As of August 4, 2026, the Newton Crossing Affordable Housing Lottery is open for 73 income-restricted rental apartments in Newton, Massachusetts. Applications must be submitted online, received, or postmarked by August 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. SEB Housing is administering the lottery on behalf of Dunstan East, LLC. Before applying, compare your household income, household size, preferred bedroom size, and ability to pay the listed rent with the project’s official requirements.
Quick answer: Newton Crossing is accepting applications for studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments at 50% and 80% of Area Median Income. Monthly rents range from $1,348 to $2,959. The lottery is scheduled for August 25, 2026, and applying does not guarantee an apartment or final eligibility approval.
Newton Crossing Affordable Housing Lottery current status
- Current status: Open and accepting lottery applications as of August 4, 2026.
- Application deadline: August 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
- Time-zone warning: The official information packet lists 2:00 p.m. but does not expressly identify a time zone. Do not wait until the final hours to submit.
- Lottery date: August 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. through Zoom.
- Attendance: Applicants do not have to attend the lottery drawing.
- Expected occupancy: The first apartments are expected to become available beginning in September 2026.
- Lottery agent: SEB Housing.
- Property owner or developer entity: Dunstan East, LLC.
- Property location: 1155, 1165, and 1175 Washington Street, Newton, Massachusetts.
This page will continue to cover the Newton Crossing opportunity after the deadline, including the drawing, waiting-list status, leasing activity, and any later result or availability update. It should not be replaced with a separate results or waiting-list page.
Newton Crossing is a property-specific opportunity within the wider inclusionary housing system in the United States . The project’s official documents control its income limits, rents, preferences, deadlines, and selection rules.
How many affordable apartments are available?
Newton Crossing is a new 292-apartment rental community. The initial affordable housing lottery covers 73 income-restricted apartments.
- 50% AMI apartments: 10 units.
- 80% AMI apartments: 63 units.
- Total affordable apartments: 73 units.
Studio apartments
- 50% AMI: One studio at $1,348 per month.
- 80% AMI: Four studios at $2,248 per month.
One-bedroom apartments
- 50% AMI: Four one-bedroom apartments at $1,491 per month.
- 80% AMI: Thirty-seven one-bedroom apartments at $2,518 per month.
Two-bedroom apartments
- 50% AMI: Four two-bedroom apartments at $1,586 per month.
- 80% AMI: Sixteen two-bedroom apartments at $2,743 per month.
Three-bedroom apartments
- 50% AMI: One three-bedroom apartment at $1,674 per month.
- 80% AMI: Six three-bedroom apartments at $2,959 per month.
The rents are fixed according to the affordability tier assigned to each apartment. They are not individually reduced based on each applicant’s income unless the household already has an approved housing voucher or similar rental subsidy.
What is included in the monthly rent?
Applicants should calculate the complete monthly housing cost rather than looking only at the advertised rent.
- Parking: One parking space is included without a separate monthly charge.
- Electric heat: Paid by the tenant.
- Cooking: Paid by the tenant.
- Hot water: Paid by the tenant.
- Electricity: Paid by the tenant.
- Water and sewer: Paid by the tenant.
- Pets: Permitted subject to the property’s restrictions.
The official lottery materials do not publish a security-deposit amount or a complete list of charges due at lease signing. Applicants reached for leasing should request a written move-in cost statement before paying a deposit or ending an existing lease.
Rents are set annually and may change in later years. A higher or lower Area Median Income figure or a change in the applicable utility allowance may affect a future restricted rent.
Newton Crossing maximum income limits
The project contains apartments at two income tiers: 50% AMI and 80% AMI. AMI means Area Median Income. It is an income benchmark adjusted for location and household size, not the percentage of income that a tenant will pay as rent.
The article explaining how Area Median Income affects affordable housing eligibility provides the broader calculation rules. For this application, use the Newton Crossing limits below.
- One-person household: $60,000 maximum for a 50% AMI apartment or $96,000 for an 80% AMI apartment.
- Two-person household: $68,600 maximum for a 50% AMI apartment or $109,700 for an 80% AMI apartment.
- Three-person household: $77,150 maximum for a 50% AMI apartment or $123,400 for an 80% AMI apartment.
- Four-person household: $85,700 maximum for a 50% AMI apartment or $137,100 for an 80% AMI apartment.
