How to Use the Affordable Housing Lottery Eligibility Checker
Note: the U.S. has no nationwide new-construction housing lottery system like Korea's. Korea's "special supply" program reserves a share of new apartment units for specific applicant categories — first-time buyers, young adults, parents supporting elderly relatives, and more — each with its own quota and rules. Nothing structured this way exists federally in the U.S. The closest real equivalent is a city-level affordable or workforce housing lottery, such as New York City's Housing Connect, which allocates units mainly by income band relative to the Area Median Income (AMI), not by applicant category.
Enter your household's annual income and the AMI figure published for your household size in your metro area (most lottery listings state the exact AMI they used, or you can find it on HUD's website), plus whether you've previously received subsidized housing (informational — this only matters for specific listings that ask). The calculator computes your income as a percentage of AMI and shows which general income tier — low, low-moderate, moderate, or middle-income/workforce — you'd likely fall into across most listings.
Because there's no single national program, actual eligibility and priority rules vary listing by listing. Some give preference to current residents of the borough or community district, people with disabilities, or municipal employees — categories that have nothing to do with being a "first-time buyer" in the Korean sense. Always check the specific project's listing for its exact income bands and any local preference rules before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not the way Korea structures it. The U.S. has no nationwide new-construction lottery system split into first-time-buyer, youth, and elderly-parent-support categories. The closest real equivalent is city-level affordable/workforce housing lotteries — like NYC's Housing Connect — which allocate units mainly by income band (percent of Area Median Income) and household size, not by applicant category.
AMI (Area Median Income) is the midpoint household income for your metro area, published annually by HUD and adjusted by household size. Most city housing lottery listings state the AMI figure they used directly on the listing, or you can look it up on HUD's website.
It depends entirely on the specific lottery listing — some programs prioritize applicants who've never received a subsidized unit, but many don't ask at all. This tool notes it for reference only; check the specific listing's rules.