Applying for Public Housing
Current Application Status:
Applications are currently being accepted for near elderly, elderly, and disabled residents only!
How to Apply
To apply for public housing, complete an application to be placed on a waiting list. Within 6-8 weeks of receiving your application, you will receive an "Application Receipt Letter" from the Newark Housing Authority (NHA). This letter confirms your placement on the preliminary waiting list based on the preference system and family composition information you provided. It will also contain your client control number, which should be used for all future correspondence with the NHA.
Screening Process
When you reach the top of the waitlist, the Occupancy Department will contact you for screening. All applicants must successfully complete this process to be placed in a public housing unit.
Checking Your Status
For your convenience, you can check your application status and update your contact information online at NHA Waitlist 24/7. You can also access your account at designated computer terminals from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, at NHA's Central Office Lobby (500 Broad Street, Newark, NJ). For assistance, call (973) 273-6127 between 9 am-12 pm on Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Fri, and from 1 pm-4 pm on Tues.
Admission Preferences
General Preference Categories
- Upward Mobility: Families with at least one adult employed at least 20 hours per week, full-time students, or those in job training programs, including recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Elderly and disabled individuals also qualify.
- Elderly Preference: Families where the head of household, spouse, or co-head is 62 years or older.
- Disabled Preference: Families where the head of household, spouse, or co-head is a person with disabilities.
Special Preferences
- Millennium Way Preference: For qualified disabled or chronically homeless individuals referred by Rutgers-University Behavioral Health Care (RUBHC). Limited to 12 one-bedroom and 3 two-bedroom units.
- DCP&P Preference: For families referred by the Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCP&P), addressing housing needs to prevent family separation.
- Chadwick Development Preference: For qualified disabled or chronically homeless individuals referred by RUBHC. Limited to 15 one-bedroom units.
- Special Admission - Disaster: In the event of a federally or locally declared disaster or civil disturbance, the Executive Director may waive the date and time of application requirements. This waiver will be in writing and approved by the NHA General Counsel.
Income Limits
To qualify for public housing, your annual income must not exceed 80% of the area median income for Newark, NJ. The income limits based on household size are:
| 1 Person |
$68,500 |
| 2 Persons |
$78,250 |
| 3 Persons |
$88,050 |
| 4 Persons |
$97,800 |
| 5 Persons |
$105,650 |
| 6 Persons |
$113,450 |
| 7 Persons |
$121,300 |
| 8 Persons |
$129,100 |
Placement and Right of Refusal
Applicants can refuse a housing offer for "Good Cause," such as inaccessibility to employment or education, health and safety concerns, or inappropriate unit for disabilities. If an applicant refuses an offer without good cause, their name will be removed from the waiting list.
Required Documentation
When nearing the top of the waiting list, applicants will receive a notification for a personal interview. Required documents include:
- Original birth certificates or adoption papers for all household members
- Original Social Security cards
- Marriage certificate
- Picture identification
- Six current pay stubs or other income verification
- Six current bank statements or documentation of assets
- Current income for all family members
- Notarized letters for adult members with no income
- Child care expense documentation
- Current rent receipt and utility bills
- Receipts for medical expenses (for elderly and disabled only)
- School enrollment verification for household members 18 or older
- Documentation of citizenship or eligible non-citizen status
Maintaining Active Waiting List Status
The NHA may close the waiting list if it has enough applicants to fill projected vacancies for the next 24 months. When reopening the list, the NHA will announce it at least 10 business days prior and provide details on where, when, and how applications will be received.
Screening and Notification Process
NHA conducts criminal background checks for all adult household members. If selected from the waiting list, families will be notified by mail with details about the application interview and required documents. If a notification letter is returned with no forwarding address, the family will be removed from the waiting list.