Ready, Set, Apply!
A guide to applying for affordable housing that explains the application process, how to make a strong application for an affordable housing unit, and other resources.
Getting ready to apply for affordable housing takes time, and it involves more than just filling out paperwork. Each building has different income qualifications and required materials, which can make putting together a strong application confusing. What exactly is affordable housing, and what does it take to qualify to live in it? How much money should you save and what kind of credit do you need to have?
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) collaborated with CUP, designer Maison Papercut, and illustrator Rebecca Clarke to help people understand how to apply for affordable housing.
Financial empowerment and preparedness is a key part of preparing an affordable housing application. In addition to explaining how to apply for affordable housing, Ready, Set, Apply! provides concrete steps that low- to moderate-income people can take to strengthen their financial profile before even starting their applications.
In addition to the guide being available in English and Spanish, CUP has since partnered with HPD to translate the guide into sixteen additional languages, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), French, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Urdu, Yiddish, and Yoruba.
“[Ready, Set, Apply!] met HPD’s goal of providing accessible, visual information on applying for affordable housing and helping low- and moderate-income individuals build financial health. The guide is a departure from standard agency-designed materials and reflects a true community-engaged design process.”
—Elizabeth Greenstein, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Download For Free
Ready, Set, Apply — Albanian Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Arabic Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Bengali Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Chinese Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Chinese [Simplified] Download
Ready, Set, Apply — English Download
Ready, Set, Apply — French Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Haitian Creole Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Hindi Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Italian Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Korean Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Polish Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Punjabi Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Russian Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Spanish Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Urdu Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Yiddish Download
Ready, Set, Apply — Yoruba Download
Project Collaborators
Advocacy Partners
New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development
Elizabeth Greenstein
Emily Osgood
New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
Kimberly Goulart
Designer
Maison Papercut
Rebecca Clarke (Illustrator)