- Five-person household: $92,600 maximum for a 50% AMI apartment or $148,100 for an 80% AMI apartment.
- Six-person household: $99,450 maximum for a 50% AMI apartment or $159,050 for an 80% AMI apartment.
These figures are maximums, not automatic approvals. SEB Housing will project the household’s anticipated income for the following 12 months and may review prior earnings to determine whether the projection is reasonable.
Applicants should report every income source requested by the application. Countable income may include wages, overtime, bonuses, Social Security, unemployment compensation, child support, alimony, severance pay, recurring payments, self-employment income, and income generated by assets.
Is there a minimum-income requirement?
Newton Crossing also uses an approximate minimum-income and asset standard for households that do not have a housing subsidy. The leasing office generally requires monthly income to equal about 2.5 times the monthly rent, which corresponds to a 40% rent-to-income ratio.
Approximate minimum income for 50% AMI apartments
- Studio: $40,400.
- One bedroom: $44,700.
- Two bedrooms: $47,500.
- Three bedrooms: $50,200.
Approximate minimum income for 80% AMI apartments
- Studio: $67,400.
- One bedroom: $75,500.
- Two bedrooms: $82,200.
- Three bedrooms: $88,700.
These minimums are leasing-office estimates rather than maximum-income limits imposed by the affordable housing program. A household earning less may still pass the leasing review if it has sufficient savings that the leasing office accepts under its policy.
Applicants with a Section 8 voucher or another qualifying housing subsidy are not subject to the regular minimum-income requirement. They must still meet the maximum income, household, program, and leasing requirements. The agency administering the subsidy must also determine whether the apartment’s rent fits its payment standards.
The difference between these two tests is explained in minimum and maximum income rules for income-restricted housing .
How are assets and homeownership treated?
Newton Crossing does not publish a maximum asset limit for new applicants. Assets still matter because income earned from those assets may be added to the household’s annual income.
- Asset income: The review uses the higher of actual income produced by the assets or imputed income equal to 0.06% of the asset value.
- Bank accounts: Checking and savings balances must be disclosed as instructed.
- Retirement accounts: The net cash value may need to be reported even when early withdrawal would cause a penalty.
- Investments: Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, trusts, certificates of deposit, and similar assets must be disclosed when requested.
- Real estate: Home equity and other real-estate interests may be included in the asset review.
- Current homeowners: A household cannot own another home when it moves into a Newton Crossing affordable apartment. Any home must be sold before the affordable lease begins.
- Co-signers: An outside co-signer or guarantor is not permitted. A person signing the lease must be a household member who will live in the apartment.
Do not leave out an asset because it does not produce regular income or because you do not plan to withdraw the money. List the asset as instructed and allow SEB Housing to apply the governing calculation.
Household size and bedroom eligibility
Passing an income test does not automatically give a household priority for every bedroom size. Newton Crossing applies household-composition rules based on guidance from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
- General occupancy: There must generally be at least one occupant and no more than two occupants per bedroom, subject to the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code.
- Bedroom priority: Households that need all bedrooms based on their size and composition are considered before smaller households seeking and composition are the same apartment.
- One-person households: A one-person household is appropriately sized for a one-bedroom apartment but may request a larger apartment without receiving the same household-size priority.
- Two-person households: Priority depends on the household members’ relationship and whether they are required to share a bedroom under the program rules.
- Larger households: Three- to six-person households may receive priority for two- or three-bedroom apartments depending on their exact composition.
- Reasonable accommodation: A household must not lose appropriate priority when a larger apartment is needed because of a disability-related accommodation.
Smaller households may be permitted to apply for larger apartments, but appropriately sized households are ranked ahead of them. Review how household size affects affordable housing eligibility before selecting a bedroom category.
Do you have to live in Newton to apply?
No. Applicants do not have to be current Newton residents. Households from outside Newton may enter the open lottery if they satisfy the project’s eligibility requirements.
The City of Newton has approved a local preference for 25% of the affordable apartments. A household may qualify for local preference through one of the following categories:
- Newton resident: The applicant or another household member currently lives in Newton.
- City employee: A household member works for the City of Newton.
- Local-business employee: A household member works for a business located in Newton.
- Newton student connection: A child in the household attends a Newton school, including a qualifying METCO student.
Meeting more than one local-preference category does not create additional priority over a household meeting one category. Local preference also does not override the need for an appropriately sized apartment or the priority given to a household that needs an accessible unit.
