Latest news with #Section8HousingChoiceVoucherProgram
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pottsville Housing Authority closing wait list for Section 8
POTTSVILLE — The Pottsville Housing Authority announced that the wait list for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program will be closed starting April 30. The housing authority said wait lists will close at 4 p.m. April 30 due to a great demand for housing assistance that 'far exceeds the funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.' The authority said hundreds of people are currently on the wait list. 'Closing the waiting list will help make the lists more manageable and give applicants more realistic expectations about how long they might wait before being selected,' the PHA said in a statement. When the wait list re-opens, the Pottsville Housing Authority will make an announcement via social media, news releases and a public notice. While the wait list for Section 8 is closed, the PHA's public housing program is still available. PHA manages about 509 rental housing units in Pottsville. Public housing residents pay no more than 30% of their adjusted gross income for rent and basic utilities. Those interested can apply at the PHA office at 410 Laurel Blvd., Pottsville, or online at Lack of housing is nagging problem Section 8 housing inventory has been a persistent problem in Schuylkill and surrounding counties in recent years. Last year, the Housing Authority of the County of Luzerne closed its Section 8 wait list indefinitely. In September 2023, Schuylkill County Housing Authority Executive Director Thomas F. Hale described a critical shortage of housing options for prospective Section 8 tenants. Hale said that many units fail to meet Section 8 criteria, and many property owners don't pay for necessary repairs. Another problem, according to Hale, is that Schuylkill has a very low Fair Market Rent, or the cost to rent affordable housing units, as established by HUD. The 2024 Fair Market Rent rates were $663 for a one-bedroom unit, $858 for two bedrooms and $1,129 for three bedrooms. In 2023, the average wait time for subsidized housing in Pennsylvania was one year and 9 months, according to HUD. Officials with the Pottsville Housing Authority were not available for comment Friday.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Housing Authority uncertain on funding issue
HIGH POINT — Leaders of the High Point Housing Authority don't have a definitive time frame for when the agency might be able to start issuing new housing vouchers that were put on hold a week ago. It could be next month or April before authority officials have a better understanding or possible resolution of the situation, CEO Angela Jimenez told The High Point Enterprise prior to the start of the agency's annual meeting on Wednesday. The bottleneck involves congressional funding of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Congress is mired in the ongoing budget reconciliation process. Authority leaders say that HUD allocates program funding based on congressional appropriations. The most recent funding level affects the authority's "ability to fully meet its obligations, leading to a potential shortfall unless action is taken," the agency said in a statement released last week During the housing authority's meeting Wednesday at the Webb Conference Center at High Point University, authority leaders presented the agency's annual report for 2024. Highlights include: • The authority owns and manages 15 communities that include 900 rental units and 101 Morehead Courts units through Section 8 new construction. The agency was able to supply affordable housing to more than 1,200 families. • The agency was able to provide rental assistance to more than 1,400 families through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which secures affordable housing in the private housing market. • The authority invested more than $1.2 million in capital improvements. • The agency processed more than 5,300 public housing and Section 8 voucher applications. At year-end the applicant waiting list totaled more than 4,800 people. • The authority's Family Self-Sufficiency program was awarded a grant of $229,783 to help public housing residents secure access to education, job training and employment. • The agency received nearly $38,000 in HUD Housing Counseling grants to provide financial literacy and housing counseling services. pjohnson@ | 336-888-3528 | @HPEpaul
