Learn about housing lottery preference programs

Housing lottery preferences give current and former San Francisco residents a better chance of living in the City. They are laws put in place by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. (Refer to Chapter 47 of the San Francisco Administrative Code).

You can select one or more of these preferences when you apply for rental or ownership housing. There are preferences for City-sponsored housing, and project-specific preferences.

After the lottery, all the applicants are ranked, and then sorted by preference. The list of applicants will then be ordered by preference priority, before applicants without a preference. Applicants are then processed by preference priority, in lottery rank order.

When a building is taking applications, a percentage of the units may be set aside for each preference. The total number of reserved units depends on the property and the preference.

One lottery preference per household

Only one household member needs to have a preference for the entire household to qualify for a preference in the lottery.

Example: Three household members live in Oakland, but one lives in San Francisco. The entire household would qualify for the Live or Work in San Francisco preference.

These preferences appear in the following priority, on most of our housing opportunities.

1. Certificate of Preference (COP)

All available lottery units can be set aside for applicants with COP. 

You are eligible for a COP certificate if: 

• Your household was displaced by the former SF Redevelopment Agency in the 1960s and 1970s; or 

• You are a direct descendant of someone who was displaced by the former SF Redevelopment Agency in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Learn more about the Certificate of Preference Program.

2. Displaced Tenant Housing Preference Program (DTHP)

DTHP is only available in properties with 5 or more lottery units in a MOHCD program. 20% of available lottery units can be set aside for applicants with DTHP.  

You are eligible for a DTHP certificate if: 

• You have been displaced by an Ellis Act or an Owner Move-in eviction;  

• Your apartment was extensively damaged by fire; or  

• You have been given an unaffordable rent increase due to affordability restrictions expiring 

Learn more about the Displaced Tenant Housing Preference Program. 

3. Neighborhood Resident Housing Preference (NRHP)

NRHP is only available in new properties funded by MOHCD. The property must also have a total of 5 or more lottery units in a MOHCD program.  

40% of available lottery units can be set aside for applicants with NRHP. 

You are eligible for NRHP if you are a San Francisco resident who currently lives in the same Supervisor district as, or half-mile from, the property being applied to. 

• The DAHLIA application will alert you if you are eligible. 

• You’ll need to add documents to your application that prove your residency. See the accepted documents checklist.

4. Live or Work in San Francisco

This preference appears on every lottery we have.

Any available lottery units left are set aside for applicants with a Live or Work in SF preference.

• There are two ways to be eligible:
  • You already live in San Francisco. You’ll need to add documents to your application that prove your residency.
  • You work at least 75% of your working hours in San Francisco. You’ll need to add documents to your application that prove your employment.
  • See the accepted documents checklist.

The following preferences appear in the following priority, only on certain properties.

1. HOPE SF Right to Return

(ex: Sunnydale public housing site)

This preference is for current and former residents of the development.

All available units can be set aside for eligible applicants from this preference.

If you lived at the development at any time, you can claim this preference to live at the development again. You’ll need to prove you resided there.

2. Treasure Island Resident

This preference is for current residents of The Villages at Treasure Island.

All available units can be set aside for eligible applicants from this preference.

If you started living at The Villages before December 20, 2019 and you still live there, you can claim this preference. You’ll need your certificate number.

3. Former resident of the property

This preference is for former residents of the renovated project.

All available lottery units can be set aside for former residents.

If you lived at the development before renovation, you can claim this preference to live at the development again. You’ll need to prove you resided there.

4. Rent Burdened / Assisted Housing Preference

This preference is only available for some OCII-sponsored properties in the Bayview (Ex: Hunter’s View, Alice Griffith).

There are two ways to be eligible:

• You are currently paying more than 50% of your income toward housing costs.
  • In your application, you will need to include:
    • A copy of your current lease agreement
    • Proof of your most current rent payment
• You’re living in public housing or project-based Section 8 housing within San Francisco.
  • In your application, you will need to include a copy of your current lease agreement

100% of available lottery units can be set aside.

If you are applying online, DAHLIA will show you a list of preferences for which you are eligible.

If you disagree with your eligibility for a preference, do the following at least 2 days before the lottery:

1. Email lotteryappeal@sfgov.org

   Use the subject line "Request for ___ Housing Preference Consideration."

2. Include the following information:

   • Lottery application number
   • Full name of the applicant who is claiming the preference
   • Address of the applicant who is claiming the preference
   • Any supplemental information or documents that prove your eligibility. See the accepted documents checklist

3. MOHCD may give you the preference for the lottery while we look into your eligibility further.

   • If we determine you are not eligible for the preference after the lottery, we will move you to the general applicant pool.

For detailed program information, download the Housing Preferences and Lottery Procedures Manual.