Their landlord hiked their rent by 25%, so they applied for the NYC housing lottery. On the 25th try, luck was on their side.

• A millennial couple won the New York City affordable-housing lottery after applying about 25 times.
• Brynne McManimie, 35, and Peter Romano, 34, now live in a $2,800-a-month apartment in Brooklyn.
• "It was unusually fast. I don't think that's the case for most people, but we got very lucky," McManimie told BI.

In 2021, Brynne McManimie and Peter Romano lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Due to the pandemic, they had gotten a good deal on their lease and paid $2,600 in rent each month. But that didn't last long.