Applicants claiming local preference must provide acceptable proof when SEB Housing requests it. Do not select a preference merely because you previously lived, worked, or attended school in Newton if the official definition requires a current connection.
Accessible apartments and reasonable accommodations
Newton Crossing includes six apartments with mobility-accessible features and two apartments with hearing-accessible features. Separate waiting lists are used to give households needing those features the first opportunity to lease them.
- Mobility-accessible apartments: Six affordable apartments contain mobility-related features.
- Hearing-accessible apartments: Two affordable apartments contain hearing-related features, including one one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartment.
- Priority: A household that needs the accessible features receives priority for the matching apartment.
- Other waiting lists: A household needing an accessible apartment may also receive positions on waiting lists for non-accessible apartments it selected.
- Verification: SEB Housing may request reliable verification of the need for the features. The household should provide only the information needed to establish that need.
- Reasonable accommodation: A person with a disability may ask for a reasonable change to a rule, policy, practice, service, or housing feature when needed for equal use and enjoyment of the housing.
If an accommodation is needed to complete the application, communicate with SEB Housing before the deadline. Free language assistance is also available through the lottery agent.
How to apply for Newton Crossing
SEB Housing accepts an official Newton Crossing application online and also provides a paper or PDF application. Access the application only through the Newton Crossing listing published by SEB Housing or Boston Metrolist.
- Read the information packet: Review the rents, income limits, minimum-income estimates, household priorities, local preference, accessible-unit rules, and deadline.
- Choose unit categories: Select the bedroom sizes and income tiers that fit your household.
- List every household member: Include each person who will occupy the apartment.
- Report income and assets: Disclose all requested sources even when you believe a source may be excluded from the final calculation.
- Claim only valid preferences: Select local or accessible-unit priority only when the household meets the stated definition.
- Review the certifications: Confirm that the application is accurate, complete, signed, and dated.
- Submit through one permitted method: Complete the official online form or follow the mailing and delivery instructions printed on the current paper application.
- Save proof: Keep the completed application, submission confirmation, mailing record, and original information packet.
Online applications must be completed by the deadline. Paper applications must be received or postmarked by August 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. According to the official information packet, an application postmarked by the deadline must reach SEB Housing within five business days.
Applicants may contact SEB Housing at (617) 782-6900 for affordable-unit information. TTY users may dial 711. Use the instructions in the current official application to confirm the correct extension and mailing or delivery details.
The general safeguards in how to apply for an affordable housing lottery safely can help you avoid duplicate submissions, missed deadlines, and unofficial application websites.
Do you submit documents with the first application?
The initial lottery application does not require the complete income, asset, and tax-document package. You must still list the requested information accurately. Supporting records are required later if your household reaches the leasing and certification stages.
Documents that may be requested after selection include:
- Identity and household records: Identification, birth records, custody records, school records, pregnancy verification, or other evidence affecting household composition.
- Employment income: Recent pay statements, employer verification, W-2 forms, overtime information, bonuses, commissions, or evidence that prior employment ended.
- Benefits and recurring payments: Social Security, pensions, unemployment, child support, alimony, or other payments received by the household.
- Bank records: Complete statements for checking, savings, payment applications, and other financial accounts.
- Investments and retirement funds: Current statements showing ownership and net cash value.
- Tax documents: Requested federal and state tax returns, schedules, transcripts, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms.
- Self-employment records: Business tax returns, profit-and-loss statements, bank records, and other evidence requested by the reviewer.
- Local-preference proof: Current evidence of Newton residency, employment, business employment, or a qualifying school connection.
- Accessible-unit verification: Limited, reliable documentation establishing the household’s need for the apartment’s features.
Prepare common records early, but submit the exact records requested in your personal notice. The full preparation list is available in documents needed for an affordable housing lottery .
What happens after the application deadline?
The Newton Crossing selection process has several separate stages. Entry into the drawing is not final approval for an apartment.
Initial application review
SEB Housing reviews each application for initial lottery compliance. An incomplete application may not be accepted. Households clearly above the maximum income limit, or households without a subsidy that are substantially below the applicable leasing standard, may not be entered.
An applicant accepted into the lottery receives an application number. The number protects the household’s identity during the drawing and does not represent a ranking based on when the application arrived.
