Low income housing in Westchester County: a complete guide

Last updated 2026-07-09

What low income housing options exist in Westchester County?

Westchester is one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. Median gross rents here regularly clear $2,000 a month, which turns federal and state housing assistance from a nice-to-have into the thing that keeps a family housed.

The county has five primary public housing authorities: the Westchester County Housing Authority (WCHA) plus city-level PHAs in Yonkers (Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority), White Plains, Mount Vernon, and Port Chester ^[1]. Each runs its own waitlist. Applying to one does not put you on the others. That's the first thing people get wrong.

Beyond traditional public housing (project-based apartments the PHA owns and manages), Westchester tenants can use the Housing Choice Voucher program, better known as Section 8. A voucher travels with you to any private landlord who'll take it, so you get far more choice about where you live than a fixed public housing unit allows.

A third tier is Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) apartments. These are privately owned buildings that took federal tax credits in exchange for keeping a share of units affordable. Westchester has a lot of them. They keep their own separate waiting lists and income limits, usually capped at 50 percent or 60 percent of Area Median Income ^[2]. Search them at the HUD Resource Locator or the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) database.

Last, there are project-based Section 8 units, where the subsidy sticks to a specific apartment instead of a portable voucher. Waits for those run years too, but you apply through the building's management office, not a PHA.

Who runs Section 8 in Westchester County?

The Westchester County Housing Authority administers the Housing Choice Voucher program for the county at large, minus the cities that run their own PHAs ^[1]. Its office sits in White Plains. The Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority (YMHA) runs a separate HCV program for Yonkers, the county's biggest city by a wide margin.

The split matters. Each PHA sets its own payment standards, inspection timelines, and waitlist policies. A voucher issued by WCHA can, under portability rules, be used outside Westchester after 12 months of residence, or sooner if you have qualifying reasons like a job or family in another area ^[3]. A YMHA voucher works the same way but starts the clock in Yonkers.

Want to understand how the housing authority structure works at the federal level? The governing document is 24 CFR Part 982, which runs the Housing Choice Voucher program nationwide. HUD's program page describes the tenant-based voucher as letting families "choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program" as long as the unit passes inspection and the rent is reasonable ^[4].

Seniors have their own lane. WCHA and YMHA both keep set-aside preferences and accessible units, and the county has a network of HUD-assisted senior buildings, some running under project-based Section 8 contracts. Our guide on low income senior housing covers how those work.

What are the income limits for Westchester County housing programs?

Income limits in Westchester tie to HUD's Area Median Income (AMI) figures for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, recalculated every year. Because the metro is high-income, the AMI is high, which pushes the dollar cutoffs above what you'd see in a cheaper region. For fiscal year 2024, HUD set the Westchester County AMI at $136,900 for a family of four ^[5].

Most rental assistance programs use these thresholds:

Program	Income Limit	% of AMI
Section 8 / HCV (initial eligibility)	$51,300 (family of 4)	~50% ("very low income")
Public housing	$82,140 (family of 4)	~80% ("low income")
LIHTC (60% AMI units)	$82,140 (family of 4)	60%
LIHTC (50% AMI units)	$68,450 (family of 4)	50%
Extremely low income preference	$30,750 (family of 4)	~30%

All figures are approximate for FY2024. HUD publishes exact tables by household size at huduser.gov ^[5]. The 30 percent AMI line matters because federal law requires PHAs to fill at least 75 percent of new HCV admissions in any fiscal year with extremely low income families ^[4].

LIHTC buildings set their own tier when built, so some units in one complex cap at 50 percent AMI and others at 60 percent. Ask management which tier your target unit falls under. Don't assume.

Assets count too. PHAs treat certain asset income as part of eligibility. Hold more than $5,000 in combined assets and they impute income from those assets at a HUD passbook rate, which can nudge you over a limit.

Are any Westchester County Section 8 waitlists open right now?

This is the hardest question to pin down in a static article. Waitlists open and close with little notice, and some stay closed for years at a stretch.

The Westchester County Housing Authority's HCV waitlist has spent long stretches closed to new general applicants, then opened briefly by lottery. YMHA in Yonkers follows the same rhythm. When WCHA last opened its list, it took applications online for a short window and then ran a randomized lottery from all applicants to set waitlist position ^[1].

Here's the practical move: go straight to each PHA's website and call their offices. WCHA answers at (914) 367-2900, and its office is at 310 South Street, White Plains, NY 10601. YMHA's main line is (914) 376-4300.

