Jonah JacobsWhat can affordable housing provide you and your family? For starters, it can give you stability, so you don’t have to move continually. Your kids can stay in the same school and hang out with their close friends. You can continue to work. And stability can also lead to other benefits, such as improved health via reduced stress.
With affordable housing, you have more money for other living expenses. It’s easier to pay for healthcare. You can buy more food, so your family gets the nutrition they need.
And so on.
How can you get affordable housing? Besides living in a location that’s cheap or choosing a home that’s small and easy to maintain, affordable housing can be had with a Section 8 voucher.
A voucher reduces your out-of-pocket rent costs. It limits how much you have to pay per month in rent, which is usually capped at around 30 percent of your income. The remainder of the rent gets delivered to your landlord by the government, which gives you significant savings and that aforementioned stability and the benefits it brings.
At this point, you probably think a voucher can alleviate most of your financial problems.
But there is one downside to Section 8: It’s limited. Not only are funds scarce, but the demand for Section 8 is high. Combine those two, and it’s no wonder why it can be hard to get approved.
Even if you are approved for Section 8, what comes next is a wait. And depending on where you want to live, that wait could exceed a year until you finally get your voucher.
Now that you see the time commitment involved with the Section 8 process, let’s look at how you can start applying, so you don’t have to wait as long for rental assistance.
Steps To Start the Section 8 Application Process
1. Your first step is to get in touch with the Public Housing Agency (PHA) where you’d like to live. They will handle your application, determine your eligibility, and disburse your voucher if you are accepted.
The PHA can help you learn more about Section 8, as well as kickstart your application. The sooner you contact them, the better.
2. You may be able to accelerate the process by applying to different waitlists. To do this, make a list of places where you could see yourself living for a year. After a year, you can move and transfer your voucher.
Once you have your list of multiple locations, contact PHAs nearby. You may run into a snag with some waitlists being closed. To combat this, ask the PHA if they have an alert system so you can be notified when the waitlists open. Once they do, apply quickly to earn your spot in line.
3. When you apply, be sure to use a stable mailing address. In other words, don’t use an address if you know you’ll be on the move always or nobody will be able to check the mail.
PHAs send out correspondence, and you’ll need to stay on top of them to avoid any delays. If you have trouble with this step, ask a friend or family for help. You may be able to use their address. Some shelters or churches in your area may also offer such a service.
4. A doctor’s note could help you move faster through the waitlist if someone in your home has a disability or other health problems. Don’t forget to use this to your advantage.
5. Never pay to apply for Section 8. It’s free. The same holds for when you make the waitlist. Do not pay someone to advance you through the line, as it’s a scam.
Mark Luigi Dacumos
