There are lotteries and wait lists for affordable housing for artists. Here is a link to several resources which you can explore to learn how to make the best of these opportunities. AFFORDABLE HOUSING

STREETEASY.COM - www.streeteasy.com - This online search engine is great - it lists apartments for rent and for sale throughout the five boroughs of New York City.

CRAIGSLIST - www.craigslist.com - A very popular place to find rentals. Be careful and use common sense. Neither the apartments nor the people listing them have been screened. Spend some time on the phone with the "landlord" or "owner" - have a list of questions that you need to know, i.e. "How many closets?", " Are they walk-ins?", "Gas or electric stove?" -- You get the idea.

REAL ESTATE OFFICE - A great resource but usually considerably more expensive than dealing directly with the landlord or owner. Real Estate brokers tend to charge one month's rent or 10% to 15% of a whole year's rent. Real estate offices tend to have the cream of the crop in rental units, so sometimes it may be worth checking them out. Especially worthwhile if you are looking for a rental for four or five of your friends. HOUSING & LODGING

FRIENDS/FAMILY/ALMA MATER - Send a large email to all your friends and relatives (perhaps they have contacts in NYC). Reach out to your High School or College Alumni Office, as they usually have lists of former students and their whereabouts. You never know, one of them may be happy to offer advice or leads.

BE A SMART TENANT - Having been both a renter AND a landlord for many years, I can impart to you some advice. A landlord should fix plumbing problems, broken appliances and other major problems that interfere with the tenant's reasonable expectation of quality of life in the apartment. A renter should fix the little things - there is nothing worse than to get a call that "my door knob or door sticks" and all it needed was a little WD40 (buy this wonder spray - it is good for many things). Basically, landlords are responsible for the walls and behind the walls, and of course any large appliance that was included in your lease. The tenant should take care of minor problems, like changing a light bulb, or oiling a squeaky door. If you are having a dispute with your landlord, perhaps calling 311 can help.
MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WORK FOR YOU

LIVING WITH ROOMMATES - The only POSITIVE thing about having one or more roommates is that you pay less rent. Sometimes that is not a big enough pleasure if you're dealing with roommates that don't pay their rent on time, keep your apartment filthy, or are too loud, especially when you want to sleep. If you must have roommates, PLEASE get a written contract stating that if they move out, they are still responsible for paying their share of the rent and utilities until they have been replaced with another roommate, and insist they sign it. Remember, this is a business arrangement, not a casual agreement between friends.