byTANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member
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The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waitlist reopens for applications for the first time since Dec. 2009. Qualifying renters have until June 9 at 11:59 p.m. to apply for a chance to get in line for the elusive vouchers.
The federally funded, NYCHA-administered housing assistance program provides qualifying low-income households with subsidies to rent in their neighborhood of choice from participating landlords. Participants typically contribute 30% of their monthly income towards rent.
NYCHA said applying online is the easiest method and suggested those without internet access to apply at a public library. The 20-minute application can be found at https://on.nyc.gov/section8-application when it opens. Paper applications can be requested between June 3 to 7 by calling (718) 218-1525 or visiting NYCHA application offices in Brooklyn or the Bronx. Paper applications need to be postmarked by June 28.
Applicants should qualify for the Section 8 waitlist if they earn less than the income limit, which sits on a scale based on household size and is generally based on falling under 50% of the area median income. The cap for applicants living alone is $54,350 while families of eight cannot make more than $102,500. Mobility-impaired applicants currently in “inaccessible housing” receive first priority, followed by older people (ages 62 and over) and people with disabilities. There is no New York City residency requirement to apply.
Applications cannot be expedited. All members of applying households will need to provide their date of birth, social security number, disability status and racial, ethnic and gender identity. Heads of household will also be required to provide information on the family’s gross income, pregnancy status, sex offender status, eviction history and reason for applying.
When the portal closes on June 10, NYCHA will begin the selection process and said the waitlist will be established no earlier than Aug. 1. While applicants will be notified of their status, they can check themselves through https://selfserve.nycha.info/. Those selected on the waitlist will be interviewed and asked for additional information.
“As the largest landlord in New York City, NYCHA understands firsthand the importance of affordable housing for New Yorkers and the need to use every available tool to connect more families with a safe place to call home,” said NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt over an email statement. “We are proud to administer the most expansive Section 8 program in the nation and look forward to reopening the waitlist for this critical rental subsidy.”
Brooklyn’s NYCHA application office address is 787 Atlantic Ave. 2nd floor, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Bronx’s NYCHA application office address is 478 East Fordham Road, 2nd floor, Bronx, NY 10458
Update: The Section 8 waitlist application is now open. Lakesha Miller, executive vice president of Leased Housing at NYCHA spoke to media reporters of color at a Mayor’s Office roundtable last week with additional information for prospective applicants. She told the Amsterdam News that the waitlist opening and voucher disbursem*nt depend on federal funding and she is unclear when it will reopen next.
NYCHA will not directly enlist community organizations to help with applications. Its welcome center will not assist with applications as well.
“The best thing to be aware of is going directly to [the] NYCHA site and completing the application process,” said Miller to the AmNews. “A person should also be very aware of anyone offering to assist them in the application process. You don’t want anyone helping you, right? So if you go to the library or if there’s a community organization that is helping, it needs to be someone who…normally helps people in the community to complete entitlement program applications.”
Miller warned that duplicate applications would be purged from the lottery system. Applicants do not necessarily need to plan on moving when applying. In the past, residents have successfully cashed in their vouchers at their existing apartments after successfully applying for Section 8.
Author’s Note: A roundtable featuring Bova-Hiatt will be held after press time. Please check this article on AmsterdamNews.com for updates on the Section 8 waitlist.
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
