Mitchell-Lama Program - HPD

Housing Preservation & Development


Affordable Housing

Mitchell-Lama


Mitchell-Lama

Masaryk Towers, a 1,105-unit Mitchell-Lama cooperative

The Mitchell-Lama program provides affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families.

The program was sponsored by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell and Assemblyman Alfred Lama, and was signed into law in 1955. There are both New York City supervised Mitchell-Lama developments and New York State supervised Mitchell-Lama developments.

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Applicant Information

How to Apply

Each development requires that you apply separately. There is no master list for applications. However, you can apply to more than one development at a time. Mitchell-Lama apartments are sold or rented through waiting lists kept by each development. In order to apply to a Mitchell-Lama with an open waiting list, please contact the managing agent directly and request an application. The link below will direct you to the developments with open waiting lists and will provide the name and contact information for the managing agents. Many Mitchell-Lama waiting lists are closed because there are already enough applicants listed to fill vacancies expected for the foreseeable future. Periodically, these developments open their waiting lists and new applications are accepted based on a lottery system. Through Mitchell-Lama Connect, you can view Mitchell-Lama developments that are opening up their waiting lists and are currently accepting entries to their lotteries, create and update your account profile, and submit entries to Mitchell-Lama waiting list lotteries.

Mitchell-Lama Waiting List: Last Numbers approved by HPD
Mitchell-Lama Developments with open waiting lists

Mitchell-Lama Developments with short waiting lists

New York City supervised Mitchell-Lama Developments

New York State supervised Mitchell-Lama Developments

If you are a veteran residing in New York State you may be entitled to a preference for Mitchell-Lama developments with an open waiting list.

Mitchell-Lama waiting list applicants who want to withdraw their application from a current waitlist must contact the development’s management office to request a refund of the application fee, minus a $50 administrative fee. Requests for refunds must be put in writing and sent directly to the managing agent. As of August 2019, the application fee for new waitlist applicants is $75 and is non-refundable.

External Waiting List Status

Through Mitchell-Lama Connect, you can view the waiting list number and date the last application was approved for each Mitchell-Lama development. This information will allow you to monitor your progress on the waiting list. The waiting list information gets updated each time we approve an application.

Mitchell-Lama Waiting List: Last Numbers approved by HPD

You can also view the entire waiting list for each apartment size on the Mitchell-Lama Waiting List webpage. (These waiting lists are updated annually.

Eligibility Requirements

All Mitchell-Lama developments have eligibility requirements related to income limits, family size, and apartment size.

Income Limits

Maximum income limits differ for federally-assisted rental and cooperative developments, and non-federally-assisted developments. The waiting list specifies if a development is federally subsidized and if the development is a rental or cooperative. Please note that income limits are only to be used during the Mitchell-Lama admissions process.

Household Size
2024 Income Limits

Federally Assisted Rental
Federally Assisted Cooperative
Non-Federally Assisted

1
$86,960
$135,875

2
$99,440
$155,375

3
$111,840
$174,750

4
$124,240
$194,125

5
$134,160
$209,625

6
$144,080
$225,125

7
$154,080
$240,750

8
$164,000
$256,250

Resident Information

Mitchell-Lama Income Verification Audit

2020 Income Affidavit Audit Letter

Mitchell-Lama rules require that residents verify their household income annually, and residents whose household income exceeds the applicable limit are obligated to pay a surcharge in addition to their scheduled basic rent/maintenance. These surcharges enhance the financial health of the development and are a fundamental condition of Mitchell-Lama residency. Accordingly, HPD seeks to regularly compare the income reported by Mitchell-Lama residents on their annual income affidavits against tax return information maintained by the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF).

To help ensure that incomes are accurately reported, HPD has directed the managers of Mitchell-Lama developments to obtain and review the certified NYS tax returns for tenants whose income reported on their income verifications does not match the income listed in DTF’s records. HPD has also required management to request that those tenants supply documentation evidencing that their Mitchell-Lama apartment is their primary residence,as this is another fundamental obligation of tenants who live in Mitchell-Lama developments. Please consult our FAQs for additional details regarding the income verification audit.