Check our open Section 8 waiting lists tracker for current status, and watch HUD's Public Housing Agency list for any Westchester-area PHA showing its waitlist as open ^[4].

While you wait, apply to every LIHTC building with a vacancy. Those are private apartments, not public housing, and many run rolling waitlists year-round. The New York State Homes and Community Renewal directory lists affordable developments by county ^[6]. Port Chester, Yonkers, and White Plains have the densest concentrations.

How long is the wait for Section 8 in Westchester?

Long. That's the honest answer.

HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households data and PHA annual reports put most Westchester waitlists at 3 to 7 years, though the spread is wide ^[7]. Families with emergency preferences (domestic violence, displacement from a declared disaster, chronic homelessness) can move much faster, sometimes within months.

YMHA reported in recent planning documents that its voucher waitlist held over 3,000 families for a program that issues roughly 400 to 600 new vouchers a year ^[1]. Do the arithmetic and you land near a 5-to-7-year baseline before you even account for turnover among current holders.

Preferences move you up. Common WCHA and YMHA preferences include:

• Current residents of Westchester County (residency preference)
• Working families (at least one adult employed 30+ hours per week)
• Veterans
• People experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence
• Families displaced by government action (for example, urban renewal)

Read each PHA's Administrative Plan for the exact preference tiers. These are public documents. Ask the PHA for a copy or check the website ^[1]. The Administrative Plan is the rulebook for everything from how preferences work to how long you get to find a unit once a voucher lands in your hands.

Straight talk: if you need housing in the next 12 months, the HCV waitlist alone is not your plan. Pair it with an LIHTC search and call 211 Westchester (dial 211) for emergency shelter and rapid rehousing referrals.

How do you apply for Section 8 or public housing in Westchester?

The process depends on which PHA and which program you're after.

For WCHA's HCV program, applications go in online at the WCHA website when the waitlist is open. You'll need basic household information, income documentation, and Social Security numbers for everyone in the household. After you submit, WCHA runs a lottery if it got more applications than slots, then mails notices to the winners. Keep your mailing address current. Miss a WCHA notice deadline (often 10 days) and you're off the list ^[1].

For YMHA, same general flow, online or in person at 1 Buena Vista Avenue, Yonkers. YMHA manages both public housing units and HCV vouchers under separate waitlists, so apply for both if both are open.

For LIHTC buildings, contact each property's management company directly. Many use a paper or online pre-application, then add you to an internal waitlist. There's no central system for this in Westchester, which is genuinely annoying.

For project-based Section 8 buildings, contact the property manager. HUD's project-based inventory for Westchester is searchable at the National Housing Preservation Database ^[8].

Here's what you'll typically need at application or when your name comes up:

• Government-issued ID for all adults
• Birth certificates for all household members
• Social Security cards
• Proof of income (pay stubs, benefit award letters, tax returns)
• Landlord references or rental history
• Proof of any claimed preference status

Missing documents cost you months. Gather everything before your name reaches the top.

What can Section 8 voucher holders actually afford to rent in Westchester?

It comes down to payment standards, which each PHA sets from HUD's Fair Market Rents (FMRs). The FMR is HUD's estimate of what a modest unit costs locally, pegged to the 40th percentile of gross rents paid by recent movers ^[9].

For FY2024, HUD set Westchester County FMRs at roughly:

Unit Size	FY2024 FMR
Studio (0-BR)	$1,820
1-Bedroom	$2,118
2-Bedroom	$2,607
3-Bedroom	$3,260
4-Bedroom	$3,738

PHAs can set payment standards anywhere from 90 percent to 110 percent of the FMR without HUD approval, and higher with Small Area FMR exceptions ^[9]. WCHA and YMHA both tend to sit near the HUD FMR, which still leaves a real gap in many Westchester neighborhoods where asking rents run $500 to $1,000 above FMR.

A voucher holder can pay more than 30 percent of income toward rent only when the unit's rent tops the payment standard, and never more than 40 percent of monthly adjusted income at initial lease-up ^[4]. In practice, many Westchester families can't bridge that gap in high-demand towns like Scarsdale or Larchmont, so they concentrate their search in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and parts of White Plains where real rents sit closer to payment standards.

Landlords who want to see the math laid out can read our full breakdown of the housing section 8 program, which explains how HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) contracts and payment standards fit together.

Are Westchester landlords required to accept Section 8 vouchers?

