of CityFHEPS. Compare them in FHEPS vs. CityFHEPS and Section 8 vs. CityFHEPS. If you are curious what a Section 8 voucher might cover, try our Section 8 rent calculator.

How you get CityFHEPS

There is no CityFHEPS application you fill out on your own, and no online form.

In shelter: tell your housing specialist or case manager you want to be considered for CityFHEPS. They prepare and send your packet to DSS.
Not in shelter: call 311 and ask for the Homebase office near you, or use HRA's Homebase locator. Read applying through Homebase.

Once approved, you get a Shopping Letter that shows your maximum rent. It is valid for 120 days and you can show it to landlords and brokers. (Keep your Household Share Letter to yourself; HRA says it is for your use only.) Learn more in the shopping letter explained.

When you find a unit, DSS checks that the rent is reasonable, that the building is clear of certain violations (pre-clearance), and does a walkthrough. Your caseworker helps pull together your paperwork. Use our CityFHEPS documents checklist so nothing is missing. The landlord sends their own forms too; owners and brokers can read the CityFHEPS landlord package guide.

DSS gives the landlord a security voucher instead of a cash deposit.

Looking for a place? Start with our guides to CityFHEPS apartments in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, or browse voucher housing in New York City.

Renewals and the five-year limit

CityFHEPS must be renewed every year. HRA mails your renewal about five months before your subsidy year ends. You can renew through ACCESS HRA (website or app), by email to CityFHEPSRenewals@hra.nyc.gov, or by mail. At renewal, the income limit rises to 80% of area median income, so a raise does not automatically end your voucher.

Assistance is generally limited to five years (up to four annual renewals), with extensions for good cause. The five-year limit does not apply if your household includes someone 60 or older or an adult receiving federal disability benefits. If your income or household changes between renewals, file a modification request. Don't miss your renewal deadline: a late renewal can lead to a termination notice. See CityFHEPS renewal.

Your rights: source-of-income protection

In New York City, refusing a renter because they pay with CityFHEPS is source-of-income discrimination, and HRA's FAQs call it unlawful. That means most landlords and brokers cannot legally refuse your voucher. Phrases like "we don't take programs" or "we accept everything except CityFHEPS" are red flags. The NYC Commission on Human Rights lists only narrow exceptions, such as renting a room in a home the owner shares, or a unit in an owner-occupied two-family house that was not publicly advertised.

If a landlord or broker refuses you, call the NYC Commission on Human Rights at 212-416-0197 (or 311 and ask for the Commission), and tell your caseworker. Read more in source-of-income discrimination in NYC.

Common CityFHEPS myths

"I can apply online." No. A caseworker or provider applies for you.

"CityFHEPS expanded to 50% of area median income." No. The 2023 City Council expansion laws (Local Laws 99–102) never took effect. A separate new HPD voucher, CHAP (Local Law 126 of 2026), is expected to launch in 2027. It is not CityFHEPS.

"You need 90 days in shelter first." That rule was eliminated in 2023. HRA's current shelter FAQ lists no length-of-stay requirement.

"CityFHEPS only works in the five boroughs." HRA says it can now support housing across New York State. Different rent limits apply outside NYC.

"Someone can get me a voucher faster for a fee." No. Applications are free. HRA pays brokers directly. Never pay anyone to "process" a CityFHEPS application, and report it to 311.

En español

CityFHEPS es un subsidio de alquiler de la Ciudad de Nueva York administrado por DSS/HRA para personas en refugio o en riesgo de perder su vivienda. Usted generalmente paga alrededor del 30% de sus ingresos y el programa paga el resto, hasta un máximo según el tamaño del apartamento. No se solicita por cuenta propia: un trabajador social del refugio o una oficina de Homebase (llame al 311) presenta la solicitud por usted.

Related guides

Sources: HRA CityFHEPS page and FAQs DSS-7n (01/13/2026), DSS-7r (01/23/2026), DSS-7z (09/16/2026), DSS-8j (01/28/2026) and DSS-8r (10/14/2026); NYC Commission on Human Rights. Checked November 2026.

What Is CityFHEPS? Eligibility, Payment Standards & How It Works

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