We Can Help You Apply for Affordable Housing in NYC! 

Are you searching for an affordable apartment in New York City? You are not alone! Our team here at Ariva can help you thanks to our program Ready to Rent.

Ready to Rent helps New Yorkers prepare to apply for affordable housing by providing free one-on-one financial counseling and assistance with applications.

Here’s how it works:

First, our certified financial counselors will review your income with you to ensure that you are submitting applications to apartments you qualify for.  One of the main reasons people are denied affordable housing – even after being selected in the housing lottery – is that they miscalculated their income, so this is an essential first step.

Next, they’ll review your credit history with you. Having a  strong credit history helps with eligibility…but don’t worry if you’re not there just yet! Our financial counselors can help you:

  •     Learn how to improve your credit;
  •     Create a payment plan;
  •     Dispute errors in credit reports;
  •     Learn how to establish credit.

“The most important thing Ariva can offer Ready to Rent participants is the opportunity to meet with a financial counselor to strengthen your affordable housing application. This way, when you get selected from the lottery, your paperwork is already prepared and correct – and you’ll be ready to move in!” – Adelaida Morin, Senior Program Director at Ariva

It may feel like the NYC housing lottery is totally up to chance. And there’s indeed an element of luck to being selected. But luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation – and we want to help you with that last part.

People who have benefited most from Ready to Rent counseling are usually apartment seekers looking to improve or review their credit or need help calculating their income to see whether they qualify. However, the Ready to Rent team can also assist people who need help with budgeting and savings or even help with appealing an affordable housing rejection.

Ready to Rent is available to first-timers and people who have participated in the past. There is no credit score requirement, and it is open to all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. (Don’t have an ITIN? We can help with that, too!)

Our financial counseling is confidential and available in English and Spanish languages, both in person and over the phone. Ready to Rent is available at our offices  in the Bronx and additional partner locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

The best part of all? It’s totally free!

Interested? Get in touch! Call us at 718-690-9873 to schedule your free session today.

Ready to Rent is a collaboration between Ariva, the Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s Office of Financial Empowerment (DCWP OFE)&  funded by the New York City Council.