Lottery drawing
The drawing is scheduled for August 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. through Zoom. Applicants do not have to attend. SEB Housing plans an open or general drawing and a local-preference drawing.
Application numbers are randomized. The raw drawing order does not by itself determine who receives the first apartment offer because household size, household composition, AMI tier, local preference, and accessible-unit need are applied when the waiting lists are created.
The broader sequence is explained in how affordable housing lotteries work in the United States .
Waiting lists and results
SEB Housing expects to compile the waiting lists immediately after the drawing and send the results to lottery applicants. Separate lists are created for different unit sizes, affordability tiers, local-preference categories, and accessible apartments.
Your position may differ from your raw lottery number. Appropriately sized households are placed ahead of smaller households for a larger apartment, and households needing accessible features are prioritized for apartments containing those features.
Leasing-office review
The leasing office may begin contacting applicants approximately one to 30 days after the lottery, depending on waiting-list positions and apartment availability.
The leasing review may include:
- Credit review: Applied under the property’s screening standards and applicable Massachusetts requirements.
- Rental history: The leasing office may review prior tenancy information.
- Criminal-background screening: Conducted under the applicable Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities requirements.
- Affordability review: The leasing office checks the minimum-income, subsidy, or savings standard.
- Unit selection: The household may reserve an available apartment when its waiting-list position is reached.
Final affordable housing certification
After reserving an apartment, the household must submit complete income, asset, and tax records to SEB Housing. The official information packet refers to a 10-day submission period, while the certification language in the application refers to a 15-day period.
Because the official materials use different time frames, applicants should prepare for the shorter 10-day period and follow the exact deadline stated in the written reservation or document-request notice. Missing that deadline may cause the household to lose its position.
Does winning the lottery guarantee an apartment?
No. A favorable lottery number or waiting-list position does not guarantee a lease. The household must still:
- Match an available apartment at the correct AMI tier.
- Meet the household-size and composition rules.
- Complete the leasing-office screening.
- Meet the maximum-income requirement.
- Meet the applicable minimum-income, subsidy, or savings standard.
- Verify all income and assets.
- Verify any claimed local or accessible-unit preference.
- Provide every document within the stated deadline.
- Remain eligible through final certification and lease signing.
Do not give notice to your current landlord, pay an unofficial person, or make an irreversible move based only on a lottery number, preliminary email, or document request.
What happens after move-in?
Affordable-unit eligibility and rent are reviewed before lease renewal. The official packet states that the annual review generally begins 30 to 90 days before renewal.
A current resident remains income-eligible while the household’s income does not exceed 140% of the current applicable income limit for its household size and unit tier. The exact result is determined under the property’s regulatory agreement and annual compliance review.
Residents must report information accurately during recertification. Restricted rent may increase or decrease when AMI limits or utility allowances change. The lease and regulatory agreement control the final rent and continued-occupancy rules.
Newton Crossing application checklist
- Confirm that the lottery is still open before beginning the application.
- Use the official Newton Crossing application issued by SEB Housing.
- Compare your household income with the correct 50% or 80% AMI limit.
- Check the approximate minimum income unless you have a qualifying subsidy.
- Select bedroom sizes that match your household composition.
- Disclose all household members, income sources, and assets.
- Claim local preference only with a current qualifying Newton connection.
- Request an accessible apartment or reasonable accommodation when needed.
- Submit one complete application by August 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
- Keep the application, confirmation, information packet, and mailing evidence.
- Monitor your email, mail, and telephone messages after the deadline.
- Prepare financial and household documents before the August 25 drawing.
Final answer
The Newton Crossing Affordable Housing Lottery is open as of August 4, 2026, for 73 income-restricted apartments in Newton. The opportunity includes studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments at 50% and 80% AMI, with rents from $1,348 to $2,959 per month.
Submit the official SEB Housing application by August 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., keep proof of submission, and prepare for the August 25 lottery and later document review. The most common mistakes are using the wrong income tier, ignoring tenant-paid utilities, claiming an unsupported preference, or treating a lottery number as final approval.
Last verified: August 4, 2026.
Official sources reviewed: SEB Housing’s Newton Crossing information packet and application, Boston Metrolist, and the City of Newton’s affordable housing listing.
Update note: Application status, waiting-list information, lottery results, leasing progress, and later unit availability should be updated on this same URL. For broader affordable housing guidance for U.S. applicants , review Housing Help America’s current program and application resources.