HASA Voucher NYC: Complete Guide to HIV/AIDS Housing Assistance

If you're living with HIV or AIDS in New York City and struggling to afford housing, the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) program might be the most comprehensive support system available to you, and yet almost nobody outside the HIV/AIDS community knows it exists. Unlike Section 8 or CityFHEPS, which get most of the attention when people talk about housing vouchers in NYC, HASA operates as a completely separate program with its own eligibility rules, rent limits, and application process.

This guide covers everything you need to know about HASA: who qualifies, how to apply, what the program actually pays for, and how to find landlords who accept it.

What Is HASA?

HASA stands for HIV/AIDS Services Administration, and it's a program run by the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) that provides comprehensive support services to New Yorkers living with HIV or AIDS. The program has been around since the 1990s, created in response to the AIDS crisis and later expanded through Local Law 49 and the Henrietta D. lawsuit.

What makes HASA different from other housing assistance programs is that it's not just a rent voucher. It's a full case management system that includes rental assistance, cash assistance, Medicaid enrollment, SNAP benefits, transportation help, mental health referrals, substance abuse treatment referrals, home care services, and help applying for SSI or SSD. You get assigned a caseworker who helps coordinate all of these services based on your individual needs.

The housing piece is what most people care about, and HASA can pay a significant portion of your rent if you qualify. But understanding the full scope of what HASA offers matters because the caseworker relationship and wraparound services are a big part of why the program works.

Who Qualifies for HASA?

The eligibility requirements changed significantly in August 2016 with "HASA for All." Before that change, you had to have clinically symptomatic HIV or an AIDS diagnosis to qualify. Now, any NYC resident diagnosed with HIV or AIDS is eligible for HASA case management services, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

Here are the basic requirements:

Medical eligibility: You must have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS at any point, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You do not need to currently have symptoms to qualify.

Residency: You must be a resident of New York City.

Income limits for financial benefits: To qualify for rental assistance and cash assistance (not just case management), your total household income must be below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for your household size. For a single person in 2024, that's roughly $30,120 per year.

Level of need: For cash assistance specifically, HRA runs a calculation that budgets your income against your rent and other allowances. If you're left with less than a certain threshold (currently $376/month for a one-person household), you're considered to meet the "level of need" and can receive cash benefits in addition to rental assistance.

If you have income from employment, Social Security, or other sources, you may still qualify for rental assistance even if you don't qualify for cash assistance. The HASA FAQ page has a financial assistance estimator that can help you figure out where you might fall, though it only works for single-person households with no employment income.

How HASA Rental Assistance Works

If you qualify for HASA rental assistance, the program pays rent directly to your landlord. The amount HASA covers depends on your income:

If you have no income: HASA pays the full rent (up to the program's rent limits for your household size).

If you have income other than cash assistance: You pay 30% of your gross household income toward rent, and HASA covers the rest up to the program's rent limits.

The rent limits vary based on household composition, the number of bedrooms you need, and whether there are documented extenuating circumstances. HASA publishes rent payment guidelines that outline the maximum rents they'll approve for different household sizes. These limits are separate from Section 8 Fair Market Rent or CityFHEPS payment standards, so if you're comparing programs, make sure you're looking at the right numbers.

One important distinction: HASA is not technically a "voucher" program in the way Section 8 is. You don't get a voucher document that you take to landlords. Instead, if you find an apartment you want to rent, your HASA caseworker inspects the unit and, if approved, HASA pays the landlord directly on a semi-monthly basis (twice per month).

Types of Housing Available Through HASA

HASA offers several housing options depending on your situation and needs:

Private market apartments: If you want to live independently in a regular apartment, HASA can provide rental assistance for a unit you find on your own. You're responsible for apartment hunting, though your caseworker can provide a list of brokers who have worked with HASA clients before. The apartment must pass a HASA inspection and the rent must fall within program guidelines.

Emergency housing: If you're homeless when you apply for HASA, you can request same-day emergency placement through ServiceLine. This is temporary housing while you search for something permanent. Depending on availability and your household size, you might be placed in transitional supportive housing, a single room occupancy (SRO) unit, or a family emergency apartment.

Supportive housing: For clients who need additional help with barriers that make independent living difficult, HASA offers supportive housing options. These include congregate residences (furnished housing with on-site social services) and scatter-site programs (apartments leased by housing providers with specialized supportive services).

Your caseworker helps determine which type of housing is appropriate based on your needs, household composition, and what's available.

How to Apply for HASA

The application process starts with ServiceLine, which is HASA's single entry point for applications, information, and referrals. Most applicants are referred by medical providers or service organizations, but you can also contact ServiceLine directly.

Contact ServiceLine:

Phone: 718-557-1399 (Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM)

Email: ServiceLine@hra.nyc.gov

In person: 400 Eighth Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001

To establish eligibility, you need to provide medical documentation of your HIV or AIDS diagnosis. The HRA website has downloadable forms including a General Request for Program Admission and other documentation options.

