Adult Families: Applying for Temporary Housing Assistance - DHS

Department of Homeless Services

Serving New Yorkers with Care & Compassion


Adult Families

Families with Children
Adult Families

Families with Children

Adult Families


Adult Families: Applying for Temporary Housing Assistance

Where do families with children over 21 apply for shelter?

Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC)
400-430 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
AFIC is open 24 hours per day, including weekends and holidays.

How to Get There:

Subway: Take the 6 train to 28th Street. Walk east to 1st Avenue, turn left, and head north to 30th Street.
Bus: Take the M15 to 29th Street.

To learn more about AFIC, download our brochure.

View the interactive version here.

What if I don’t speak English?

Interpreter assistance will be made available for individuals who do not speak English.

What do adult families need to bring to AFIC in order to apply for temporary housing assistance?

Adult families applying for shelter must have valid, original identification, such as:

Any form of ID with a picture and proof of age, such as a welfare ID card, green card, driver's license, passport or visa, or picture employment card

Birth certificate

Social Security card

Medicaid card

Identity card in the Public Assistance System

If working, your most recent pay stub

It is also a requirement for each applicant to provide proof of residence for the last year. As such, it is always useful if clients are able to bring documents such as eviction papers or marshal's notices, leases, Con Edison or telephone bills, pay stubs, or proof of income.
Please be advised that clients should not bring the following items into AFIC:

Any contraband, alcohol, or illegal substances (smoking is not allowed in public buildings within New York City)

Expensive personal belongings (DHS is not responsible for lost or damaged goods)

Friends and visitors, or anyone not a part of the applicant family

Food

Furniture

Cameras

Appliances

Pets

What is involved with the application process for adult families?

Adult families must apply for shelter in order to ensure that they do not have an alternative housing option available to them. DHS firmly believes that families are best served in their communities through prevention efforts and that they should only utilize temporary emergency shelter as a last resort when they are experiencing an immediate housing crisis.

Once an adult family arrives at AFIC, they will first be interviewed by a caseworker, who will inquire about their living situation and explain the services that may help them avoid shelter altogether-including family mediation, anti-eviction legal services, out-of-city relocation assistance, Family Eviction Prevention Supplement (FEPS), or a one-shot deal through the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA).
If these services do not apply to a family’s specific circumstances, a DHS family worker interviews the family to obtain information about their prior living situation. Families may be assigned a temporary shelter placement for up to 10 days while DHS investigates the information provided during the interview. Based on the investigation, DHS determines whether the family is eligible or ineligible for shelter, based on whether they have fully cooperated with the application and eligibility process and/or have other housing options available to them.

What if I disagree with the Agency’s eligibility determination?

Every household has a right to a legal conference at AFIC if they are found ineligible and disagree with the decision. In addition, they have 60 days after being found ineligible to request a Fair Hearing from New York State.