Yes, in almost every case. New York State's Human Rights Law, amended by the Source of Income Discrimination law (Article 15, NY Executive Law), bars landlords from refusing to rent to tenants solely because they use a housing subsidy ^[10]. It applies statewide, all of Westchester included. The county's own Human Rights Law repeats the protection.

So a landlord cannot advertise "no Section 8" and cannot turn down a qualified applicant just because part of the rent will come from a PHA. They can still screen for credit, rental history, and income, as long as they apply the same criteria to everyone.

Report violations to the New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR) or the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. The county commission has handled source-of-income complaints and can impose civil penalties.

This sets New York apart from most of the country. Look at markets like Broward County, Florida (Fort Lauderdale and around it), or most of the South and Midwest, and landlord participation in the voucher program is voluntary. New York's mandatory participation law is one reason Westchester voucher holders have a wider pool of units, at least on paper.

In reality, some landlords still try to screen out voucher holders sideways, say by demanding a high income multiple before counting the subsidy. Apply a different income test to voucher holders than to market-rate applicants and that's likely a violation. Document it and file a complaint.

What affordable housing programs does Westchester County itself run?

Beyond the PHAs, Westchester County government runs several housing programs through its Department of Planning.

The biggest one for renters is the county's Affordable Housing Opportunities program, which works with municipalities and developers on inclusionary zoning deals. Under the Affordable Housing Settlement Agreement of 2009, Westchester committed to building 750 affordable units in mostly white communities by 2016, funded in part by a $62.5 million HUD Community Development Block Grant ^[11]. Those units are built and occupied now, but they show the county acting as a housing creator, more than a voucher administrator.

Westchester also runs a Homeownership Assistance Program for low and moderate income first-time buyers, and a Weatherization program through the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Neither is a rental program, but both shape the broader supply.

For renters, the working resource is the county's Housing Help Center, which connects you to emergency rental assistance, eviction prevention, and legal aid. Call (914) 995-2900.

The low income housing tax credit program, run in New York through HCR, has funded dozens of Westchester developments over the past two decades. Those are the privately owned affordable buildings mentioned earlier. HCR's Affordable Housing Finder lists them ^[6].

VoucherReady's free waitlist tools track which Westchester waitlists are open, so you're not clicking through five PHA websites by hand.

How does a Section 8 inspection work in Westchester County?

Before a PHA pays a dime on a unit, an inspector has to confirm it meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS), set out in 24 CFR 982.401 ^[4]. Every unit needs an inspection before a voucher works there, no matter how nice the place looks.

In Westchester, WCHA and YMHA both run HQS inspections in-house. After a tenant and landlord sign a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA), a first inspection usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, though that swings with PHA staffing.

Common fail items in Westchester's older housing stock:

• Missing or dead smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Peeling paint (a lead paint hazard in pre-1978 buildings)
• Inoperable windows or missing window guards (required for families with children under 10 under NY state law, though Westchester enforcement varies by municipality)
• Heating system problems
• Exposed electrical wiring

Fail an inspection and the landlord gets a set correction window (usually 24 hours for life-threatening defects, 30 days for the rest) to fix things and schedule a re-inspection. The tenant can't move in and the PHA can't pay until the unit passes.

Landlords new to the program save themselves a lot of grief by learning this up front. A pre-inspection walkthrough with a contractor who knows HQS is money well spent.

What resources help tenants find Section 8-friendly rentals in Westchester?

Finding a landlord willing to run the PHA process in Westchester is still hard, source-of-income law or not. Here are the tools that actually work.

Go Section 8 (goSection8.com) lists landlords who've flagged themselves as voucher-friendly, searchable by county and zip code. Listings skew toward Yonkers and Mount Vernon, where more landlords already know the program.

Section 8 houses for rent searches on Zillow and Hotpads now let you filter by "accepts housing vouchers" in many markets, Westchester included. Results are incomplete but growing.

WCHA and YMHA both keep informal landlord referral lists. Ask your caseworker. They won't publish them, but they exist.

211 Westchester (dial 211) is genuinely useful. Its database covers emergency housing, motel vouchers, transitional housing, and sometimes leads on landlords with open units right now.

HUD's own resource locator at resources.hud.gov maps affordable housing near any address ^[12], both public housing and LIHTC buildings.

One hard constraint: Westchester voucher holders often get 60 to 120 days to find a unit from the date the voucher issues ^[4]. WCHA can grant extensions for documented good-faith search effort, but not forever. Start looking before your name hits the top. Many PHAs let you begin an informal search once you know you're within six months of it.

