About 200,000 happy New Yorkers will soon find out they are on the city's waitlist for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

Streets with people.Photo byFons HeijnsbroekonUnsplash

City officials said Thursday that winners from a pool of 633,808 applicants were randomly chosen. According to NYCHA officials, those selected will be notified by email this week and then by mail.

For the first time since 2009, the city took applications for the program in June. After that, the city worked on giving out just over 210,000 coupons. Representatives from NYCHA say that the city gave out just over 7,500 coupons last year.

The Federal Government Pays The Fundings For The Program

The federal government pays for the program, which helps low-income families find private-market homes by lowering their rent. Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer says NYCHA will soon give out 1,000 coupons monthly.

Over 630,000 people applied to live in the city in just one week, almost half of them in the first 24 hours.

It's Been 15 Years

According to Lisa Bova-Hiatt, CEO of NYCHA, it's been 15 years since the waitlist was last open to the public. After working through most of the current waitlist, she is thrilled to start giving vouchers to new families.

Those who wanted to apply had to make less than half of the typical income for the area, which for a family of three is about $69,900 per year. The income is $54,350 a year for a one-person family.