The NYCHA Journal

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New NYCHA Flat Rent Schedule

LaToya

NYCHA has updated its 2017 Flat Rent schedule to establish maximum rents by apartment size as mandated by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD). NYCHA residents pay either 30% of their adjusted
gross household income towards rent or pay the flat rent amount, whichever is lower. If 30% of the family’s adjusted gross income is greater than the flat rent, the family’s rent will be set at the flat rent amount. If you have questions about how your rent is calculated, please call your management office.

The table below is NYCHA’s 2017 Flat Rent Schedule. The table also lists the minimum adjusted annual income a family must have to pay flat rent. 

How Does NYCHA Calculate Rent?

Rent for public housing residents is determined annually during each household’s recertification process. After reviewing the household composition, income, assets, and expenses listed in the Public Housing Affidavit of Income, NYCHA sets the household’s rent at either 30% of the household’s adjusted gross income or the flat rent, whichever is lower. 

What Is Adjusted Gross Income?

A household’s adjusted gross income is the household’s gross income plus the cash value of assets minus any exclusions and allowable deductions. 

Gross income

  • Sources of income and assets for all members of the household include, but are not limited to the following:
  • All salaries, wages, tips, commissions, bonuses and overtime pay before payroll deductions 
  • Income from an individually-owned business, partnership, corporation or other professional enterprise such as working as a child care provider, beautician, barber, housekeeper, freelance artist, or taxi driver
  • Asset income from property, such as rent, dividends, interest, capital gains, or trust income
  • The full amount of money received from Social Security, annuities, insurance policies, retirement funds, pensions, disability or death benefits, and other similar types of periodic receipts, including any periodic payments the resident knows will begin within the next 12 months
  • Welfare assistance
  • Periodic and determinable amounts including alimony, child support payments, and regular contributions or gifts
  • Compensation in place of earnings, such as unemployment or disability compensation, and worker’s compensation or severance pay
  • Other payments  like annuities, retirement funds, pensions, death or disability benefits, insurance policies, or other similar types of periodic payments

Assets

Any items with a cash value such as market value of real estate, savings accounts, checking accounts, and cash value of whole life insurance policies. Assets do not include personal property, such as clothing, furniture, and cars.

Exclusions

Money and benefits that are not considered income include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Food stamps (SNAP)
  • Casual or sporadic income
  • One time, lump sum payments like death benefits, inheritances, etc.
  • Payments received for the care of foster children or foster adults 
  • Income from live-in attendants 
  • Adoption assistance payments in excess of $480 per adopted child are excluded. 
  • Earned income in excess of $480 for children under 18 years old and full-time students

Deductions

Amounts subtracted from a household’s annual gross income may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • $480 for each member of the family (excluding head of household or spouse) who is less than 18 years of age or who is a student or person with a disability
  • $400 for any elderly family or disabled family
  • Reasonable, unreimbursed, child care expenses for children 12 years old or younger, if family member is employed, looking for employment, or in school
  • full or part time during the designated hours 
  • The amount over 3% of annual income which you are likely to spend on:
  • Unreimbursed medical expenses only for a family member who is 62 or over or who has a disability 
  • Unreimbursed reasonable attendant care and auxiliary apparatus expenses for disabled household member(s) which permit other household member(s) to work

 

If your apartment is:

The flat rent
for your apartment is:

If your total household income is higher than this, you will pay flat rent. 

If your total household income is lower than this, you will pay 30% of your gross adjusted income for rent.

Studio

$1,149

$45,960

1 Bedroom

$1,206

$48,240

2 Bedrooms

$1,391

$55,640

3 Bedrooms

$1,787

$71,480

4 Bedrooms

$1,927

$77,080

5 Bedrooms

$2,216

$88,640

6 Bedrooms +

$2,505

$100,200