Reporting on New York City: Housing & Neighborhoods
BYTES of the Big Apple
BYTES of the Big Apple is NYC Planning’s family of software, data, and geographic base map files. Includes PLUTO, the downloadable file of every tax lot in the city (and MapPLUTO, its GIS counterpart).
Housing & Neighborhoods
The Department of City Planning (DCP or NYC Planning) is responsible for setting the framework of the city's strategic growth and development, including development of land use policies, zoning regulations, and environmental review. The Department of Buildings (DOB) ensures the safe and lawful use of over one million buildings and construction sites by issuing building permits and inspecting new and existing buildings. The Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) is responsible for preserving affordable housing and protecting tenants, developing new affordable housing, and enforcing the Housing Maintenance Code.
Property Records
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Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS)Search property records and view documents (such as deeds and mortgages) for properties in Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn from 1966 to the present. (The Richmond County Clerk holds information on properties in Staten Island.) Click "Search Property Records" to start; to search by address, go back to the "Find Addresses and Parcels" option and lookup the Borough/Block/Lot or BBL first.
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Building Information System (BIS)Online query system for building information from the Department of Buildings. Search for any property in the city to find complaints and violations, certificates of occupancy, permits, actions, applications, and inspections. Click "A: Building Information Search" to start. Note: DOB NOW will eventually replace BIS but both systems are currently used; more information overall is available in BIS but newer jobs, filings, and applications will be in DOB NOW.
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DOB NOWDOB NOW is the Department of Building's online platform for permits, violations, inspections, and more. Note: DOB NOW will eventually replace BIS but both systems are currently used; more information overall is available in BIS but newer jobs, filings, and applications will be in DOB NOW.
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Property Information PortalA one-stop shop for property and tax information on New York City buildings, from the NYC Department of Finance.
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Property Tax Public Access PortalThe NYC Department of Finance tool for looking up property taxes, market value, and tax exemptions.
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PropertyShark. This link opens in a new windowA real estate data provider that offers in-depth information for properties in NYC, LA, the Bay Area, and other major U.S. markets. Log in using the listed Columbia credentials.
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Rolling Sales DataThe Department of Finance’s list of properties that sold in the last 12-month period in New York City for tax class 1, 2, and 4. (See the Glossary for a list of the four tax classes.)
Housing & Neighborhood Resources
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CoreData.nycUp-to-date housing and neighborhoods data hub produced by the NYU Furman Center, including property-level housing subsidy information and neighborhood conditions.
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Displacement Alert PortalInteractive tool from ANHD to understand housing, emphasizing where homeowners and tenants are at risk for displacement. Pulls info from ACRIS, BIS, and more.
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HPD OnlineBuilding information on housing complaints, violations, litigations, property registrations, and more from HPD.
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New York Neighborhood Data ProfilesUp-to-date neighborhood demographics, housing market data, and more produced by the Furman Center, a real estate center based at NYU. Neighborhoods are determined by community districts.
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NYC Community District ProfilesBackground information on each of New York City's Community Districts. Tip: While the demographic data is no longer updated here, this is the only site that includes the very useful Community Needs Statements for each Community District.
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NYC Housing and Vacancy SurveyA citywide survey of housing stock and population conducted about every three years by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the City. Includes detailed data and reports from 1991-2021 and initial finds for 2023.
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NYC Population FactFinderInteractive tool from NYC Planning using decennial census and American Community Survey (ACS) data to provide statistics on population, demographics, economic factors, and more by local geographies such as neighborhood and community district. Data can be aggregated by Borough, Community District, City Council District, and other geographies. Tip: Use the "Data Source" and "Select Topics" menus to find additional data.
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Who Owns WhatA free tool produced by the nonprofit JustFix and housing advocates to research individual buildings, including violations and property ownership. Created in part to address the use of Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs, AKA shell companies) by many landlords. Uses data from HPD, DOB, ACRIS, and other sources; read their Methodology for a full list.
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Worst Landlord WatchlistAn annual list of the city's top 100 worst landlords, based on open housing violations, released by the city's Public Advocate.
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ZoLaNew York City’s interactive zoning and land use map, with information on every lot in the city.
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Zoning Application Portal (ZAP)Mapped land use applications and project tracking from NYC Planning; use the filter options under the map. Individual projects often have extensive lists of linked public documents.
Homelessness
The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) collaborates with nonprofit organizations to provide temporary shelter and services that homeless New Yorkers need to help stabilize their lives and achieve housing permanency.
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DHS Stats & ReportsInformation on individuals and families in shelters, from the Department of Homeless Services. See the “Daily Report” for daily statistics and “Data Dashboard” for more.
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Homelessness In New YorkDetailed infomration from the nonprofit the Coalition for the Homeless. See in particular: Facts About Homelessness for statistics and historical data and Callahan v. Carey and the Legal Right to Shelter, detailing the lawsuit that led to the right to shelter in New York City.
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the oldest and largest public housing authority in the U.S., managing more than 300 public housing developments as well as vouchers for Section 8 subsidized rental assistance in private homes.
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HUD Picture of Subsidized HouseholdsQuery tool for data on housing subsidy programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Helpful for finding information on Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and more down to the Zip code level.
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NYCHA Capital Projects & Needs TrackerUp-to-date, mapped information on recently completed, active, and planned capital improvement projects.
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NYCHA DevelopmentsUp-to-date information and maps about NYCHA properties, including the Development Data Book (bottom of the page).
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NYCHA Transparency & ReportsLanding page for up-to-date data on the agency, its buildings and programs, and its residents, including the Fact Sheet, Resident Data Summary, NYCHA Metrics, Physical Needs Assessment, and Awarded Contracts.