NYC Council Reviews Housing Connect: Proposals for a User-Friendly Overhaul to Tackle Affordable Housing Challenges

The New York City Council held an oversight hearing on April 29, 2025, focused on improving the Housing Connect platform, the city’s affordable housing lottery system. Attendees discussed how the current system fails to effectively assist New Yorkers in securing affordable housing, leading to frustration and unit vacancies.

Several stakeholders proposed critical updates to enhance user experience on the Housing Connect platform. Testimony revealed that certain system functionalities, particularly the search features and notification processes, require significant refinements. For instance, users noted that filters designed to match applicants with suitable units often display listings that do not meet their stated criteria—such as showing two-bedroom apartments with rents exceeding the maximum set by the user (Source: https://youtu.be/FCbeEPo98r8&t=7501). This misalignment in filtering not only wastes applicants’ time but also discourages them from using the platform altogether.

Another recommendation involved creating a provider portal to streamline access for community organizations assisting applicants. Currently, representatives are burdened with logging into multiple accounts, which complicates their ability to help applicants effectively (Source: https://youtu.be/FCbeEPo98r8&t=7501). The proposal aims to link new accounts directly to a central portal, thus simplifying the process.

A new legislative proposal, Intro 1265, emerged from the hearing, which would allow applicants more flexibility by enabling them to receive notifications via email or text. Additionally, it enables applicants to designate trusted representatives to assist them. This change is expected to empower users, especially those with limited internet access, like seniors, who often miss critical updates and deadlines (Source: https://youtu.be/FCbeEPo98r8&t=11358).

The hearing further highlighted the HPD’s commitment to an extensive overhaul of the Housing Connect platform, with plans to improve navigation and reduce bureaucratic hurdles. The agency aims to make the system faster and more user-friendly over the next year (Source: https://youtu.be/FCbeEPo98r8&t=998). Stakeholders emphasized the importance of testing these updates in collaboration with community members and housing advocates—a sentiment echoed by various speakers who lamented existing barriers and urged ongoing improvements to ensure equitable access to affordable housing (Source: https://youtu.be/FCbeEPo98r8&t=2658).

These proposed changes signal a critical step towards reforming New York City’s affordable housing lottery system, aiming to not only enhance user experience but also to address broader housing needs within the community—especially as the city grapples with a declining vacancy rate and rising demand for affordable units (Source: https://getlocalpost.com/2024/12/19/5-billion-initiative-launched-to-tackle-nycs-affordable-housing-crisis/).