HOUSTON – With a record number of Houstonians struggling to make rent payments, the Houston Housing Authority will be accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, formerly known as Section 8, from 9 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. Wednesday.
More than 20,000 people applied for assistance on the first day applications were being taken. About 75 percent of the applications were made on mobile phones.
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Housing Authority officials expect as many as 85,000 Houston families, senior citizens, people with disabilities and others in need to sign up online for a lottery from which 30,000 names will be added to the wait list for housing assistance.
Houston has a critical shortage of affordable housing. More than 400,000 families in the Greater Houston area are estimated to be eligible for the voucher program, but there is only space to add 30,000 on the wait list.
Everyone who applies during the open period will have an equal chance at the waiting list, whether they are the first or last person to apply. Applications will be completed and submitted through hchatexas.org/waitlist.
Paper applications are not available or accepted at any HHA property or office, but residents can apply online from most smartphones. The online submission will allow families to apply at a time and place convenient for them, regardless of their work schedules, and eliminate the need to stand in long lines. The applications are being made available entirely online in English, Spanish, mandarin and Vietnamese.
“With limited availability of affordable housing in the Houston area, too many families are facing a crisis—making very hard choices every day between paying rent and other necessities. By opening the wait list and helping those currently in the program transition out of assistance, we can provide an opportunity for thousands of Houston families to find an affordable home,” Houston Housing Authority President and CEO Tory Gunsolley said.