My housing lottery experience and time from start to move-in day.
Thought I'd share my Housing Connect timeline since reading other people's experiences helped me manage my expectations.
From application to move-in, the entire process took about 5 months. Yours could be shorter, the same, or longer. It depends on many variable factors. Hopefully this helps anyone currently waiting in the process.
January 10, 2026 – Applied for the apartment through Housing Connect. (37th and 1st Apartments)
March 20, 2026 – Received a text message and email informing me that my lottery number had come up for processing. I was asked to submit documentation and given a deadline of April 2. I was able to gather and submit everything the same day.
April 7, 2026 – Received an email requesting additional documents. The deadline was April 10, but I submitted the requested documents that same day.
April 14, 2026 – Received an email stating that my application had been rejected. The reason given was that I had not provided information regarding a property I supposedly owned. This was an administrative error. I had owned a home in Colorado more than 10 years ago, but it was sold in 2016. I appealed the decision and submitted documentation proving the property had been sold.
April 17, 2026 – Housing Connect updated my application status to show that my appeal had been approved and that my application was back in processing.
April 28, 2026 – Received another request for additional documents and was given a two-day deadline to submit them. Once again, I was able to provide everything the same day.
May 8, 2026 – Reached out for an update and explained that I was facing a housing emergency. My lease had ended on March 31, 2026, and rather than signing a new lease elsewhere, I had been staying in sublets and hotels while waiting for a decision on the lottery apartment. By this point, I had spent a significant amount of money to keep a roof over my head for myself and my two dogs. I received a response from one of the directors at Settlement Housing Fund, who explained the delay and provided some options.
May 13, 2026 – Toured the available studio apartment. After the tour, I emailed to confirm that I was interested and wanted to move forward.
May 28, 2026 – Was informed that my file had been sent to HPD for final approval. A few hours later, I was notified that HPD had approved my application and that I would be hearing from the leasing office regarding lease signing and next steps.
June 3, 2026 – Received and signed my lease.
June 5, 2026 – Paid my first month's rent and security deposit.
June 10, 2026 – Scheduled to receive my keys and officially begin moving in.
Total timeline: 151 days from application to move-in.
A few lessons I learned during the process:
Be patient. The Housing Connect process can be very long and, at times, frustrating. It's completely normal to go days or even weeks without hearing anything. Silence doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong with your application.
Don't get discouraged. There were points where I thought the process had stalled, and I even received a rejection that ultimately turned out to be an administrative error. Things can change quickly, so stay engaged and keep checking your status.
Stay organized. Have your financial, employment, and identification documents readily available and keep digital copies of everything. Being organized makes it much easier to respond when requests come in.
Be prepared to act quickly. Even if you're given a week or more to submit documents, try to provide them as soon as possible. In my experience, responding immediately demonstrated that I was attentive and responsive, and it likely helped keep my file organized and moving through the process efficiently.
Good luck to everyone still waiting. Hopefully seeing a real timeline helps set expectations and gives some encouragement to keep hanging in there.