NYC Affordability

What AMI actually measures

AMI stands for Area Median Income — the midpoint household income for a metro area, calculated annually by HUD for a family of four and then scaled up or down for other household sizes. NYC’s affordable housing programs use the AMI figure for the New York HMFA (HUD Metro Fair Market Rent Area), which covers the five boroughs plus several surrounding counties. For FY2026, the 4-person 100% AMI for the New York HMFA is $138,550.

This is a regional median, not a citywide one, and it’s set by household earnings across a wide metro area — that’s a big part of why NYC “affordable” income limits look surprisingly high to people expecting a low-income-only program. A household earning six figures can still legitimately qualify for a Housing Connect unit at a higher AMI band.

The current income limits by household size

Household size	100% AMI limit
1	$97,000
2	$110,850
3	$124,700
4	$138,550
5	$149,650
6	$160,700
7	$171,800
8	$182,900

These are HUD’s published FY2026 figures for the New York HMFA, the same ones NYC HPD uses to run Housing Connect. Household size scales the 4-person base using standard HUD adjustment factors: roughly 70% for a 1-person household, 80% for 2, 90% for 3, 100% for 4, and 108% for 5, continuing upward from there.

How your AMI percentage is calculated

Your AMI% = (household income ÷ 100% AMI limit for your household size) × 100.

A 2-person household earning $70,000 has an AMI% of $70,000 ÷ $110,850 = 63.2%. That number, not the raw income, is what determines eligibility.

Income band classifications

Housing Connect and HPD group AMI percentages into named bands:

• ELI — Extremely Low Income: ≤ 30% AMI
• VLI — Very Low Income: 31–50% AMI
• LI — Low Income: 51–80% AMI
• Moderate Income: 81–120% AMI
• Middle Income: 121–165% AMI

Individual lottery listings are tagged to a specific percentage (30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, 110%, 120%, or 130% AMI) rather than just the broader band name — the exact percentage is what sets the income limit and the rent for that unit.

Eligibility works as a ceiling, not a target

To qualify for a given band, your household income must be at or below that band’s income limit for your household size — not close to it, not above it. A 2-person household earning $70,000 (63.2% AMI) doesn’t qualify for a 60% AMI listing, because $70,000 exceeds that band’s $66,510 limit. The same household does qualify for 70% AMI and every band above it, up to whatever ceiling the specific building sets. Many listings also require a minimum income — commonly 40× the monthly rent — to confirm you can actually carry the rent once approved; see our 40x rent rule guide for how that specific screen works.

How the rent itself is set

HPD’s standard methodology sets affordable rent at 30% of gross income at each AMI level, using a standard household-size assumption per unit type (a studio assumes 1 person, a 1-bedroom assumes 2, and so on). For that same 2-person household size, here’s what the monthly rent looks like at each band:

AMI band	Income limit	Max affordable rent/month
30%	$33,255	$831
50%	$55,425	$1,386
70%	$77,595	$1,940
100%	$110,850	$2,771
130%	$144,105	$3,603

Actual advertised rents on individual Housing Connect listings can vary slightly from this formula, but this is the methodology HPD uses to set them, and it’s a reliable way to estimate what a given band will cost before you apply.