Section 8
Usually called a Housing Choice Voucher. In New York City it may come through NYCHA or HPD. Families generally pay a share of income and the agency pays the rest up to the payment standard.
Voucher help
Which voucher do I have, and why does it matter?
This guide is here to assist you and help you understand how the process goes. It is not an official eligibility decision, and the agency rules always control.
Quick explainer
How to tell them apart.
CityFHEPS
A DSS/HRA rental assistance program, often used by households leaving shelter or at risk of homelessness. It has its own shopping-letter and landlord paperwork rules.
FHEPS
A state and city rent supplement for certain Cash Assistance households with children. It is not the same as CityFHEPS, even though the names sound similar.
If you are unsure
Ask these questions.
Who issued the paperwork? NYCHA or HPD often means Section 8. DSS/HRA often points to CityFHEPS or FHEPS.
What is written on the shopping letter? The program name on the notice is the safest place to start.
Are you currently in shelter? DHS shelter status can matter for Augmented CityFHEPS.
Does your paperwork list a bedroom size and payment standard? That is especially important for Section 8 searches.
Augmented CityFHEPS
Important for DHS shelter clients.
Handbook language: HPD says applicants in DHS city shelters may be eligible for Augmented CityFHEPS for units advertised on Housing Connect.
Proof: A shelter letter is enough proof of eligibility for Augmented CityFHEPS for DHS shelter clients.
What to do: If you are in a DHS shelter, tell the person helping you that you want to confirm Augmented CityFHEPS rules before you skip a listing.
Section 8 standards
Use bedroom size and authority, not guesses.
HPD and NYCHA do not always use the same numbers. For Section 8, check who issued your voucher, your bedroom size, utilities, and whether an exception payment standard applies in the ZIP code you want.
HPD Section 8
HPD says payment standards are tied to federal fair-market-rent rules and some ZIP codes use Exception Payment Standards in higher-opportunity neighborhoods.
NYCHA Section 8
NYCHA publishes separate payment-standard and exception-payment-standard materials. The ZIP code and bedroom size can change whether a unit works.
Housing Connect reminder
HPD’s Marketing Handbook says applicants to rental projects may not be found ineligible solely because they receive Section 8 assistance or another qualifying government rental subsidy.
HOME TBRA
What HOME TBRA is.
What it is: HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, often shortened to HOME TBRA, is a separate rental-assistance program that HPD can use to help eligible households pay rent.
Why it matters now: In 2026, HPD is using HOME TBRA as a possible transition path for eligible EHV households so they may be able to avoid losing rental assistance when EHV funding ends.
What it is not: It should not be treated as if it were simply the same EHV voucher under a new label. The program rules, rights, and ongoing structure should be reviewed through HPD's materials.
Questions? If your EHV case is being discussed for transition, reach out to HPD for case-specific HOME TBRA questions and use HPD's comparison chart as the source of truth.
EHV program note
Important 2026 transition update for Emergency Housing Vouchers.
This note is time-sensitive. Applicants should always verify the current agency page because the EHV transition rules are changing in 2026.
As of March 29, 2026: official NYC guidance says Emergency Housing Voucher funding is expected to run out in 2026, with NYCHA stating assistance is expected to end no later than December 2026 for current EHV participants.
HPD path: HPD is inviting current participating EHV households to apply for alternate rental assistance through the HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (HOME TBRA) program so households can try to avoid subsidy loss.
NYCHA path: NYCHA is not saying it has no plan. Its current FAQ says NYCHA is working to identify alternative subsidized housing options and expects to begin outreach to impacted EHV participants on a rolling basis beginning in Spring 2026.
What this means for users: EHV households should not assume the program continues on its old timeline. They should watch for agency outreach, keep recertification and inspection items current, and ask the issuing agency what transition path applies to their case.
Referral note: the NYC EHV program page says NYCHA and HPD stopped accepting new EHV referrals and applications on September 30, 2022, and each agency maintains its EHV waitlist from applications already on hand.
Official links