Are you 18-25 with barriers to living independently and looking for LGBTQIA housing?

Apartments available to very low-income young adults aged 18 to 25 at entry who are experiencing barriers to living independently (behavioral, functional, or physical conditions). Supportive housing is affordable housing with voluntary onsite support services.

Building features:

  • Fully furnished studio apartments
  • Community spaces: community room w/ kitchen, library, computer room, terraces
  • Rental assistance thru NYC 15/15 Initiative (rent based on income)
  • Live-in building superintendent
  • 24/7 onsite security
  • Locations in West Harlem, the Bronx and Central Harlem

Program features:

  • Onsite services: counseling, case management, connections to community resources, group activities, skills-building & empowerment programs
  • Tenant services staff: life skills coaches, case managers & clinicians
  • Case managers work w/ tenants to identify strengths & needs, and develop an individualized service plan
  • Individual & group counseling w/ Harm Reduction, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Wellness Self-Management, Motivational Interviewing & Peer Mentoring
  • Resident Advisory Council: dialogue & collaboration between tenants & staff

How do I qualify?

Approved applicants will be ages 18-25 at move in, be LGBTQIA friendly and have income to qualify for Section 8 Housing Vouchers*

More on qualifications for our Bronx and West Harlem sites

Qualified applicants are referred to us through NYC’s Coordinated Assessment and Placement System (CAPS) by:

*Rent for residents qualified for Section 8 Housing Vouchers is set at 30% of their annual income. This income may come in the form of employment or retirement income, Social Security or governmental assistance (cash assistance, Social Security Disability Insurance, etc.).

Where do I start?

NYC 15/15 and most other supportive housing programs are different from regular affordable housing applications. You generally do not apply directly to an individual NYC 15/15 building. Instead, you must first complete the NYC Supportive Housing Application, which was previously called the HRA 2010e.

The supportive housing application must be completed and submitted on your behalf by an approved social service or healthcare provider. This may include a case manager, social worker, mental health provider, hospital/discharge planning team, shelter provider, street outreach organization, or other authorized community-based provider.

If you are already working with a case manager, therapist, social worker, medical provider, or another community-based organization, you should ask them:

“I am interested in applying for NYC supportive housing, including NYC 15/15. Is your agency able to complete and submit the NYC Supportive Housing Application through CAPS?”

Your provider will work with you to complete the application through NYC’s Coordinated Assessment and Placement System (CAPS). CAPS stands for Coordinated Assessment and Placement System. Through CAPS, individuals and families who are homeless (or at risk of being homeless) are assessed, prioritized, and referred for supportive housing based on their needs. 

The application is used to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements for different supportive housing programs. Depending on your circumstances, this may include NYC 15/15 or other supportive housing initiatives.

The application will include information about your:

  • Current housing situation
  • Housing and homelessness history
  • Income and benefits
  • Medical and/or behavioral health needs, when applicable
  • Current services and treatment
  • Ability to maintain housing independently
  • Supportive services that may help you remain successfully housed
  • Household composition, if you are applying as a family
  • Depending on the supportive housing category being considered, additional clinical or supporting documentation may also be required.

Begin to organize documents that may be needed during the application and housing placement process, including:

  • Government-issued photo identification
  • Social Security documentation
  • Birth certificate, if available
  • Proof of income and/or benefits
  • Documentation of your current housing situation
  • Documentation of your housing or homelessness history
  • Medical or behavioral health documentation, when applicable
  • Disability or reasonable accommodation documentation, if applicable
  • Contact information for your current providers

Do not delay speaking with a provider simply because you do not have every document. Your provider can help determine exactly what documentation is required for your particular application.

Once the supportive housing application is submitted, HRA reviews the information and determines whether you meet the eligibility criteria for supportive housing and which supportive housing category or initiative is appropriate.

This is important because you do not have to independently determine whether you qualify specifically for NYC 15/15. The supportive housing application is used to assess your eligibility for the different supportive housing programs available through the City’s system.

If you are approved, your provider will receive a determination letter identifying the supportive housing category for which you have been found eligible.

Your application can then move into the referral and placement process. When an appropriate housing opportunity becomes available, your application may be referred to a supportive housing provider for consideration.

An approval does not mean that an apartment is immediately available. Supportive housing vacancies are limited, and there may be a waiting period before an appropriate unit becomes available.

We recommend that you not rely exclusively on supportive housing. While the supportive housing application is being processed, continue exploring other housing opportunities for which you may qualify, including:

  • NYC Housing Connect affordable housing lotteries
  • NYCHA public housing
  • Section 8 or other rental subsidy opportunities when available
  • Senior or disability-accessible housing, if applicable
  • Affordable housing developments with open waiting lists
  • Housing programs offered through nonprofit organizations

It is helpful to keep a housing application log that includes the name of each program, date you applied, application or confirmation number, contact person, documents submitted, and any required follow-up.

Your most important next step for NYC 15/15 or other supportive housing is to identify a social service or healthcare provider who can complete the NYC Supportive Housing Application with you.

If you are currently connected to a case manager, social worker, therapist, hospital, medical provider, or community-based organization, we recommend contacting them first and asking whether they are an authorized supportive housing referring agency and can submit the application through CAPS.

If they cannot complete the application, ask them to help connect you with an organization that can.

Once you know whether you already have a provider who can submit the application, we can better determine what your next steps should be.

Vacancy update:

As of March 2026, Central Harlem is full. However, Bronx and West Harlem may have vacancies.

Please note that qualified applicants are referred to us through NYC’s Coordinated Assessment and Placement System (CAPS). If you’re a service provider and need to connect with one of our case managers:

  • Bronx: email bronx[AT]homeward[DOT]nyc
  • West Harlem: email westharlem[AT]homeward[DOT]nyc
  • Central Harlem: email centralharlem[AT]homeward[DOT]nyc

If you’re an individual seeking immediate assistance, please contact a drop-in program such as The Ali Forney Center or New Alternatives.

More housing resources:

The Ali Forney Center: Services for homeless LGBTQ youth at their 24/7 drop-in center in Harlem, and crisis and transitional housing sites throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens

The Door: Locations in SoHo and the Bronx providing a range of housing, health and legal services for young people ages 12 to 24, and two supportive housing communities for young adults who are homeless or aging out of foster care

Project Renewal: Emergency, transitional, and permanent housing in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan; and job training and health services

City of New York Department of Homeless Services

For other housing and services resources, more here