Steps to Apply for Low income Housing

For those on low income, trying to find low income housing can be a difficult and confusing process, but it really doesn’t have to be.  What is great is that the government has a specific department devoted to those seeking low income housing, titled the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  This department offers not only public housing, but programs that can assist those on low income as well.  What follows is a simple, step by step process to apply for either one.

The first step to perform is to go to a local public housing agency, where they can help to see whether or not eligibility can be met for housing.  The best way to find a local public housing agency is to go online to find a list of agencies that are nearby.  It is better to get this step done sooner rather than later, as there may be many people trying to gain eligibility for housing.  

Once a local agency has been located and eligibility is determined, the next important step is to figure our yearly income if it has not been figured out already.  This should be done as soon as possible along with finding a local agency, because the program that the government offers in regards to housing depends on how much money one earns.  For instance, one program may stipulate that one needs to earn less than half of the median yearly income for the particular city that one lives in.  If he or she is at or above that certain threshold they may not be able to apply for low income housing.

After doing this and figuring out whether or not one meets all of the requirements, they must then request to be on the waiting list that most agencies have for those in need of housing.  The waiting list could be anywhere from a few days to a few years depending on where one lives, but generally speaking, the bigger the city one lives in the longer the waiting list there will be.  That is why it is important to explore all avenues before applying for housing, as it may take a long time to get accepted even if one does qualify. 

One should look out for both the Section 8 program along with the department’s own public housing program, as they can both help one to find the housing they need when on a low income. For more information on help for low income families and how to apply for low income housing, visit www.SPAOA.org today! We're here to help.