The West Side Commons is an Affordable Housing Ambassador with NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. We have received training to help New Yorker’s access affordable housing. New York City has limited  housing resources that are affordable to low and moderate income families.. At present, there are more applicants seeking affordable housing than there are units available. Our role as Affordable Housing Ambassadors is to connect you with what housing you are eligible for and what is available. We then walk you through the application process for the housing you wish to apply for.

To request assistance and schedule an appointment with our Family Services Program staff, complete our Request for Assistance form. If you have an emergency (eviction, no food, shut off notice) you can call our hotline at 212-874-7272 leave your phone number and a brief description of your problem and someone will get back to you within two hours.

You can also email:

• Erica Bynum at ebynum@stryckersbay.org (habla espanol)
• Janice Bethea at jbethea@stryckersbay.org

Despite the low inventory of affordable housing, there are programs available that may assist you with your current housing situation. The following programs include:

• Open Doors Guide is a resource that explains how to seek assistance in finding housing, programs for special populations in need of assistance, and guidance on how to search for an apartment.
• NYC Housing Connect is a portable for New Yorkers to search and apply for affordable housing opportunities throughout the five boroughs. Once you create an account, you will have access to submit applications through their portal for available housing opportunities. 
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides access to resources and agencies within your current location that can assist you in finding housing or programs to support your housing needs.
• New York State Division of Human Rights Fair Housing Guide is a resource which outlines your rights as a tenant in a NYC housing unit and how to proceed if you feel your rights are violated.