Our HUD housing guide covers how to cross-reference the HUD locator with PHA data to build a real target list.

What are the specific details for the Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority?

Yonkers is the largest city in Westchester and runs its own full-service PHA. Keeping YMHA straight from WCHA matters, because the two overlap geographically and families mix them up all the time.

YMHA manages roughly 2,000 public housing units across several developments, including Schlobohm Houses and Cottage Place Gardens ^[1]. It also runs a Housing Choice Voucher program. The two waitlists are separate.

YMHA's HCV payment standards track close to HUD FMRs for Westchester. Its Administrative Plan (available on request) governs preferences, and Yonkers residency and working-family preferences carry heavy weight.

For public housing, YMHA runs its own tenant selection. Federal admissions rules under 24 CFR Part 960 apply, including the ban on admitting a household where any member was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on federally assisted property, plus PHA discretion on other criminal history ^[4].

YMHA's public housing waitlist has also been closed for long stretches. Contact: 1 Buena Vista Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710, phone (914) 376-4300.

The other city PHAs (White Plains, Mount Vernon, Port Chester) are smaller. White Plains Housing Authority manages a few hundred public housing units. Mount Vernon's authority is similar in scale. Both have had waitlists closed to general applicants in recent years. Call directly to confirm current status.

How does Westchester compare to other high-cost counties on housing affordability?

Westchester sits among the most expensive rental markets in the country, though it's no longer the outlier it once was. For comparison, Miami-Dade and Broward County, Florida (home of Fort Lauderdale and the Broward County Housing Authority) have posted rent growth rivaling Westchester in recent years, and unlike New York, Florida has no statewide source-of-income protection, so the voucher is harder to actually use even once you hold one.

In Westchester, a family earning 30 percent of AMI (about $30,750 for a family of four in FY2024) would need to spend more than 100 percent of gross income to afford a median 2-bedroom without subsidy. That's not hyperbole, it's arithmetic from HUD's FMR data and census income distributions ^[5][9].

Across New York State, HCR reports that over 600,000 renter households are severely cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 50 percent of income on rent ^[6]. Westchester families account for a meaningful share given local rent levels.

The gap between what a voucher pays and what Westchester landlords ask is the core dysfunction. HUD's Small Area FMR rules let PHAs in high-cost metros use zip-code-level payment standards instead of one countywide figure, which can open higher-rent neighborhoods to voucher holders. WCHA has explored this but not adopted it across the board. Pushing your PHA toward Small Area FMRs is a real policy lever for tenant advocates.

Families in other high-cost markets face the same dynamics. Our article 1 section 8 resource covers the federal program structure, and the same rules run from Westchester to Broward County to King County, Washington.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for Section 8 in Westchester County?

Apply directly to the Westchester County Housing Authority (WCHA) at westchestergov.com/housing or to the Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority at ymha.com when their waitlists open. Both use online applications. Waitlists open infrequently, sometimes by lottery. Call WCHA at (914) 367-2900 or YMHA at (914) 376-4300 to confirm current status before you apply.

How long is the Section 8 waitlist in Westchester County?

Expect 3 to 7 years for most applicants, based on PHA annual reports and HUD program data. YMHA's voucher waitlist held over 3,000 families against roughly 400 to 600 new vouchers a year in recent planning documents. Preferences for local residents, veterans, domestic violence survivors, and working families can shorten your wait a lot.

Is the Westchester County Housing Authority waitlist open right now?

WCHA's HCV waitlist opens periodically, often for a short application window followed by a lottery. As of mid-2025 the list has been closed to general applicants. Check westchestergov.com/housing directly or call (914) 367-2900 for current status. Conditions change with little notice, so check every few months.

What is the income limit for Section 8 in Westchester County?

For the Housing Choice Voucher program, the limit is 50 percent of Area Median Income, roughly $51,300 for a family of four in FY2024. HUD publishes exact limits by household size at huduser.gov. At least 75 percent of new vouchers must go to families at 30 percent AMI (about $30,750 for a family of four) under federal law.

Can a Westchester landlord legally refuse a Section 8 voucher?

No. New York State's Human Rights Law bars source-of-income discrimination statewide, so landlords cannot refuse a qualified tenant solely because they use a housing voucher. Westchester County's own Human Rights Law mirrors it. File violations with the NY State Division of Human Rights or the Westchester County Human Rights Commission.

What apartments accept Section 8 in Westchester County?