Once you're enrolled, you'll be assigned a caseworker at one of the HASA centers located in all five boroughs. That caseworker becomes your main point of contact for all HASA services, including housing assistance.

The ACCESS NYC page for HASA also provides a good overview of the program and links to apply.

Finding an Apartment With HASA

If you're looking for a private market apartment with HASA rental assistance, the process works a little differently than with Section 8 or CityFHEPS.

You're responsible for finding the apartment yourself. Your caseworker can give you a list of brokers who have helped HASA clients in the past, but there's no guarantee those brokers will have anything available when you need it. You can also use the same apartment search methods anyone else would use: online listings, newspaper ads, walking neighborhoods, and so on.

When you find a place you're interested in, your caseworker needs to inspect it before HASA will approve rental assistance. The inspection confirms the apartment is safe and habitable. If everything checks out and the rent falls within HASA guidelines, your caseworker can approve it.

Here's where VoucherMatch can help: we connect voucher holders, including HASA recipients, with landlords who actively want voucher tenants. Instead of calling landlords who might refuse to work with housing assistance programs (which is illegal in NYC, but still happens), you can browse listings from property owners who already understand how these programs work.

Can Landlords Refuse HASA?

No. Source of income discrimination has been illegal in New York City since 2008 under the NYC Human Rights Law. Landlords cannot refuse to rent to you because you receive HASA, Section 8, CityFHEPS, or any other form of lawful housing assistance.

The NYC Commission on Human Rights actively investigates and prosecutes landlords and brokers who discriminate against voucher holders. They've obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and penalties, and they've required landlords to set aside units specifically for voucher tenants as part of settlement agreements.

If a landlord tells you they "don't accept programs" or "don't take HASA," that's discrimination. You can report it to the Commission by calling 311 and asking for "Human Rights," calling 212-416-0197 directly, or filing a complaint online.

That said, knowing your rights and actually finding a landlord who will cooperate with the paperwork are two different things. Some landlords still try to avoid voucher tenants through less obvious means: claiming the apartment is already rented, dragging their feet on paperwork, or suddenly discovering "problems" with your application. This is why finding landlords who genuinely want voucher tenants makes the process so much easier.

HASA vs. Section 8 vs. CityFHEPS

People sometimes ask which program is "better" or whether they should try to get one voucher over another. The answer depends on your situation.

HASA is specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS and provides the most comprehensive wraparound services (case management, benefits assistance, healthcare coordination, etc.). If you have an HIV or AIDS diagnosis, HASA is often the best option because of these additional supports.

Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher) is a federal program with higher rent limits in most cases and portability to other states. But the waitlist has been closed for years, and new vouchers are extremely limited.

CityFHEPS is a city program with rent limits that now match Section 8 Fair Market Rent. It's primarily for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of eviction.

You can potentially receive HASA services while also holding a Section 8 voucher if you already have one, though the programs work differently. If you're unsure which program you might qualify for, our voucher eligibility tool can help you sort through the options.

What Landlords Should Know About HASA

If you're a landlord considering renting to a HASA recipient, here's what the process looks like from your side:

Inspection: A HASA caseworker will inspect the unit before approving it for rental assistance. This is separate from any Section 8 HQS inspection, though the standards are similar. Make sure the unit is in good condition, all systems work, and there are no obvious safety hazards. Our Pre-Inspection Checklist can help you prepare.

Payments: HASA pays landlords semi-monthly (twice per month). The tenant pays their portion (30% of their income, if applicable) and HASA pays the rest directly to you.

Rent limits: HASA has its own rent guidelines based on household composition. Before showing a unit to a HASA recipient, confirm that your asking rent falls within their approved limits.

Paperwork: You'll need to complete lease paperwork and work with the caseworker to finalize everything. It's more paperwork than a standard rental, but you get a government-backed portion of the rent each month.

Legal obligation: Remember that refusing to rent to someone because they receive HASA is source of income discrimination and violates NYC law. If you're not comfortable working with housing assistance programs, you should reconsider whether rental property ownership in NYC is right for you.

If you're a landlord who wants to rent to voucher tenants, you can list your property on VoucherMatch and connect directly with HASA recipients and other voucher holders looking for housing.

Resources

• HRA HIV/AIDS Services page (official program information)
• HASA Frequently Asked Questions (detailed FAQ including financial estimator)
• ACCESS NYC HASA page (application information)
• NYC Commission on Human Rights - Source of Income Discrimination (know your rights)
• ServiceLine: 718-557-1399 (to apply or get more information)

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Looking for housing that accepts HASA? Browse voucher-friendly listings from landlords who welcome housing assistance programs.

Own rental property in NYC? List your property on VoucherMatch and connect with HASA recipients and other voucher holders searching for housing.