HomeSeeker is Westchester County's website for marketing Affordable Housing. Westchester County provides assistance to for profit and not for profit developers to create affordable housing opportunities for various eligible household income levels and sizes. These developments are privately owned and operated. HomeSeeker is also your portal to find and apply for affordable housing opportunities in Westchester after you set up a Household Profile.

Affordable housing is generally defined as housing for which the occupants are paying no more than 30 percent of their gross income for all housing-related costs, including utilities. The rents or sales prices for affordable housing are determined so as to be affordable to households at a certain specified area median income levels established by the federal government, generally between 30% and 80% of the area median income. See - Westchester County 2025 Income & Rent Limits Program Guidelines (westchestergov.com)

Affordable housing opportunities can be either apartments for rent or homes for sale. Rentals are regulated so the rent increases are limited over time. Condos, coops, and 1-4 family homes have limited re-sale prices to ensure they stay affordable.

HomeSeeker allows you to create a Household Profile, search housing opportunities, download brochures, review income and occupancy requirements, check eligibility and electronically submit applications for affordable housing.

Completing a Household Profile is the first step in applying for housing through HomeSeeker. It allows you to receive consistent updates on affordable housing opportunities in Westchester County. It also allows you to learn about upcoming housing lotteries and gives you a head start on applying for specific housing opportunities without having to create a separate profile or application for each opportunity.

There is no fee for using HomeSeeker. With respect to any particular affordable housing opportunity, you may be charged a non-refundable credit and/or background check fee by the managing agent for that property.

The Household Profile captures general information about the number of people you expect to live with you in any prospective affordable housing, total annual gross income for the entire household and the value of certain household assets or accounts.

Go to the HomeSeeker Active properties pages and review the housing opportunities that are currently accepting applications. Are you interested in any of the locations? Does your household size and household income match with what has been designated by the building representative?

Before applying for a specific opportunity, go to your Profile page and confirm your information in your Household Profile is up-to-date and accurate. The make-up of your household, or your household income, may change over time, please make sure that information is updated. Are you interested in any of the buildings? Check the details to see if your household size and income fit the limits for the buildings. Click "Apply".

Most properties select applicants based on a lottery. However some opportunities will instead be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some applications are for rental housing and some are for home purchase.

Check HomeSeeker for "Open Lotteries" to see which property or properties are accepting applications. If you are interested in living in any of those buildings, check the details to see if your household size and income fit the limits for the buildings. Click "Apply" before the application deadline date and be sure to complete the application. Need help? Not sure if you qualify? Visit Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc or the specific Building Representative listed as the contact.

Each complete application gets a random number - a lottery number. That lottery number determines the order in which applicants will be considered for that housing opportunity. No one controls who has a better or worse number. It does not matter if you applied first or last, online or on paper - your lottery number is chosen at random. Just be sure to apply before the deadline. You will be notified of your lottery number within approximately 10 days after the lottery. Please make sure that your email address in your profile is up-to-date and working, since that's the primary way we will correspond with you.

After you apply, you may not hear anything until the lottery drawing occurs. The listing for each building should tell you the lottery date. Once the lottery is complete, you will be notified of your lottery number. The property manager will then start reviewing applications in their lottery order (starting at #1, #2, #3, etc.). It can take several months or longer to hear about your application. Sometimes you might not hear back for a while even if you qualify. While you're waiting, carefully check what your current lease says about moving out before the lease ends. If you're offered an affordable housing opportunity, you might need to move quickly. If you aren't selected or don't hear back, keep searching for other apartments and apply when you are ready. NOTE: If your Household Summary is flagged as incomplete, your application may NOT be selected for processing.

If the application for your household is selected, the property manager or their representative will be in contact with you. You'll be invited to respond to a document request to confirm you qualify for the opportunity. Get ready ahead of time and make sure you're prepared. Keep your contact information and profile up to date, so that you don't lose out on any opportunities.