Because NY law requires landlord participation, in theory all private rentals must consider vouchers. In practice, search goSection8.com, HUD's Resource Locator at resources.hud.gov, and Zillow's 'accepts housing vouchers' filter. Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and parts of White Plains have the most landlords with active PHA experience and rents near payment standards.

What is the Section 8 payment standard in Westchester County for 2024?

WCHA and YMHA set payment standards from HUD's Fair Market Rents. FY2024 Westchester FMRs run from about $1,820 for a studio to $3,738 for a 4-bedroom. PHAs can set standards from 90 to 110 percent of FMR without HUD approval. Actual standards vary, so contact each PHA directly for its current schedule.

Are there any low income apartments in Westchester County that don't require a waitlist?

Rarely, but it happens. LIHTC (tax credit) buildings sometimes have an immediate vacancy when a tenant moves out unexpectedly. Contact each building's management company directly and ask to be added to their list or notified of openings. The NY State HCR Affordable Housing Finder at hcr.ny.gov lists properties by county. Turnover is slow but not zero.

Does Westchester County have low income senior housing?

Yes. Several HUD-assisted senior developments run under project-based Section 8 contracts across the county, including in Yonkers, White Plains, and smaller towns. WCHA also has accessible units in its public housing stock. The HUD Resource Locator at resources.hud.gov filters for elderly and disability-designated housing. Our low income senior housing guide covers national program mechanics.

How do I port my Section 8 voucher to Westchester County from another state?

Under portability rules in 24 CFR 982.353, you can port your voucher to any PHA jurisdiction after your initial 12-month residency requirement (or sooner with qualifying reasons). Contact your current PHA to start the port, then contact WCHA or YMHA as the receiving PHA. Westchester PHAs can absorb or bill back the voucher, so confirm which approach WCHA is using now.

What is the difference between public housing and Section 8 in Westchester?

Public housing is apartments the PHA owns and manages directly, like YMHA's Schlobohm Houses. Section 8 (Housing Choice Vouchers) is a subsidy you take to a private landlord of your choosing. Public housing rents run about 30 percent of income; vouchers work the same way but the unit is private. Each has a separate waitlist. Both have long waits in Westchester.

What emergency rental assistance is available in Westchester County?

Call 211 Westchester for immediate referrals to emergency rental assistance, eviction prevention funds, and transitional housing. The county's Housing Help Center at (914) 995-2900 also connects you to legal aid and stabilization funds. New York's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) runs statewide emergency rental programs when federal funding is active. Programs change often, so 211 has the freshest data.

How do LIHTC affordable apartments in Westchester work?

Low Income Housing Tax Credit buildings are privately owned apartments where developers took federal tax credits in exchange for renting a share of units to households at 50 or 60 percent of AMI. Rents are capped below market but not as low as a Section 8 tenant would pay. You apply through each building directly, not a PHA. HCR's affordable housing finder lists Westchester properties. Income verification happens at move-in and annually.

Sources

1. Westchester County Housing Authority, official program page: WCHA administers the HCV program for Westchester County; YMHA is a separate PHA serving Yonkers with approximately 2,000 public housing units and its own HCV program
2. HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY2024 Income Limits, Westchester County NY: FY2024 Westchester County AMI is $136,900 for a family of four; 50 percent AMI (very low income) is approximately $51,300; 30 percent AMI is approximately $30,750 for a family of four
3. New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), affordable housing resources: HCR administers the LIHTC program in New York State and maintains an Affordable Housing Finder database searchable by county; over 600,000 NY renter households are severely cost-burdened
4. HUD, Picture of Subsidized Households dataset: PHA-level data on voucher utilization, waitlist sizes, and turnover rates used to estimate Westchester waitlist duration of 3-7 years
5. National Housing Preservation Database: Lists project-based Section 8 properties by county, searchable by Westchester to identify buildings with HUD HAP contracts where the subsidy is attached to specific units
6. HUD, Fair Market Rents FY2024, Westchester County: FY2024 Westchester County FMRs: studio $1,820; 1-BR $2,118; 2-BR $2,607; 3-BR $3,260; 4-BR $3,738; PHAs may set payment standards 90-110 percent of FMR without HUD approval
7. New York State Division of Human Rights, Source of Income Discrimination, NY Executive Law Article 15: New York State Human Rights Law prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to tenants because they use a housing subsidy, applicable statewide including Westchester County
8. HUD Resource Locator: HUD's online tool maps affordable housing including public housing and LIHTC properties near any address, filterable by elderly/disability designation