How to apply for NYC rent freeze, SNAP, HEAP and Fair Fares

These are four of the main city and state benefits New Yorkers search for when rent, groceries, heat or subway fares go up. The rules below are from official pages checked on Nov. 10, 2026. Income limits and open dates change, so confirm on the program page before you apply. We will update this guide in place when those pages change.

You can also screen for many programs at once on ACCESS NYC, and you can call 311 with questions about any of them.

Which program should I start with?

If you are not sure where to begin, use this short route, then read the section for that program. You can also answer a few questions on ACCESS NYC and let it point you to more than one benefit.

• Your rent is going up and you are 62 or older, or you are 18 or older and receive a qualifying disability benefit → start with the Rent Freeze (SCRIE or DRIE).
• You need help buying groceries → start with SNAP.
• You need help with a heat or utility bill → start with HEAP. The regular 2026–27 benefit is open now (applications opened Nov. 2).
• You want a half-price subway or bus fare and you are 18 to 64 → start with Fair Fares.

A practical note: income limits and open dates do change. The figures and windows in each section are from official pages checked on Nov. 10, 2026 — confirm on the program page linked there before you apply.

SCRIE and DRIE: freeze your rent

The city's Rent Freeze Program has two doors. SCRIE, the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption, is for tenants 62 and older. DRIE, the Disability Rent Increase Exemption, is for tenants 18 and older who receive a qualifying disability benefit. Both are run by the Department of Finance (DOF), with HPD handling some supervised developments.

If you qualify, you keep paying the rent you were paying even if the landlord raises it. The landlord gets a property tax credit for the difference, ACCESS NYC says. You do not need your landlord's permission to apply, and you are not required to file taxes to qualify. You do have to renew on time to keep the freeze.

On the official ACCESS NYC pages as of Nov. 10, both programs require that:

• your name is on the lease (or the share certificate in a Mitchell-Lama development);
• combined household income is $50,000 or less a year;
• you spend more than one-third of your monthly income on rent;
• you live in an eligible building type, including rent-stabilized or rent-controlled apartments, certain Mitchell-Lama, HDFC, Limited Dividend and redevelopment company housing, and some rent-regulated hotels or SROs. DRIE's list also includes Section 213 cooperatives.

For DRIE, ACCESS NYC says you also need a qualifying disability benefit: SSI, SSDI, a VA disability pension or compensation, or disability-related Medicaid. ACCESS NYC says DRIE does not ask about immigration status.

How to apply: First-time applicants can apply online through the NYC Tenant Access Portal, linked from ACCESS NYC and the Rent Freeze first-time applicants page. DOF says to send copies, never originals. You can also mail a completed application and supporting documents to Rent Freeze Program – SCRIE or DRIE, P.O. Box 3179, Union, NJ 07083, or apply in person at a Department of Finance Assistance Center (you may need an appointment). If you live in Mitchell-Lama or redevelopment company housing, ACCESS NYC says to use the HPD SCRIE application and email it to SCRIE@hpd.nyc.gov or mail it to HPD SCRIE Unit, 100 Gold Street, 7th floor, New York, NY 10038.

For one-on-one help, ACCESS NYC lists the NYC Public Engagement Unit at 929-252-7242. Call 311 and ask about SCRIE or DRIE, or use TTY 212-639-9675. For HPD-supervised SCRIE, HPD's number is 212-863-8494.

We previously reported that processing times for new Rent Freeze applications ran well past the city's 10-day target last fiscal year. See that Nov. 9 story for the latest official figures.

SNAP: money for groceries

SNAP (food stamps) puts money on an EBT card you can use at stores and farmers markets, according to ACCESS NYC, which cites the Human Resources Administration (HRA). Eligibility is based mainly on how much you earn and how many people are in your household. ACCESS NYC says you can apply no matter your immigration status, and that certain non-citizens may be eligible.

How to apply: Apply online through ACCESS HRA. You can use the Cash Assistance application there to apply for Cash Assistance, SNAP and Medicaid at once; ACCESS NYC says you do not need a separate SNAP application if you have already applied for Cash Assistance. After you apply, complete an interview and submit documents (commonly a photo ID, pay stubs, utility bills and a lease). ACCESS NYC says it can take up to 30 days to hear back, and that if you are approved you should get an EBT card within five business days.

You can also print a paper application, pick one up at a SNAP center, or call the HRA Infoline at 718-557-1399 and have one mailed. Mail applications to Division of SNAP Services, Mail Application & Referral Unit (MARU), P.O. Box 29008, Brooklyn, NY 11202. Or apply in person at an HRA SNAP center or a community-based organization. Call 311 and ask for SNAP information.

HEAP: help with heat

The Home Energy Assistance Program helps cover heating and cooling costs and can help prevent utility shutoffs, ACCESS NYC says. It is run with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). Payments go directly to your utility or fuel company. You can get HEAP even if utilities are included in your rent.

ACCESS NYC lists these 2026–27 windows:

• Regular HEAP benefit — a one-time benefit for income-eligible households to help cover heating costs. Applications opened Nov. 2, 2026. Apply through ACCESS HRA.
• Emergency HEAP — for a heat or heat-related emergency after you have already used the regular benefit, or help relocating if your housing puts your health or safety at risk. Applications open Jan. 4, 2027. Visit or call your local HEAP office.
• Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) and Clean and Tune — for income-eligible homeowners. Applications opened Oct. 1, 2026. Call the DSS One helpline at 718-557-1399.
• Cooling Assistance — ACCESS NYC said on Nov. 10 that applications are currently closed.

Call 311 and ask for HEAP, or call 718-557-1399. OTDA's program page is at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap.

Fair Fares: half-price subway and bus

Fair Fares NYC gives a 50% discount on subway and eligible bus fares, including the Staten Island Railway, the Roosevelt Island Tram and Hudson Rail Link, and 50% off Access-A-Ride, according to the official Fair Fares site and ACCESS NYC. ACCESS NYC says you should get a Fair Fares OMNY card in the mail within three weeks if your application is approved. Access-A-Ride customers do not get an OMNY card; the discount is applied to their Access-A-Ride account.

As of Nov. 10, both official pages say you may be eligible if you live in New York City, are 18 to 64, and your household income is at or below these 2026 limits:

• 1 person: $23,940
• 2: $32,460
• 3: $40,980
• 4: $49,500
• 5: $58,020
• 6: $66,540
• 7: $75,060
• 8: $83,580
• Each additional person: add $8,520

Fair Fares also asks whether you already receive full carfare from DSS/HRA or a reduced fare through another NYC program; the official screener says the subway-and-bus discount is not available if you already get a reduced fare. ACCESS NYC says the program is available to residents regardless of immigration status.

How to apply: Apply online at nyc.gov/fairfares (or nyc.gov/accessfairfares), then use the ACCESS HRA mobile app to upload documents that prove identity, age, residency and income. ACCESS NYC also says you can apply in person at a Fair Fares office. Call 311 with questions. The official site said 369,528 New Yorkers had enrolled as of our check.

Related coverage: Fair Fares eligibility changes discussed for later this month. We will update the table above when the official Fair Fares and ACCESS NYC pages change.

If you need help right now

• Call 311, or 212-639-9675 (TTY).
• Screen for benefits: access.nyc.gov
• Apply for SNAP, HEAP and Fair Fares documents: ACCESS HRA
• Rent Freeze: Tenant Access Portal