Anti-discrimination laws prohibit discrimination based on national origin or citizenship status in New York City. It’s not immigration status that tends to be a barrier to securing housing but ability to verify that you can afford the housing. Families searching for housing that do not have status should make every effort to document their income so they can demonstrate to landlords that they can afford the rent.

Housing searches for people without permanent, legal immigration status are often most successful when vacancies are found via networking or other community ties. Local and ethnic press may have listings that others do not and sometimes, small owners may only advertise within certain communities because of their own language or cultural barriers. For additional tips see the Affordable Apartments:Search in the Neighborhood section our Affordable Apartments page.

For immigrants with mixed citizenship statuses in their families seeking public housing with NYCHA they may only receive partial assistance and may be asked to verify that they can afford to cover unsubsidized household members out of pocket in order to qualify. Read how families with mixed status are budgeted and how eligibility could be impacted.