How winning a small NYC lottery apartment will help me land an even larger place for me and my daughter
- Anasthasia used a housing voucher to cover the $2,200 rent for her one-bedroom lottery apartment
- The lottery apartment bought her time to seek a two bedroom with more room for her and her daughter
Anasthasia works at the housing nonprofit New Destiny Housing.
Photo courtesy Molly Stromoski
Anasthasia Blair was renting an apartment with a voucher when learned she had won a housing lottery apartment. She moved into a one-bedroom unit with her daughter, and said it gave her the stability to eventually find a place with more room for her family. Here’s her story as told to Brick Underground Senior Writer Celia Young.
I’m from New York City. I grew up in the Bed-Stuy area of Brooklyn, and did a lot of moving around, going to college upstate and living in Atlanta for a short time. I moved to New Jersey for three years, and then I came back to New York in 2022 after I gave birth to my daughter.
When I moved back to New York, I went into a domestic violence family shelter with my daughter for about nine months. Then I found an apartment on Trulia that I could afford with a housing voucher. But I always felt, for years, that a NYC Housing Connect apartment was going to come through for me. I applied almost every day.
I was right. After I was in that apartment for about eight months, I got called for a lottery unit.
If at first you’re not accepted, appeal
My application was initially denied for that lottery apartment in December 2023. So I immediately filed an appeal. Within the same week, they accepted my appeal, and in the same email, I was invited to see the unit without a fight.
It seemed like they didn't review my eligibility carefully, because they said that my voucher didn’t cover the rent that they were asking for—which was untrue. CityFHEPS was covering $2,387 at that time, and the rent they requested was $2,200. So I was able to use my voucher for that unit. That just goes to show that the marketing agents are not paying attention to the voucher amounts, and the standard pricing with or without utilities.
I always encourage folks to appeal. Do not let them tell you no without asking questions. The appeal box allows you to ask questions and put your application back under review, and you have one week to appeal.
Renting with her CityFHEPS voucher
It was my first time going to see a housing lottery unit, so I didn't know what to expect. But when I saw the unit, the building, and the amenities, it was so cute. I was super excited.
I told them I wanted to move forward, submitted additional documents, and then I had to wait for my file to be approved by HPD. It took them exactly four months to get my paperwork together, because I have a CityFHEPS voucher so that took four months to all fall into place. I was in the unit around April 17th.
I was able to keep using my voucher because I still qualify. My rent has gone up about $60 since I moved in, and when it goes up, I just automatically process it with CityFHEPS.
Moving in—after getting a few fixes
Honestly speaking, when I got into the apartment, it was not ready. It seems like they had been making additional renovations to the unit, and they had to fix some stuff. That was really disappointing.
The toilet seat wasn't on. They had a new one—it was just sitting next to the toilet and they just had to put it on. There was a crack in the ceiling, above the hallway closet. And then there was minor cleaning that needed to be done in the bathroom. I gave them two days before I moved in to fix it, so that everything was set up for my daughter and me. They fixed it pretty fast. That's one thing I will say about my building—I love the response time to tickets for maintenance issues.
Once I was in, I was happy. My previous apartment was really old, so I was really happy to see the updated appliances. I have a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, and central air.
Why she’s moving (again!)
I'm in the process of relocating again because the unit is absolutely too small. When you have a growing child, it's difficult to stay in such a small space. So I am relocating to a two bedroom apartment.
The lottery apartment was what I needed at the time, and it was a great experience living there. The in-unit washer and a dryer saved me multiple trips to the laundry. As a working single mom, it can be hard to find time to do laundry. Amenities like a gym and roof deck that I'm able to access whenever I want has helped [me become who] I am today.
I'm a big advocate for fair rents. I work at the housing nonprofit New Destiny Housing but before that, I also started my own nonprofit organization called AB Bridge To Breakthrough Project, where I help individuals and families with their Housing Connect applications. I provide resources on my Instagram and Tiktok, to educate people on what's going on with NYC housing.
I'm very thankful that I've experienced [living in a housing lottery apartment], and that I believed in the process. And I think that it's something that every New Yorker should consider. You can find stability through the housing lottery if you're willing to wait. There are new developments being built, so depending on how patient you are, it can work out for you.