Succession Rights

Application for Succession Rights (The Application for Succession Rights and supporting documents must be submitted to the managing agent for your development)

Instructions for Succession Right Application

Income Affidavit

2023 Income Affidavit (A fully completed income affidavit must be submitted to the management company of your development by April 30th of each year)

Instructions for Income Affidavit and Income Affidavit Questions and Answers

Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption

Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE): Senior citizens with yearly incomes below $50,000 who live in Mitchell-Lama, Article XI, or federally-assisted co-ops may be eligible for exemption from all or some increases in rents, carrying charges, capital assessment or voluntary capital contributions.

Shareholder Training for Co-ops

Shareholder Training for Co-ops: HPD has prepared a Shareholder Training package based on questions and issues commonly encountered with Mitchell-Lama co-op shareholders. We believe the training will serve as a useful resource for new shareholders to become acquainted with important aspects of living in a Mitchell-Lama co-op. Existing shareholders will find answers to frequently-asked questions by reviewing the training package and searching for specific information.

Management Information

Mitchell-Lama Approved Property Management Companies

On a rolling basis, HPD reviews applications from property management companies seeking to be included on HPD's list of firms qualified to manage Mitchell-Lama developments. Learn more about the application and qualification requirements for Mitchell-Lama Property Management.

The list of Qualified Mitchell-Lama Property Managers is intended to serve as a resource for City Mitchell-Lama housing companies to find eligible property managers.

Mitchell-Lama Board Training Videos

The New York State Private Housing Finance Law (PHFL) now requires that Mitchell-Lama co-op board members complete a training program approved by their supervising agency within the first year of their term and at least once every three years thereafter. HPD has prepared these training modules for board members to review to satisfy their board training requirement.

The Training Certification form must be completed by board members and filed with the board’s Secretary. Per the PHFL, Training Certifications are to be maintained by the Secretary as a corporate record and distributed to shareholders annually and upon the filing by an incumbent director of notice that she or he intends to seek re-election to the board.

Commencing with any co-op board election scheduled to take place on or after July 1, 2023, in addition to submitting proposed election documents for HPD’s review and approval, HPD will require that housing companies provide a Certification signed by the board’s incumbent Secretary that lists the candidates running for the board, indicates their incumbent or non-incumbent status and confirms that each incumbent has submitted a required Training Certification. No incumbent board member may be permitted to run for re-election unless she or he has submitted their Training Certification form to the board Secretary.

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Introduction and Overview

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Income Verification Audit Process

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Succession Rights

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Application Process

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Vacancy Reporting

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: PHFL and Local Laws

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE)

Mitchell-Lama Board Training: Financial Oversight

Supplementary Material and Resources

Supplementary Material

Mitchell Lama Rules

PHFL information

Mitchell-Lama Rules

Rule Amendments Regarding the Mitchell-Lama Program
Effective Date: February 15, 2024

The adopted rule amendment authorizes a Mitchell-Lama housing company or HPD itself to seek rent increases for tenants whose rent is paid by a rental assistance subsidy, pursuant to an application from the Mitchell-Lama housing company that includes, among other things, a three-year projection of operations on a cash flow basis and the most recent annual audited financial statement. The implementation of rent increases for subsidized tenants can occur more often than every two years. Housing companies, which benefit from the additional cash flow available through the rental assistance subsidy programs without imposing any increased rental burden on the residents, can thus achieve this result on an expedited, more frequent basis.

Rule Amendments Regarding the Mitchell-Lama Program
Effective Date: July 20, 2023

The rule amendments to Chapter 3 of Title 28 of the Rules of the City of New York revise and clarify many aspects of Mitchell-Lama developments. Many of the rule amendments address repeated shareholder concerns regarding transparency and the need for increased oversight of the City’s Mitchell-Lama portfolio. Other amendments implement State amendments to the Private Housing Finance Law adopted by Chapter 749 of 2021 and Chapter 167 of 2022, which established certain voting and election procedures and established thresholds for votes to approve dissolution. The rule also makes technical changes to further improve HPD’s oversight of the operation of this critical affordable housing resource in the City of New York.

Additional Resources

For questions regarding the City-sponsored Mitchell-Lama Program: 212-863-6500, or email Mitchell-Lama@hpd.nyc.gov.

For information on the NYS-supervised Mitchell-Lama housing program, please visit New York State Homes and Community Renewal or call 866-463-7753.