This document exchange or interview could be in person, by phone or by email. It is very important. At the interview, you'll need to show documents that prove the information you put in your application. Start collecting copies today! You'll have to show: 1) Who will live with you. Examples: birth certificates, government IDs, and 2) The incomes and assets of everyone who will live with you. Examples: pay stubs; 1099s federal or state tax returns; proof of Social Security, veteran, or public assistance benefits income, bank statements, investment and pension statements, alimony and child support orders, retirement statements

If a marketing agent or building representative determines that your household either qualifies or was rejected you will be notified on your Household Summary page and you will be contacted by email.

The most common reasons for rejection are not meeting income (minimum or maximum) or household eligibility requirements. In some cases one member of the Household may have recently turned 18 and has no income or assets associated with this account. You may also be denied based on the results of credit or background checks conducted by the managing agent, or based on your previous rental history.

Applying online is easy and secure, so we recommend it. But if you don't want to apply online, you have the option of submitting a paper application. You may have an application mailed to you, or emailed to you so you can print it out yourself and complete it. Refer to the details of any open lottery to learn more about who to contact to request a paper application and where completed applications must be sent. Submit ONLY one application per household. You may be disqualified if more than one application is received per lottery for your household. If you submit an application online, your household should NOT also submit an application via mail for that development. If you submit an application via mail, your household should NOT also submit an application online for that development.

If at any point in the course of applying for a particular development, your application is denied or rejected by the managing agent for that development, you will receive a written denial or rejection notice from the managing agent. This notice should explain why you were denied, what the process is for appealing the decision, and how long you have to appeal the decision before it will become final and non-appealable. If you believe that your application was denied in error, follow the instructions in the denial notice. You may be entitled to submit additional documentation to support your application, or to request a meeting to argue why the denial was inappropriate. You may be entitled to bring a representative with you to that meeting. Act quickly. The notice will tell you how many days you have to submit an appeal.

It is important to understand that registering for HomeSeeker is not an application for a home or apartment. It is a tool that allows the county, the county's Marketing Consultant (Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc.), and housing developers to send marketing materials and information on how to apply for homes and apartments as they become available. The county may also send you information on homeownership workshops, information sessions, and open house notices. The application process for each housing development will be described in the materials you receive for that specific housing development.

If you own housing that has been designated affordable, here's what you must do before you sell it. Provide a letter to the Commissioner of Planning requesting assistance with the sale of the home. Be sure to include the name of the housing non-profit agency that may have assisted you when you originally purchased your home or the one that is currently responsible for monitoring your property. The name, address, and phone number of the prospective purchaser should be shared with the Westchester County Planning Department as soon as possible in the process. The county will need this information when we verify that the buyer’s income and asset information meet our income eligibility requirements. We will also need the name, address, and phone number of your attorney and the buyer’s attorney, if available. A copy of the contract of sale prior to its execution and the actual closing for the sale of your home. This contract and the estimated closing date should be provided to the Westchester County Planning Department staff within a reasonable time prior to the actual closing date for the sale of the home. What is the first step in selling an affordable home? You must notify the Westchester County Department of Planning. Ms. Joyslin Hodge-Watson Westchester County Department of Planning 148 Martine Ave., Room 414 White Plains, NY 10601 E-mail: jmh2@westchestercountyny.gov

Once you have received assistance from the Westchester County Planning Department staff to determine the maximum resale price and the current income limit for the prospective purchaser, you may contact Westchester Residential Opportunities, the not-for profit working with Westchester County. If you choose to use the services of a real estate broker, the broker must be advised that the unit is "affordable" and that there are “restrictive covenants” placed on the property. You may also wish to participate in a Homebuyer Fair to obtain more homebuyer assistance information. The Westchester County Planning Department does not maintain a list of buyers. Westchester Residential Opportunities 470 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 410 White Plains, New York 10605 Phone: (914) 428-4507 E-mail: affordable@wroinc.org

Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO) has been designated to act as the central contact agency for the sale and purchase of all affordable homes. When a previously sold affordable property becomes available for sale again it must be marketed under a specific set of guidelines and offered to qualified buyers in the order that they are listed on the Waitlist. Westchester Residential Opportunities 470 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 410 White Plains, New York 10605 Phone: (914) 428-4507 E-mail: affordable@wroinc.org

The federal Fair Housing Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. To meet this definition a person must have an impairment that prevents or severely restricts the person from doing activities that are of central importance in most people's daily lives. The New York State Human Rights Law defines disability as (a) a physical, mental or medical impairment resulting from anatomical, physiological, genetic or neurological conditions which prevents the exercise of a normal bodily function or is demonstrable by medically accepted clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques or (b) a record of such an impairment or (c) a condition regarded by others as such an impairment.

An accommodation is a change or exception to a rule, policy, practice or procedures of the housing provider. For example, allowing a service animal in a no-pets building. A modification is a structural change to the premises, like installing a ramp or adding grab bars in the bathroom. You are entitled to equal housing opportunity. Part of what that means is that your housing provider is required to make reasonable accommodations and modifications to the building or living space that are necessary to alleviate symptoms or effects of your disability. If you request a reasonable accommodation or modification, the housing provider must grant your request if (A) the accommodation requested is reasonable and necessary to allow the individual to fully use and enjoy residing in our community or (B) the modification of our physical premises is reasonable and necessary to afford a disabled resident full enjoyment of the premises.

Many housing providers have written forms available for making a request. However, a request does not need to be made in writing, and does not need to follow the housing provider's form to be valid. If you need help making your request, you can ask your housing provider for assistance. If your disability is obvious (visible) or already known to the property manager, the property manager should not ask you for verification of your disability. If your disability or disability-related need is not obvious, the property manager may request that you provide verification from a qualified third-party provider that you have a disability-related need for the requested accommodation or modification. The qualified provider does not need to be a medical provider to provide the verification.

Federal, New York State and Westchester County laws all protect you against housing discrimination in any housing-related transaction, including applying for a rental apartment or to purchase a home. In New York State, you are protected against housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, familial status (having children under 18), lawful source of income, status as a victim of domestic abuse, citizen or immigration status or military status. These categories are known as "protected classes." In Westchester County, it is also unlawful to discriminate based on alienage or citizenship status; and status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual abuse, or stalking.

Before filing a complaint, please consider discussing your options with an attorney, or with a fair housing advocate, like the fair housing department at Westchester Residential Opportunities (by email at info@wroinc.org or by phone at 914-428-4507), or the fair housing investigators at Westchester County Human Rights Commission (by email at humanrights@westchestercountyny.gov or by phone at 914-995-9500). Federal and State Courts: You can file a lawsuit in federal or state court. We strongly recommend that you consult with an attorney about that first. Administrative Agencies: You can also file a complaint with administrative agencies of the federal, state and in Westchester County, the county governments. Federal: At the federal level, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) accepts and investigates fair housing complaints. You can file a complaint online at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint or call the Housing Discrimination Hotline at (800) 669-9777. HUD has a specific complaint form, which you can fine online by following the link above. New York State: In New York, the New York State Division of Human Rights accepts and investigates fair housing complaints: You can file online (or just learn more about the process) at https://dhr.ny.gov/complaint or by phone at 1-888-392-3644. In addition to the NYS Division of Human Rights, if your complaint regards lawful source of income discrimination, you can also file a complaint with the New York State Attorney General's office, which can investigate source of income discrimination. The Attorney General has a specific complaint form for source of income discrimination, which you can complete online at https://ag.ny.gov/source-income-discrimination-form. Westchester County: If your complaint involves housing discrimination in Westchester County, the Westchester County Human Rights Commission accepts and investigates fair housing complaints. You can learn about how to file a complaint at https://humanrights.westchestergov.com/file-a-complaint, or by contacting the Human Rights Commission by email at humanrights@westchestercountyny.gov or by phone at 914-995-9500.

RETALIATION IS ILLEGAL. Remember, regardless of where you file a fair housing complaint.