For the Reporter
The King County Housing Authority has opened its waiting list and accepting new applications for its Housing Choice Voucher program for the first time in nearly four years.
Housing costs in the Seattle region have steadily climbed over the past year, while incomes have barely increased or in many cases, continued to decline, housing officials said. Households with low-skilled workers, elder or disabled individuals and poor families with children are increasingly having difficulty keeping up with rising rent and utility costs.
The Housing Choice Voucher program, widely known as Section 8, helps about 11,000 low-income households in King County outside of Seattle and Renton pay their rent. One key initiative under this program is the issuance of housing assistance to homeless and disabled veterans.
During the 2013 federal budget sequester, the Section 8 program stopped re-issuing vouchers for 11 months. While KCHA resumed issuing vouchers once sequestration was lifted, the ability to house families applying for the new wait list will be dependent upon continued federal funding. If the sequestration goes back into effect and there are significant cuts in funding, few new families will be housed and the total number of families served through the program will shrink.
“The Section 8 program is our primary means of helping low-income families in King County to fill a basic need – housing,” said KCHA Executive Director Stephen Norman. “Opening up this waiting list will offer much-needed assistance to an additional 2,500 families, preventing homelessness, providing the housing security that we know is necessary to enable children to succeed in school, and seniors and disabled individuals to live with dignity.”
Families wanting to apply for the program can do so online at www.kcha.org. The signup period will last two weeks starting at 6 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28 until 4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10.
KCHA expects thousands of families to apply for the openings. It will then conduct a lottery among qualified families to select those who will fill 2,500 positions on the waiting list.
“A lottery is the fairest way to make sure that all qualified families have an equal shot at getting into the program,” Norman said. He added that KCHA will notify families by the end of March if they are being placed on the application list. Some families could start getting rent vouchers as early as April.
The following qualifications must be met to be eligible for the lottery:
• The head of household must be over the age of 18; and
• At least one member of the household must be disabled, or at least age 62, or under the age of 18; and
• Families must be low-income.
Once a family has met the first three eligibility requirements, they must also meet one of the following:
• Must make less than 30 percent of the area median income for the family size ($26,450 for a family of four); or
• Be paying more than 50 percent of its total income for rent and utilities; or
• Be homeless; or
• Be living in substandard housing. (Note: With rare exceptions, the family cannot live in government subsidized housing.)
For more information about the application process, please call the King County Housing Authority Section 8 Office at (206) 214-1300 or visit www.kcha.org.
The application is free and only available through www.kcha.org.
KCHA cautions against using individuals or agencies that charge a fee to help complete a Section 8 application. “Charging a fee to help with the process is fraudulent,” Norman said. “Please don’t do it. If you need help, call the Housing Authority at 206-214-1300.”
In addition to King County and Seattle libraries, free online computer access will be offered at the following locations:
• YWCA – Greenbridge Learning Center, 97208th Ave. SW, in White Center (Seattle); Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Friday: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Auburn Learning Center at Firwood Circle, 313 37th St. SE, in Auburn ; Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
• Burndale Homes Community Center, 1044 18th St. NE, in Auburn; Monday and Wednesday: noon – 3 p.m.
• Birch Creek Career Center, 13111 SE 27th St., Suite 226, in Kent; Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Southcenter Library, 1386 Southcenter Mall, Tukwila; Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Senior Services: Call 206-448-3110 for locations and times (available online at www.seniorservices.org).